If you have any photos of interest please scan them and e-mail the file to filo @ adam.com.au (Leave out the spaces on each side of the @ symbol as they are only used here to foil spam engines.) or post them to W G Fitch, 194 Holbrooks Rd. UNDERDALE 5032, South Australia with a stamped, return addressed envelope. All care will be taken of them but no responsibility can be accepted.

If some of the photos don't immediately appear just right-click on the little red cross and left-click on 'Show picture' in the short menu that appears.

THE BEGINNINGS -

Sign on the side of the Tin Shed. The bottom line reads, 'Temporary premises'.

The final development, the original shed behind the two-blue door, two extensions both behind and to the side of the original, a concrete floor, and the tower.

First Bronze Medal team.

L to R. Frank Porter, David Presgrave ,Dennis Conlin, 'Tex' Kamprod, Barry Presgrave and Reg Hartshorne.

On the right are the Mayor of Henley and Grange, Don Newland and the Chief Instructor - who else but Max Gamlin.

The coveted Bronze Medal, about full size. The recipient's name, the state and the medal number and the date of the exam are engraved on the back.

The inscription at the top of the medal simply reads, 'For Efficiency', but it means so much.

Minutes of the first and second meetings of the Club. The first meeting was at Joe Everett's home on the corner of the Esplanade which is now called Seaview Road and Chetwynd Street. The second meeting was at the (in)famous Quinn's shop, just up the road from where the club presently stands. The 'Butterfield' mentioned in the minutes of the second  meeting is Merv Butterfield of the Henley club and a member of the Board of Examiners.

Henley and Grange Council record of their resolution to help the club's formation.

THE BOAT ! -

The present members of West Beach, who joined a club which already had a boat - and boards and skis and rubber duckies and reels and  - everything, cannot possibly understand the euphoria that surged through the club in the days and weeks pictured here.

When the boat was due to arrive members even took 'sickies' from work and were allowed the day off school just to see it roll down the road behind Cec's Peugeot wagon and into the Caravan Park.

Even now, the hairs on my neck still stand up remembering that time.

The W Maloney arrives at the Caravan Park on April 14, 1958 behind Cec Ireland's Peugeot wagon.

The tin shed had to be expanded to 24 x 36 feet (8 x 12 M), four times the original size.

The first surf boat named in recognition of the support given by Bill Maloney the owner of the Caravan Park who was responsible for much of the fund raising.

Christened by Mrs Gunn, here with President Mel Cameron. May 10th, 1958.

Dignitaries at the Boat launch.

L to R, Mrs Bub Cameron, Commander Gunn, Mel Cameron, Mrs Gunn, Arch Deacon Gooden.

The launching crew; Dennis Conlin - Sweep, Dean Bradshaw - stroke,

David Ireland - 2nd stroke, Barry Maloney - 2nd bow and Reg Hartshorne - bow.

The notes on the picture says it all!

Junior Boat Crew, 2nd in State Titles, 1960-61. L to R; Garry Coombes, bow - Barry Maloney, sweep - Ross Walker, stroke - Dean Clayton, 2nd stroke - Wayne Mitchell, 2nd bow.

West Beach A crew in their first race at Pt Elliott, November 16, 1958, finishing second to the Pt Elliott crew.

The Glenelg crew is 'down the mine'.

The finishing line marker (the blurred disc) is in the foreground.

The boat crew that chased a whale.

L to R. Dennis (Bull) Galpin, Ian Seymour, Fred Green (coach & sweep) Barry Maloney (in skunk jacket), Fred Hoyle.

One of the whales chased down by the boat crew and a 'News' reporter off West Beach.

There were actually two, a mother and her calf.

That precious boat comes out of it's shed.

All of the helpers were probably not necessary but if you scratched it you'd get a visit from Cec, Fred and Bull at least.

Boat crew early to mid 60's??

'Ohhhh  S * * TTTT!'   Also known as 'Down the mine'.

A beautiful summers day at West Beach.

Fred Green sweep, Ken Baker stroke, Barry Maloney second bow, Bill Hoyle second bow, David Ireland bow.

THE BOARDS -

The club's first surf board, 'LULU'! The rider here is probably Andrew Ireland.

At left: Mrs Fred Green, Audrey, with body board, Bill Fitch with 16 foot (5 metre) board and Liz Matthews (now Schmidt) at a  Goolwa Beach Carnival about 1958.

This might have been the club's second surf board after Lulu although both Barry Maloney (photo at right) and the Presgraves had a similar long board and a ski about this time.

Plywood Ockanui boards on a Far West Coast beach, probably Point Sinclair.

These plywood-over-timber-frame boards about 12 feet (4 metres) long were, briefly, the 'cool thing' between long boards and more modern foam and fibreglass 'Malibu's' which preceded the current short boards.

CARNIVALS and TRAINING - March Past & R & R (Rescue and Resuscitation) Teams -

Early March Past team (in borrowed bathers) at the Royal Adelaide Show, probably 1956.

David Presgrave carries the banner and Barry is in the belt, Max Gamlin is back row left with Barry Fahey in front of him. Bill Fitch is on the front left corner of the reel behind Barry. Jim Woods is there somewhere and ? Battersby also.

(Please forgive me if my neurons won't go back that far these days and I therefore only partly remember names.)

Do you remember if you were there?

Equal first at the State Championships, 1961, held at Christies Beach.

March Past teams, State Championships, Christies Beach, 1961.

