These scrawled pages, reproduced here and translated further down, record the passing of an era.

Perhaps written with the worn out pencil stub from the patrol log book in the back seat of some decrepit vehicle driven at a decidedly unsafe speed along The Esplanade at West Beach after the consumption by all on board of too much strong tea, these are a 'real time' record of the closing of the Tin Shed, disguised as notes on the opening ceremony of the new club house.

Summary of Opening of new Clubrooms on 15/12/63 -

Sheet 1.

Neil Hodges introduced the Club President Mr K Riches.

Ken Riches welcomed all of the official guests, and everybody else who was present.  He thanked all who helped in construction of clubrooms and then asked the Mayor of Henley and Grange, Mr J D Mitchell to say a few words.

Mr Mitchell praised Mr Riches for his initiative and drive to establish the clubrooms.  Then he praised all other members of club for their work for the clubrooms and also for their work on the beach.

Mr Polnitz who was the Director of the SA Gov Tourist Bureau made several funny remarks concerning his height, his hair and his wife’s admiration for life savers.  He then said that he was pleased to be the servant of Government to administer the subsidy to the club.

Sheet 2.

Mr F Walsh who is the local Member of Parliament was very sincere in his praise for the club and its members.  He said that life savers were more important than St John’s and doctors, etc because they saved the people and then handed the patient over to the St John’s, etc.

Mr DJ Newlands who was the President of the SA State Centre for the SLSA praised the club and said that it was one of the greatest clubs in the state and that its work in State Centre was most credible and the record on the beach was fantastic.

Mr Mitchell then opened the front door of the clubrooms and invited everybody to follow him inside and inspect the clubrooms.  He also opened an appeal for a new surf boat and read out approximately 50 pounds of donations.

Sheet 3.

The enthusiasm of the guests for the clubrooms was very obvious and within minutes there were 400 or 500 people peeping into every corner of the building. 

Very soon after the boat relay marathon commenced and this took approximately 1½ hours to complete. 

First Brighton, second Port Elliot, third West Beach, fourth Semaphore, fifth Grange.

In the meantime the West Beach SLSC Women’s Auxiliary served a fine spread of afternoon tea to everybody and this was appreciated greatly.  Between cups of tea the guests rushed to the windows or the balcony and showed great interest in the boat relay. 

Mr Alan Kennedy presented pennants and the John H Ellers Trophy to the winning boat crews and congratulated the –

Sheet 4.

- West Beach Club for trying this type of marathon for the first time.  As superintendent of the SLSA of SA he thought it was an outstanding success.  Afterwards the club supplied a barbecue for its members and competing clubs.  This finished off the most successful and long awaited day in the eight years of the West Beach SLSC.

Passing quickly,  but unseen and unknown when these notes were written, were the days when everyone who came new into the club was an expert because no one knew any more than anyone else.

Although we did not know it then the heady days of starting a new club were fading and the carry-over of the 'Tin Shedders' to the new building was a different phase in the club's growth. There is no doubt that the skills, the enthusiasm and the camaraderie transferred and became infectious in the new environment but that tight and close knit 'whole' club fostered in the confines of the Tin Shed had run its course. 

Only those who were there to experience it can know it but, in these more recent days, when we oldsters are looking to remember, its good to see some of us have lasted the distance and remain in the lifesaving culture of the new generation. Its good too, to see that the club is still there, beyond our reach probably now but still sowing the seeds for a future crop of 'oldsters' who in their turn will remember their own heady days at West Beach.

I wonder what sort of media will replace this internet message to carry their 50 year memories?

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