The RSA was formed in New Zealand in 1916 by returning ANZAC’s during World War One to provide support and comfort for service men and women and their families. The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association is made up of 182 local RSAs around the country, each an entity in their own right, with over 102,000 members.

https://www.rsa.org.nz/find-an-rsa/find-a-local-rsa

Local RSA’s are managed by their own executive committee while being united with the RNZRSA in our strategic pillars, vision, and values.

Waiheke RSA Executive Committee for 2025-2026 will be as follows:

Our re-elected President is Helen Duley, re-elected Vice Presidents are Bronwyn Campbell & Dennis Williams, and re-elected committee members Gina Ford, Sherri Hinch and John Lindsay.

Waiheke RSA History

The original Waiheke RSA goes back to the 1940’s when a group of returned Servicemen applied for the RSA Charter. The group’s application was accepted and received at government house. The group would meet in each other’s houses and this continued on until in the early 1970’s.  As the group were getting larger they moved the meetings into other clubs & halls around the Island, including McGinties Hotel, the golf club, the Buff’s Lodge and Ostend Memorial Hall.

At this stage the club gained momentum and the decision to build the clubrooms behind the Ostend War Memorial Hall was made. Some would say the driving force behind this was Past President Doug Stewart who was nick-named “The Bulldozer” for his efforts in getting the building under way.