Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club is one of the oldest surf clubs on the

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

coast. Founded in 1908, it is located on Redhead Beach, in the suburb of

Redhead Red hair (also known as orange hair and ginger hair) is a hair color found in one to two percent of the human population, appearing with greater frequency (two to six percent) among people of Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and ...

about south of Newcastle. It is affiliated with

Surf Life Saving Australia Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) is an Australian not-for-profit community organisation that promotes water safety and provides surf rescue services. SLSA strives to create a safe environment on Australia's beaches and coastline through patro ...

, and its club colours are yellow and blue.

History

The Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club was on Saturday, 12 December 1908. Residents of Redhead and Dudley met at Matchett's Hall and Billiard Room on Ocean Street in

Dudley Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the ...

. F. Matchett chaired a meeting to elect the first club officers, which were G.H. Thomas, President, E.J. Doyle, Secretary, W. Pullbrook, treasurer and Tom Conlon, Captain. The new club members decided to seek affiliation with the NSW Amateur Swimming Association, and a report in the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate stated that "The club members are erecting dressing sheds on the beach and hope to have them finished before the holidays. They also have a life line and reel there in case of emergency". The "reel" was merely a long line wound onto a drum. The club's first proper surf reel and line was obtained three years later and commissioned on 2 December 1911. Club records list 31 foundation members for the 1908-09 season. At a club meeting held on 16 March 1909, correspondence was received and read from the NSW Surf Bather's Association. The meeting then moved to affiliate with the Surf Bather's Association and to pay the affiliation fee of one guinea. On 12 April 1915 a special meeting was held to discuss ways and means of providing a clubhouse. However, it was not until 1929 that the first permanent clubhouse was built from donated timber and bricks. Membership declined after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and went into recess for three seasons between 1919 and 1922. The beach did however continue to be patrolled, gear maintained, and the occasional meeting held. Redhead SLSC was resumed for the 1922-1923 season but recessed again from 1924 to 1926. After reopening for the 1927 season, ten members were the club's first to pass examinations for the Surf Bronze Medallion.

Membership

Membership is open to anyone from the age of 5.

Lifesaving competitions

Redhead's members compete in pool and ocean lifesaving events at local, state, national, and international competitions.

References

External links

*
Redhead Surf Lifesaving Club website
{{Lifesaving and Lifeguarding Sport in New South Wales Surf Life Saving Australia clubs 1908 establishments in Australia Sports clubs established in 1908

History

Membership

Lifesaving competitions

See also

References

External links