Discovered that a British Legion branch was set up in Sydney in January 1924 and also faced strong opposition from the RSSILA and the media !
One article even tried to stir things up , questioning ;
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if the parent body was really in existence
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Imperial ex-soldiers/immigrants felt they were not treated equally by the RSSILA (only those who had served in the Great War could join , not those who had served before 1914) and although some were overseas members of the BL they wanted their own branch/organisation.
Also the RSSILA was involved in controversy at that time :
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The RSSILA was noted for its right-wing politics, in 1919 drawing on its membership to form a 2,000-strong paramilitary force called the "Army to fight Bolshevism", and permitting various right-wing Australian militia groups access to its membership lists to convince returned servicemen to join them. Even as early as the 1920s, the role of the League became controversial as it banned women from attending the dawn service because of wailing. 
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It appears that 'political' pressure was exerted and the fledgling branches soon disappeared , I am guessing that a similar situation arose in New Zealand and that their branches were also short lived.
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