Photograph - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photographs

Historical information

The Sunshine RSL Memorial Bowling Club emerged as the bowls arm of the Sunshine Returned Services League, functioning as a social, recreational, and commemorative space for veterans and the wider community. It developed separately from the older Sunshine Bowling Club and became a long‑standing post‑war community institution in its own right.

The Sunshine RSL fire was a major incident that occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 5 March 2026, causing extensive damage to one of Sunshine’s key community institutions.

Firefighters were called to the Dickson Street premises at 5:14am and found the rear section, the kitchen and bowling club room fully ablaze. The blaze was brought under control by 6:37am.

The kitchen, bowling room and poker room were destroyed and minor heat and debris damaged to the bowling greens.

Some bowling memorabilia was lost, though most military memorabilia were not stored in the affected area.

A few days later, ABC News reported that investigators determined the fire was caused by spontaneous combustion in a clothes dryer, even though the dryer was not operating at the time.

Significance

The effects of the fire to the Sunshine community were emotional, social, cultural, and practical. The club was a key meeting point for hundreds of people.

Physical description

Collection of colour digital photographs

Inscriptions & markings

5351.01 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 01.jpg
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5351.22 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 - Greens Were Not Damaged Photo 22.jpg
5351.23 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 - Greens Were Not Damaged Photo 23.jpg
5351.24 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 24 - Meeting With Keilor RSL To Discuss Way Forward After Fire.jpg
5351.25 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 25 - Site Cleared 1st April 2026.jpg
5351.26 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 26 - Site Update 9th April 2026.jpg
5351.27 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 27 - Site Update 9th April 2026.jpg
5351.28 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 27 - Site Update 26th May 2026.jpg
5351.29 - Sunshine RSL Fire 5th March 2026 Photo 27 - Site Update 29th May 2026.jpg

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