You can hear Robyn Florance's passion for recording local history when you sit down and talk to her.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Her latest book 'Nowra RSL Sub Branch the First 50 years 1919-1969' recently came off the press and it's a brilliant piece of work.
Important local history cements the 13 chapters of the book together.
A reader could easily sit down to read and then reread this book - you get caught up in the stories and achievements.
Two years of research later and the book was completed - in time for the 100th anniversary of the Nowra RSL Sub-Branch.
Part of Mrs Florance's research was completed thanks to her work on such books like Shoalhaven Women Heroines of WWI she wrote in the past.
However, the work to write 'Nowra RSL Sub Branch the First 50 years 1919-1969' still needed someone of Mrs Florance's skill to draw it together.
She knew that when "10 local boys" come back from WWI they stuck together and became the core of what is now known as the Nowra RSL Sub-Branch.
"They were brothers and mates," she said.
The historian rattles off the surnames of these men including Armstrong, Wilson, the Coulthart brothers and Braithwaite - lots of well known Shoalhaven families.
"I think they got through all the horrors of war by sticking together," she said.
On the front cover of 'Nowra RSL Sub Branch the First 50 years 1919-1969' there is a picture of these men, their wives and other community pioneers.
Pride beams from their faces - it's almost like they knew they would be starting an organisation that would last throughout the ages.
The photo was taken 40-years after the sub-branch was formed and they were still part of the organisation.
"They were still members of the RSL and still working for the RSL," Mrs Florance said.
The historian said comradeship and mateship were and still are strong components of the sub-branch today thanks to the pioneers.
Their wives also got involved and set up the women's auxiliary.
"I loved it (writing the book) I knew and respected what these guys did in the war," she said.
Related:
The author also knew of the mental scars many of the men came back with but they still wanted to help others.
"They helped so many people, this group, and they all stuck together but they all had issues," she said.
"They got around their issues but they got around them by being together and talking about things.
"Whereas today I don't think we do that (talking about issues) as much."
However, Mrs Florance said the sub-branch today was carrying on the welfare tradition of its forefathers.
She hopes the sub-branch pioneers, pictured on the book's front cover, would be pleased with her efforts.
"They never wanted glory - they just wanted somewhere they could meet, talk and have a beer together," the respected author said.
Read More:
Something that stood out for the author was that in 1939 they found WW1 graves in the Nowra Cemetery without headstones.
"In 1939 I think it was between eight to 10 headstones were put on graves in the cemetery and there was a big commemoration," she said.
"That picks up with me because I found 150 graves in the Nowra Cemetery and some still don't have headstones on them.
"So we are trying to get the headstones and then we will have another big commemoration."
She would love to see the book placed in schools and in the local library.
"I think school children need to know about this sort of thing," she said.
The prolific author said the book was not about war but about a great organisation and all the people associated with it.
Mrs Florance, who has other projects she is working on, wants someone else to take charge of researching the next 50-years.
Meanwhile, Sub-branch president, Fred Dawson, loves the book.
"Robyn did a great job and it's really well-researched book," Mr Dawson said.
"I have been a member of the sub-branch for 30-years and after reading the book I learnt things I never knew before."
The sub-branch will soon donate a copy of the book to the Nowra Library and if they have any spare copies will give them to local schools.