Australia — Final Six Leopard Tanks Rolling Out

Min­is­ter for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare today announced the recip­i­ents of the final six of 30 decom­mis­sioned Leop­ard tanks being gift­ed to RSL clubs across the coun­try. The RSLs were select­ed from the orig­i­nal organ­i­sa­tions that applied in 2007.

The suc­cess­ful RSLs are:

Bea­cons­field RSL (TAS);
Cook­town RSL (QLD);
Mount Per­ry RSL (QLD);
Mar­i­on RSL (SA);
Wells RSL (SA); and
Ger­ald­ton RSL (WA).

“Leop­ard Tanks have been the main­stay of Australia’s armoured capa­bil­i­ties for three decades. They served the army well and have made way for the next gen­er­a­tion tank, the M1A1 Abrams tanks,” Mr Clare said.

“It is impor­tant that we pre­serve Australia’s mil­i­tary his­to­ry. RSLs play a vital role in con­nect­ing local com­mu­ni­ties to that history.”

The 24 RSL Clubs already con­firmed to receive a tank are: 

Been­leigh RSL (QLD);
Bendi­go RSL (VIC);
Bri­bie Island RSL (QLD);
Bun­bury RSL (WA);
Can­ber­ra Ser­vices Club (ACT);
Col­lie Cardiff RSL (WA);
Echu­ca and Moa­ma RSL (VIC); Echun­ga RSL (SA);
Epping RSL (NSW);
Esper­ance RSL and Esper­ance Muse­um (WA);
Forster-Tun­cur­ry RSL (NSW);
Ingle­burn RSL (NSW);
Jer­ilderie RSL (NSW);
Kil­coy RSL (QLD);
McLaren Vale RSL (VIC);
Mount Gam­bier Com­mu­ni­ty RSL (SA);
City of Palmer­ston RSL (NT);
Port Kennedy RSL (WA);
Port Augus­ta RSL (SA);
Ruther­glen RSL (VIC);
Sey­mour RSL (VIC);
Upwey — Bel­grave RSL (VIC);
Wood­ford RSL (QLD); and
Yarra­won­ga-Mul­wala RSL (VIC).

Mr Clare said it is expect­ed that all tanks will be deliv­ered to their new homes by mid-next year.

Two tanks have already been deliv­ered to Jer­ilderie RSL and Ingle­burn RSL. 

Press release
Min­is­te­r­i­al Sup­port and Pub­lic Affairs,
Depart­ment of Defence,
Can­ber­ra, Australia 

Face­book and/or on Twit­ter