Michael Forshaw (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year, 2007, has been proclaimed by the Australian government the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. It is a fitting recognition, as it was 100 years ago, in 1907, that the organised surf lifesaving movement of Australia began. In that year also, the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club was formed. Its first clubhouse was an old tram car. Over the years I think it has occupied five different types of premises and today is housed in a historic building on Cronulla beach.

As it celebrates its centenary, the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club can boast of being one of the most successful clubs in the history of surf lifesaving in this country. During the past 100 years, members of the club have carried out over 9,000 rescues. In the course of that 100 years, in all of those rescues, not a single life has been lost—a wonderful achievement.

The Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club has also been one of the most successful clubs, both in Australia and internationally, in surf lifesaving competitions. I would argue that it has been the best club, but of course others would say I am biased. But a brief look at the record demonstrates how formidable it is. Cronulla has won 139 gold medals at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships, 254 gold medals at the New South Wales State Surf Life Saving Championships and 591 gold medals at the Surf Life Saving Sydney Branch Championships. It has been the champion club at the Australian championships on five occasions and, most significantly, it has been the only club, ever, to have won three consecutive world, Australian, state and branch championship pointscores in competition.

The Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club has produced some of the legendary names in surf lifesaving competition and administration in Australia. There are too many to mention here tonight and I apologise to all of those that I am unable to mention. I particularly want to note pioneers and stalwarts, some of whom are deceased—people such as Joe Munro, who, I think, was president of the club for some 40 years and indeed a pioneer of the Cronulla area; people such as Bill Eady, Tony Purcell, Don Lucas, Nick Dixon, Jack Crawford and the current patron, Bill Marshall.

Two of the great names and members of the Australian Surf Life Saving Hall of Fame—a very exclusive list of 60 inductees—are legendary iron man John Holt and the supreme belt swimmer Peter Tibbets. The current club president—and I might say an old boy of De La Salle College at Caringbah and Cronulla—is Kevin Neilsen, one of Australia’s greatest ever surf swimmers. I recall Kevin at a young age being good enough to win, I think on the one day, both a junior and an open surf swim race, a feat that I believe has never been repeated and one that is certainly significant.

The tradition of these people and many others continues today through current champions such as Daniel McLellan, Nathan Smith, Tiarne Smith and Elly Graf. It continues, and the club continues because of the substantial effort that is put into its Nippers program. Every Sunday morning in the summer season, hundreds of young children from the age of five onwards gather on the beach, as they do on beaches throughout this country, to participate in the swimming and beach events. That is what ensures that surf lifesaving will continue into the future. Surf lifesaving in Cronulla, but also in every other club, depends upon strong community support. In that regard, the Sutherland Shire Council has been involved in a huge way over many years in supporting the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club and the other three clubs that make up the Bate Bay clubs, namely North Cronulla, Wanda and Elouera.

It was a privilege last Friday night to attend the centenary ball of the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club. There were over 500 people in attendance. It was a great night with some tall tales and true—or at least mostly true. I do not think I have heard as many nicknames in my life. When people take up surf lifesaving it seems they are immediately given a nickname which sticks with them for life.

Last Sunday the 100th annual general meeting of the club was held. There was a substantial attendance of community representatives and political representatives. Local federal member for Cook Bruce Baird, state members and I were honoured and privileged to attend the meeting and speak at it.

It is fitting that we place on the record of this parliament the wonderful work that is done by members of surf clubs around this country, and when they reach milestones such as a centenary it should be particularly noted. I want to congratulate the committee, the life members and all the other members and supporters of the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club for reaching this significant milestone—100 years of vigilance and service, which, of course, is the motto of the surf lifesaving movement.

In closing, I want to note that the retiring member for Cook, Bruce Baird, of a different political persuasion to my own but someone whom I regard as a good friend, has been a very strong supporter of surf lifesaving in his electorate. As I said, there are four beaches along that Bate Bay coastline. Bruce himself is a noted participant. Every year he swims in the Shark Island Challenge, and I think he is a champion in his age group in ocean swimming both here and in other states. Indeed, he has also competed overseas. Most importantly, following the terrible riots in Cronulla at the end of 2005, Bruce was an initiator of promoting dialogue between the surfing community, the local community, the surf clubs and the Lebanese and Muslim communities. They have developed a program, which is now bearing fruit, involving a great deal of cooperation and community spirit built around the idea of service to the community through surf lifesaving. I want to place that on the record and acknowledge Bruce’s efforts. I may not get another chance to say it before the election, so I wish Bruce Baird and his wife, Judy, and their family all the best in the future. I congratulate, once again, Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club on its centenary. No doubt we will see a further 100 years of great service and vigilance.