Abstract
Shortly before 8 pm on the evening of Saturday, 21 February 1907, a small group of men, old and young, local and non-local, gathered in the smoke-filled lounge of Bondi's Royal Hotel. After a spate of drownings on Bondi Beach, these passionate surf bathers had decided in the face of government inaction to work together to acquire the necessary skills to protect themselves and other bathers in difficulty. That night, an Australian legend was born: the Bondi lifesaver.To celebrate the 100th anniversary of their foundation, the Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club has commissioned one of Australia's most distinguished sport historians to write the history of their club. It is not only an account of the birth of the surf lifesaving movement in Australia, but a fascinating story of the rise of Bondi Beach from its early days as a humble seaside resort to its iconic status as a symbol of Australia and the Australian way of life.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Sydney, N.S.W. |
| Publisher | ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780733317637 |
| Publication status | Published - 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club--History
- Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club
- Surf lifesaving (Aquatic sports)--Australia--New South Wales--Bondi--History
- Lifeguards--Australia--New South Wales--Bondi--History
- Bondi Beach (N.S.W.)--History