Meet the Executives
The Executive
PATRON: Toby Wilson OAM
Born in April 1927 in Gloucester, Toby attended the local primary and high school. When he turned 16, Toby joined the Air Training Corps at the Wingham Depot. Spending every second weekend there where activities included training at drill on the football field opposite, aircraft spotting with cardboard silhouettes and practicing with firearms at the local shooting range.
Not wanting to wait until he was old enough to enlist in the RAAF, on the 4th of April 1945 he enlisted in the RAN. After undergoing basic training at HMAS Cerberus on the Mornington Peninsular in Victoria, his first ship was the HMAS Uralba. Arriving at Newcastle, NSW to join the ship’s company looked in vin for a big grey boat. Little did he know, the Uralba was a small wooden vessel built at Tuncurry, NSW that was tied alongside. His time on the vessel was minesweeping along the east coast of Australia. He later joined the crew of HMAS Bataan which took part in the Japanese occupation force. While spending time at Shanghai, Toby also took the opportunity to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki during his tour.
After being paid off, Toby worked at various occupations in Gloucester. He was a strong rugby supporter, coaching the local teams for many years. Toby also spent many years as a Legatee with the charity Legacy, supporting local war widows. His community involvement has been recognised by being awarded the Order of Australia Medal.
Having spent all his life in Gloucester, after retiring he spends much of his time with his large extended family and his many, many friends.
PRESIDENT: Dallas Heard
Born at Patterson and raised at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. He attended Maitland Boys High School where he joined the Australian Army Cadets. Enlisting into the Army in 1974, Dallas served with 2 Field Engineer Regiment, 7th Field Squadron moving to 24 Support, 17th Construction and then 24 Support Squadron. He discharged due to family reasons after 6 years in 1980.
Dallas’s civilian career spanned from earth moving to construction and road transport industries before entering the mining sector. In 1993 Dallas commenced a Bachelor of Nursing at Southern Cross University and after graduating worked in the health care sector on the Northern Rivers area. Dallas returned to the mining sector in 2008 at Duralie Coal in the Gloucester basin. Being an area he was familiar with, he decided to settle here. Dallas currently holds a position with the local council and is involved in the Gloucester branches of the Australian Stock Horse Society, the Australian Rifle Association and the local Agricultural Society.
Dallas’s connection with the RSL began with joining the Alstonville sub-Branch while on the Northern Rivers and in 2016, he transferred to the Gloucester sub-Branch. Dallas is a Compensation Advocate ministering to our local veterans and became President of the sub-Branch in 2019, a position he still proudly holds today.
VICE PRESIDENT: Max Poole
Max spent most of his Primary school days on a dairy farm at Dartbrook in the Hunter Valley. On completing school in 1964 he enlisted in the Army with the Infantry Corps. Whilst serving as a Section Commander with 7RAR in Vietnam, Max was wounded in action and evacuated home.
Max later served with AATTV in Vietnam as an Advisor with Vietnamese Infantry Battalions and also as an instructor, training Cambodian troops in combat operations. Many postings were to follow, including as Regimental Sergeant Major of 1RVR, 6RAR and the School of Infantry. Promotion to Captain followed, after long career as a Warrant Officer.
After 24 years in the regular army Max and his wife Narelle managed a tourist park for 14 years at Wangi Wangi. Max completed a further 10 years in the Army Reserve as an Infantry Officer, retiring as a Major.
Max and Narelle moved to Gloucester after purchasing a property there to bred Murry Grey cattle. Whilst farming Max joined the Gloucester RSL sub-Branch serving 17 years as Secretary and for a time, he worked as a Compensation Officer. While Max and Narelle have moved from Gloucester to live in Forster, he is still an active member of the sub-Branch recently taking on the role of Vice President.
HONORARY SECRETARY: John Salter
Growing up in South Australia, John joined the Royal Australian Air Force after leaving school. His service included postings to 36 Squadron, 5 Squadron, 478 Squadron, ARDU and finally 10 Squadron.
John discharged from the RAAF after 16 years to work in the airline industry where he spent 10 years in Hong Kong with his family. After a further 2 years in the General Aviation industry, he changed career direction and spent 15 years in the road freight industry. Moving from Lake Macquarie to Gloucester in 2010, John retired in 2020 and operates a small grazing property to the north of Gloucester with his wife Sue.
John has been a member of the Gloucester sub-branch since 2016. He has been a Wellbeing Officer since 2020 and was elected Honorary Secretary in 2023.
TREASURER: Greg Godde
Greg’s association with the Army started with Army Cadets whilst attending high school at St. Francis de Sales College at Leeton, NSW. After leaving school he worked on the family farm until turning 17 when he applied to join the Army. Being accepted in January 1979, after recruit training at Kapooka and at the School of Transport, Puckapunyal, Greg was posted to 30 Terminal Squadron at Middle Head, Sydney.
In 1981 Greg transferred to the Military Police with postings to Ingleburn and Singleton, NSW and Bandiana, Victoria. Greg discharged in 1988 and after a short break joined 8/13 Victorian Mounted Rifles Army Reserve Unit in Albury. Moving to Parkes in 2001 he transferred to 1/19 Royal New South Wales Regiment. His time there included involvement in Operation Deluge for APEC in Sydney in 2007 and a 3-month deployment to Air Base Butterworth with Rifle Company Butterworth 88 Contingent in 2010/11. With an Army career spanning 30 years, Greg resigned in 2012.
He has since lived in Boorowa and Clarence Town where he was Vice President of Dungog RSL sub-Branch before settling in Gloucester with his wife Shayne. Greg transferred to the Gloucester sub-Branch in 2023 and was elected Treasurer in 2024.
Trustees
Geoff Murray
Geoff first came into contact with the Army by joining the Army Cadet Corp while attending school at Tumit High School, N.S.W. After leaving school he worked at dairying until he joined the Postmasters General Department. He was conscripted into the Army in 1966.
After recruit training at Kapooka and Corps training at the School of Engineering at Moorebank, he was posted to 55 Advanced Engineer Stores Squadron. In April 1967, the 1st Australian Civil Affairs Unit was formed at the School of Military Intelligence, Mossman and Geoff was posted to that unit. This small unit of 47 personnel consisted of officers and other ranks from various Corps was sent to Vietnam in June 1967 following instruction in the Vietnamese language and culture.
With Australia’s withdrawal from Vietnam the unit was disbanded and no longer exists. Geoff was discharged in June 1968.
Since leaving the Army, Geoff was employed in various government departments (e.g. Australia Post, Health Insurance Commission) in the capacity of Investigating Officer, having trained in policing at the then Commonwealth Police College. Prior to retirement he worked for a company which operated the Immigration Detention Cantres and spent time at Villawood, Port Headland and Christmas Island, organising the transport and escort of detainees both within Australia and overseas. Ironically, one of his last tasks was escorting detainees from State Penal Institutions back to Vietnam- a trip that was made 14 or 15 times.
Since moving to Gloucester in 2019, he has joined the Gloucester sub-Branch where he is now a Trustee and Chair of the Finance Committee. He remains President of his Unit’s Association, a position he has held for the past 12 years.