'Surf lifesaving owes no person a living': a third sector case study

Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) is one of Australia's largest community service organisations. Since the 1980s, the volunteer ethos and character of this movement has been threatened by both internal and external forces that reflect broader historical changes in Australian society in the late twentieth century. This case study examines two issues that have been at the centre of this challenge - the professionalisation of surf lifesaving competition and the expansion of professional 'lifeguard' services. Through its examination of these issues, this study raises more general themes about the nature of volunteering in Australia in the early twenty-first century.