Next Sunday March 9 2025, Members of Avalon Beach SLSC will gather on the sand of Avalon Beach before their clubhouse for their annual members photo. Although this is the usual practice for Avalon Beach SLSC, next Saturday, March 8, marks a very special milestone for the club as this is the day, 100 years ago, when the surf club was first formed..jpg?timestamp=1729824296548)
The archives tell us:
Avalon - first Meeting of Avalon Beach SLSC founders at A J Small's weekender of same name in Bellevue Avenue, Avalon Beach. photo taken by David 'Rex' Hazlewood (who had to walk around the corner, a whole 100 yards, to take this photo), Item: SLNSW_FL3809946 courtesy State Library of NSW.
Photo: The foundation meeting for the Avalon Beach SLSC, Sunday March 8th 1925 - on the steps stand Dr. Sydney dentist, Arthur Cecil Hanson with A J Small (second from left in white trousers) on his right, Stan Wickham (2nd) and Bert Paddon (also white trousers). Also among these founders of Avalon Beach is A G (Tom) Hanson - verandah, and Small’s son Geoff is on the far right of the verandah, who was also in the first squad. Third boy from left in balcony bay alcove is Neville Fox, gentleman without collar back row of those on steps is Mr. Henry Fox while the tall lad beside him looks like Vincent. If you compare the faces in this picture with those of the Fox-Williams wedding picture and that of the Pittwater rowers at Parramatta in 1935.
Mr Small and Mr Wickham and others then became more organised; please note that it should be an 'A' instead of H for Mr. Small's initials:
A CLUB FOR AVALON. A surf life-saving club has been formed at Avalon, the spot rendered famous by the song, or vice-versa. A meeting was held on Sunday at the residence of Mr. H. J .Small, who was appointed president. Mr. Stan Wickham the Rugby Union International, is hon. secretary-treasurer of the new club. THE SURFERS. (1925, March 13 - Friday). Arrow (Sydney, NSW : 1916 - 1933), p. 12. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103545114
INSTRUCTION FOR AVALON.
Collaroy and North Narrabeen Clubs are each sending an instructional team to Avalon Beach today. Mr. H. Ramsay Sharpe, vice-president , of the S.L.S.A. will be in charge of the teams. Avalon beach is steadily increasing in popularity, and a life saving club was formed there last year under the hon. secretaryship of Mr. Stan Wickham, the well-known footballer of earlier years. WHATS WRONG WITH COOGEE ?. (1926, January 3). Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), p. 5 Section: Social and Magazine Section. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128132940
Geoff Searl OAM states the members of the first bronze medallion squad were Geoff Small, Vincent Fox, Cecil Holmes, Harold Metcalf and Bert Paddon.
Since then the club has evolved through four clubhouses, initiated a number of firsts in the surf lifesaving movement, such as introducing the IRB as equipment, was the first local club to witness mal surfing in 1956, the 24 Hour Row for Mental Fitness, and today sits at the heart of the Avalon Beach community not only as an organisation but as a place where all are welcome because all belong.
The club set itself a mandate to be a community hub and not only succeeded in hosting a variety of other organisations and interests, it continues to do so.
Avalon Beach Surf Life Saving Club members - last day in the old clubhouse, 2012/2013 Season. Photo by Mike O'Flynn.
US Surfers Show New Technique. (Avalon)
Nearly 20,000 went to Avalon for the surf life saving carnival in which lifesavers from United States, Hawaii and New Zealand competed against Sydney clubs.
The American surfers, standing sideways on small 10ft. boards and moving at high speed, received a warm reception from the crowd.
One of the American surfers, Ted Levine (Tad Devine) had the opportunity to demonstrate his country's rescue technique in a genuine emergency.
Instead of the Australian belt and reel, he used a "torpedo buoy'. Thousands Throng Beaches: Many Saved. Sydney Morning Herald. Monday 19 November, 1956. Page 3.
Surfers To Sell Boards
The visiting Hawaiian surfers will sell their seven lightweight surfboards, which created a sensation at Avalon last Sunday, after their farewell appearance at Collaroy on December 9.
The boards, which are made from balsa reinforced with two two long strips of redwood and coated with a thick layer of fibre-glass, weigh 26lb.
The lightest racing boards in Sydney, made from 1/2 inch plywood weigh from 33 to 23 lb.
The Hawaiian boards, which have been used at Waikiki Beach for seven or eight years, can be made in less than a week.
Shorter, Wider
They are eight feet long, compared with the average Australian length of 16 feet, but are about five inches wider than the local board's 20-21 inches.
Three hundred people saw the Hawaiians give an exhibition of board riding after a special carnival at Avalon in a big surf last Sunday.
Unlike Australian boardriders, the Hawaiians stood on the middle of their balsa boards, even when heavy white water from the broken waves swept around their feet.
Harry Shaffer, captain of the Hawaiian squad, said last night of the boards : "There is no question of selling out to the highest bidder.
"We plan to give our boards to the fellows we consider to be the real enthusiasts at only a token cost." Surfers To Sell Boards. (Wednesday 21 November, 1956. Page 15) Sydney Morning Herald
Avalon Beach SLSC Carnival Sunday, 18th Of November, 1956 - March Past - Whale Beach, NSW, Australia leads visiting American team (courtesy Beryl and Don Imison)
Last week Surf Life Saving New South Wales announced a host of surf lifesavers who have been awarded the National Medal, as well as Second Clasps and First Clasps for their sustained service and commitment to Surf Life Saving.
Established in 1975 as a military recognition award, the National Medal has since branched out into government and voluntary organisations and is now Australia’s most awarded civil medal.
The National Medal is awarded to individuals on behalf of the Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) and recognises long and diligent service in organisations that are dedicated to protecting life and property at a degree of risk to their members.
National Medals can also be awarded to those who risk their lives or safety to protect or assist the community in enforcement of the law or in times of emergency or natural disaster.
Unsurprisingly 14 of those on the list are from Avalon Beach SLSC. Members of Avalon Beach SLSC not only stick around, those who joined as Nippers or teenagers find they return to the club, even after years away, to be part of that community.
Why?
Through the many Profiles the news service has been fortunate to run over the years, when asked what the club and surf lifesaving gives to them, they have all replied this is 'an opportunity to give to the community' foremost, that they have met and made some of their best lifelong friends though the club, and that this is 'like a family' to them.
Today that family is growing great humans from ages 5 up to those in their 80's and 90's. Members are not only proficient in the water, those that cannot patrol are involved in training, in administration, in all of the 100 tasks that make a surf club run smoothly and support, what are today, almost a thousand members.
During every month of the year Avalon Beach SLSC members are being of service to the community here and across the state during adverse weather events.
They are part of that One Big Team of people who are heroes to the rest of us. Although you won't hear their siren as the rescue trucks, the ambulances, police cars and a helicopter race to where they will all work together, with skills learned, to save a life, often they are the first on the scene, or in the waters offshore, helping to save lives.
Although there are many more celebrations to come for the Avalon Beach SLSC this year, we'd just like to take the opportunity this weekend, in the lead into that 100th birthday day, to say THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE to all Avalon Beach SLSC members past and present.
And Happy 100th Birthday for next Saturday/Sunday, March 8-9 2025 ABSLSC!
We hope there will be a HUGE red and green cake.
