The Mackay R.S.S.A.I.L.A. Sub-Branch was formed in 1921 and one of its first undertakings was to co-operate with the Mackay City Council’s Citizens’ Committee in arranging for the 1921 Anzac Day observance.

The Sub-Branch also began raising funds for the erection of “Rest Rooms” on property in Macalister Street and within 12 months had sufficient money on hand to commence construction.

The Rest Rooms, later referred to as the Memorial Hall, were opened by the Deputy Mayor of Mackay. Alderman G.M.Cameron, on Armistice Day, Saturday November 11, 1922. The noted solicitor W.A.Amiet was the club president. He told the assembled Diggers, “As the years wear on and the ranks grow thinner, you will be prouder and prouder of having been in the A.I.F.” The hall was a simple, but attractive one storey building with a good dance floor and kitchen.

Two tennis courts were also constructed and these were opened for play on June 23, 1923.

Prior to the opening of the Memorial Hall the Sub-Branch met in a room behind the Union Bank in Sydney Street made available by H.A.Webster, owner of Webster’s Hardware Store. The room was part of the H.A.Webster building. H.A.Webster’s son, Charles Webster, who was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore was a very active member of the Sub-Branch in the post war years.

The first sub-branch members spent considerable time in helping Diggers in distress in the early years. There were many in Mackay needing help and in addition there was a constant flow of Diggers attracted to Mackay by the prospect of earning money in the Sugar Industry.

Right from the start the Memorial Hall was a centre of community social activity. The tennis courts were a great success and the Diggers Tennis Club was a strong club in the Mackay Tennis Association right up until the courts were lost following the sale of the property to the Y.W.C.A. when the Sydney Street Memorial Hall was opened. The Saturday night Euchre Party at the Diggers was a very popular social event and it also endured up until the opening of the new club.

The Sub-Branch entered a rugby league team in the Mackay Rugby League competition for a couple of seasons, 1921 and 1922, playing as Diggers, and there was a Diggers team in the Mackay Cricket Association A Grade fixtures for a couple of seasons after World War II.

The Mackay Sub-Branch also initiated the popular Diggers’ Cup race meetings from the beginning of the 1930’s. A special Diggers’ Hack Race Club was formed to conduct the meeting annually and Diggers Cup races were also held in country centres such as Sarina, Nebo and Koumala. They were Amateur meetings, but from the 1960’s, the rules were altered to allow professional jockeys to ride. Charlie Webster kept the Mackay meeting going until well into the 1980’s but in the end lack of interest among sub-branch members resulted in the winding up the club and disappearance of the Diggers Cup from the local racing calendar.

Mackay’s War Memorial, was positioned on the River Bank near the Sydney Street bridge in time for Anzac Day 1929, and the last Anzac Day service was held there in 1947. The Memorial was then re-located to a site in Jubilee Park adjacent to the old Drill Hall in Gordon Street and was then moved to it’s present location to make way for the construction of the new Civic Administration centre in 1975.

The Mackay Sub-Branch was very active in co-operating with District in a very strong campaign for raise funds for the construction of the new Memorial Hall in Sydney Street.

The property was acquired during the war years and from 1947 planning commenced for construction of the new club rooms, which were opened in November 1955.

The Sub-Branch continued operating from the Memorial Hall and working closely with the District executive until the Hall was closed and in many of those years the Sub-Branch president was also the District President.

For the last few years the Sub-Branch has had the use of office space in the Vietnam Veterans’ Centre in Leisure Court as an administration centre and has formed a close association with the Harrup Park Country Club for social events and as a venue for the club’s monthly meetings.