By Matthew Sims
Upper Beaconsfield Returned and Services League (RSL) sub-branch president Eric Chaplin has pledged to step back from the top job next year, clocking up 25 years at the helm.
The Berwick resident was among the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) recipients announced as part of the 2024 Australia Day honours list.
Eric joined the Upper Beaconsfield RSL sub-branch in 1982, after the RSL had changed its rules to accept servicemen as members.
He has been the president of the Upper Beaconsfield RSL since 1999, as well as the vice-president from 1989 to 1999 and the junior vice-president from 1985 to 1989 and was made a life member in 2001.
He has also organised the memorial services, ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services for the past 30 years.
Born and raised in Camberwell, Eric also played Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) football there and attended the former Camberwell Central School before enrolling in Swinburne Technical College as a plumbing apprentice.
In the late 1950s, the military was looking for skilled positions to fill in the Australian Army.
He was drafted in 1957 but did not officially start service until 1959 so he could finish his apprenticeship.
As a qualified plumber, Eric was suited to play an important skilled role, only the Australian Army seemed to be misunderstood somewhere along the way.
“The Army like to put a square peg in a round hole,” he said.
Instead of engineering, where he was obviously certified for, Eric found himself in front of an old teleprinter working in communications.
After training in Puckapunyal and Albert Park, he served most of his time at Point Lonsdale.
“I was quite glad I had some experience in the military,” he said.
Eric also worked as a sales representative for Robot Trading (now Robot Building Supplies) from 1962 to 1965
He also met his wife Pam around this time in Point Leo.
“I saved his life,” she said.
Eric was riding out on a surf boat when it broached and capsized, leaving Eric stuck underneath and drowning.
Pam was on the beach, realising that the head count was wrong, alerting the lifesavers that there was one person missing from the boat.
They have been together ever since, having been married for 63 years.
The pair moved to Upper Beaconsfield, where they lived for the next 40 years before moving to Berwick 10 years ago.
They were also caught in the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires which tore through Upper Beaconsfield.
“Pam got caught on the road,” Eric said.
“I stayed back and fought the fire.
“It was quite traumatic.”
In the aftermath of the fire, the town needed to come together to rebuild.
Eric rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
“That’s what started my involvement with the community,” he said.
“It took a while to rebuild and recover.
“Upper Beaconsfield was special.
“The community really pulled together.”
Eric said the community held golf days and planted trees.
Former publican Tommy Griffin started an annual Pancake Day tradition, with Eric taking it over after his passing.
When Eric joined the Upper Beaconsfield RSL sub-branch, there was a lot of work to be done.
“We re-roofed it, re-gutted it, put in female toilets, updated the mens’ toilets and put in a new kitchen,” he said.
Eric said he was proud of the work he has achieved in making the RSL what it is today, with the club still at about 30 members.
“We’re certainly not a huge club,” he said.
“We’re a lot more viable than when I first joined.”
Eric said he was well supported by his other executive members, including current secretary Brad Mars, treasurer Simon Conn and former secretary Geoff Davidson.
“I’ve had a lot of assistance by these people over the years,” he said.
Eric said he has appreciated being part of the stories of local veterans and said he still gets emotional during the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services.
“I just think it was getting it done,” he said.
“I get a bit emotion to see what it does to the people there.”
Eric said one of the things he was most proud of was deciding to honour a local man who died while training at the Scout camp down off St Georges Road in 1959.
“We now place a cross for him,” he said.
Eric then chased his family down to let them know the town was honouring the man who died in service, with his family then attending the 2019 ANZAC Day service.
Eric also joined the Rotary Club of Upper Beaconsfield in the mid-80s, serving on the club for 14 years before it dissolved in 1996, including a term as president.
“We did a lot of good up there,” he said.
Eric also joined the Lions Club of Berwick, serving on the club for 10 years, including a term as president.
Other highlights of his life included being the area convenor of the Red Shield Appeal for 20 years, being the inaugural coach of the Beaconsfield Super Rules Football Club in 1982 and a former volunteer of the Light Horse and Field Artillery Museum in Nar Nar Goon.
Eric also received a Meritorious Service Award from the RSL in 2020 and was named the Citizen of the Year by the Upper Beaconsfield Association in 2002.
He also received an award from Ambulance Victoria for his assistance following a car accident in February 2004, where a car flipped over along Alber Road.
With three children and five grandchildren, Eric said he was looking forward to stepping back to spend time with his family.
Eric said while he was honoured to receive the OAM, he has received support from club members, the broader community and his family.
“The award is more of a recognition of the clubs I’ve been a part of,” he said.
Eric said he was “pretty disappointed” at recent discussions around Australia Day.
“It’s got out of hand,” he said.
“We should just celebrate Australia for what it is.”
Eric said the Australia of today was different to the Australia he once knew.
“We used to drive a little too fast and drink a little too much,” he said.
“No one ever pulled a knife on somebody.
“No one ever locked their doors.”
Eric said he was proud to be Australian.
“All our forebears have made this into a magnificent country, a great place to live and a place to celebrate,” he said.
