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1984

THE CLUBHOUSE OPENING

The official opening of the new clubhouse by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen took place of March 3rd 1984, before a crowd of around 1,000 people.

During the ceremony the Premier told the 350 invited members and guests: "We have to thank the lifesavers for their dedication and achievement. Every community is very appreciative of the work that they do." Jeanette and John Goetjes provided a huge banquet for the event.

Telecom presented an inflatable rescue boat (IRB), valued at over $8,000 to the club, with the Noosa Citizen pledging a fully equipped surf boat with trailer, oars and cover.

TOUCH FOOTBALL TEAM

To keep up a high standard of fitness while away from the beach, the lifesavers formed a Sunshine Beach SLSC touch football team and competed in the local competition until the end of 1984. The idea was to keep the lifesavers and new members interested in club activities apart from those conducted on the beach.

SUNDAY SURF SWIMS

With the introduction of Sunday handicap surf swims in the 1983/84 season, this time honoured event cemented the club spirit even more. To see at least thirty members line up to face the buoy 150 metres out to sea, according to prevailing conditions, was not a rarity. The event was open to members of all abilities and competition was often fierce.

Our original surf swim organiser was John Roberts, who brought his knowledge and expertise from the Manly (NSW) Life Saving Club.

John was followed by Brian Rudd, Peter Thomas, Tony Frost, David Thomas, Geoff Potter, Max Pettigrove and Rod (Rocket) Witham.

John Roberts recalls a rather eventful surf race from the 1982/83 season: "Our 82/83 Clubs Champs that I ran was almost cancelled because of huge seas. We decided to hold the races in the 'gutter' and seeing that we could not get a buoy out, one of the firls, Jenny Wilson (first female bronze squad), volunteered to act as the buoy.

"Jenny entered the gutter, I started the open surf face, and by that time Jenny was swept 200 metres north - all the swimmers had to chase Jenny up the beach, swim around her and then run 200 metres back to the finish line."

NOOSA CITIZEN SURF BOAT

Marjorie Tripp launched the new surf boat, appropriately named the 'Noosa Citizen' later that year, on Sunday 7th October.

Marjorie was given the honour of naming the new boat in recognition of her outstanding support and incentive to establish the surf club at Sunshine Beach. Approximately 150 members and guests attended the launching, which was followed by a celebratory barbecue lunch.

The National President of the Surf Life Saving Association, Alan Whelpton and his wife, were among the guests at the Club's Annual Dinner and Presentation night of the 1984/856 season, held at the Villa Noosa.

EXTENSIONS ALREADY

After only 18 months, all members were invited to make comments and suggestions before plans continued for Clubhouse extensions. The Committee had already approved $25,000 for these works.

The Clubhouse up to this time had been packed out at every function, and simply needed more room, with the added incentive of attracting more members. The extensions would also provide more amenities for community users.

1985/86

MARATHON SWIMMER - PRESIDENT

This season, congratulations were due to 43 year old President Vic Guest, who swam into the record books on Saturday 2nd November 1985. Vic braced a two metre swell in his marathon 8 km swim from Sunshine Beach around to Noosa Heads. He battled heavy surf for two hours 41 minutes, to become the first man to complete the swim. At the same time, Vic said he did it to prove to people that investing time and effort into a surf club was worthwhile, and to raise money for his club.

In December 1985, the Sunshine Coast's first female lifeguard, Wendy Weaver, passed her Advanced Life Saving Certificate to qualify. Wendy had been an active member of Sunshine Beach SLSC since its inception in 1981. The 1985/86 season had eight patrols of six members each, with upwards of 200 associate members. Clearly, the club had come a long way.

CLUB CATERING

The launch of the Surf Club kitchen was a very modest affair, taking placein late 1985. After a few months of deliberation it was agreed that Hilary Harding would start providing meals from a tiny room that was our kitchen (at that time this consisted of a domestic cooker, a refrigerator, a microwave, and some china and cutlery).

Initially the kitchen was only open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6pm to about 9pm, depending on demand. Occasionally it was open on Sundays when there were Jazz Sessions at the Club.

A limited menu was offered, including steak, spaghetti, quiches and baked potatoes, but even then, Hilary was serving 30 - 40 meals on a good night.

It soon became obvious that the kitchen could be a great asset for the club. It was also obvious that it was too big a job for Hilary, with her family responsibilities, so the Committee engaged Ken van Weije to take over in early 1986. Appropriately, the 'little room' was renamed 'Kenny's Kitchen', run by Ken and his business partner John Banfield, who provided a limited but popular menu from Wednesday through to Sunday nights.

As the club expanded and after obtaining a full liquor license, delicious meals were served seven nights a week by kenny's Kitchen until 1996.

In the early stages Sunday breakfasts were trialled by both Norma Wolstencroft and Phippsy (now of Channel 9 fame) but at that time, eating out early morning was not so fashionable as it is today and consequently discontinued.

CLUB DOCTOR

At this time, the club had amongst its members (and happily, still does) Dr Richard Pearson, who as National Medical Officer of Surf Life Saving Australia, has taken Australia's life saving techniques around the world - to such places as Barbados, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

In 1985, the Club's Chief Instructor, Ross Bartlett won the Outstanding Instructors award on the Sunshine Coast. The senior surf boat crew surprised everyone by finishing third in the State Titles. More...

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