West Beach leading the March Past in 1959.

March Past at the State Titles, Christies Beach? Or does the appearance of two West Beach teams suggest that it might have been the club's first hosted 'away' carnival at Boomer Beach where we could have has a 'hosts team' as well as the normal competitive team? Or a Senior and a Junior team? Anyone know for sure?

The first Junior R & R team. L to R - Bill van Bronswijk, David Presgrave, Peter Craig, Ashley Ratcliffe, Brian Hartshorne and Barry Maloney.

The outstanding figure on the right is the mighty Bob Warhurst, Instructor, Coach and Foghorn if a foot went wrong.

Dave and Ashley went off to work and were replaced by David Ireland and Bill Hoyle, this new team then winning the State Championships.

Junior R&R 1959??

Senior R&R 1959??

The Junior R & R team under the instruction of Big Bob Warhurst, approx 1959.

The club shed is at its final configuration and there is a beach patrol in the shelter and a look-out crew in the tower.

A March Past team waiting to enter the arena, somewhere, sometime. Pic from Robin Stevens.

'Bull' Galpin is carrying the banner (didn't he always?), Max Griffiths is in the belt, then left to right - Geoff Ellis, Graham Hallendal, Neil Prime, Craig Monroe, Gavin Stagg, Robin Stevens, Neil Hodges, Barry Bishop and Barry Maloney is the body on the far right and then there is a lost foot of the number 12 man.

OUR FIRST EXAMINERS -

Some might say an un-holy alliance, but three of the five on the right are our own. From the left, Bill Haylock, Ron Hill, Reg Hartshorne, Max Gamlin, and the mighty Bob Warhurst.

An unremarkable mob of Examiners at a West Beach carnival, unremarkable except that Ian Tothill who came from Glenelg to help the club start is second from the left with Jim Smith standing behind him, then Max Gamlin, Big Bob Warhurst (both claimed by West Beach as our own) and Bill Haylock.

The picture also shows the beach shop and the club doors painted in two-blue checks, top right corner.

The removable door to the boat shed appears to be open so the boat is probably on the beach in the boat arena.

PEOPLE -

Mel Cameron, radio station 5AD announcer, club President and probably responsible for more new members at West Beach than anyone else.

At a gambling night to raise funds for the surf boat. L to R - Tom Cotton, Max the Gamblin' Gamlin, Mel Cameron, Gordon Romain (the fitness coach) and Jack Gamlin.

Another fund raiser. Makin' whoopee R to L - Graham Hallendal, Max Gamlin, a very young Kenny Baker in front of an even younger Neil Prime, Fred Green with Dennis Galpin behind, Lionel Bradley (hiding from Pam) and Peter Craig Junior.

THE SOCIAL LIFE - it was still linked to the beach and the club.

Peter Craig went surfing in style. (Jaguar Mk II, 3.4 litre)

 Ian and Peter Craig with Ian's much humbler Volkswagen.

South coast surfing, near Victor Harbor. Bet that's Craigy showing off.

A group photo, from Robin Stevens, of the gang that trained for a while in Sydney on their way to the Australian Championships at Merriweather Beach near Newcastle in NSW in 1960. It shows the board of Duke Kahanemoku, a Hawaiian who brought his board to Australia. It was the first 'short board' in Australia and he caused a sensation when he went surfing and cut across the face of waves. The photo was taken at the Freshwater SLSC in Harboard, Sydney. In the foreground is Fred Green who  rang the club making out he was a Police Sergeant and warning that all West Beach lifesavers should keep off the streets of Sydney that Saturday night!!! Colin Provis and I (Robin Stevens) were set like a jelly that night with a couple of the local fillies only to be told we we grounded. I think Fred owes Colin and I quite few beers in compensation for our pain and suffering!!!   The board in the front was bought by Barry Maloney to bring back to the club. It was the second short board (10 foot 3 inches / 3.12 metres) in SA.

Left to right, Ross Walker, Colin Provis, Jim Smith (front), Ian Seymour, Dennis Galpin (back), Ken Baker, Jack Hartshorne, Neil Hodges (front), Barry Maloney, Bob Warhurst (back), David Beharrie (holding the Duke's board), Allan Hyman?, Fred Green (front), Neil Prime?, Peter Craig (holding board), Don Henderson, Graham Hallendal (front), ?(back), Max Griffiths, Lionel Bradley, ?, Bill Hoyle, Ian Tothill and the dog.

The undefeated B Boat Crew of the 1959-60 season, doin' what they did best after rowing - a Smokin' an' a Drinkin'.

L to R - Robin Stevens, Reg Hartshorne, Barry Maloney, Ken Baker, Dean Bradshaw.

Nice uniforms guys.

Essential Carnival gear. John 'Tex' Kamprod (right) and Bill Fitch (left) with Lorna Kamprod's esky amongst some of the high class vehicles of the time. The venue was around Chiton, Middleton, Goolwa or Boomer Beaches.

The Esky only held ice for relief of sand fly bites of course. My, how some of us have grown over 50 years.

In the good old days females were not allowed to be lifesavers. Probably someone who made these decisions knew about my randy colleagues! This did not deter those luscious ladies from bedevilling us however, and honestly, what would a lifesaving club or teenage blokes be without them?

Here are some examples of note:

Pam Williamson (later to be Bradley) and Gaynor Ireland (I am told she has not changed) on the decking, 'borrowed' from historical Charles Sturt's Cottage, in front of the shed before the boat extension was built (because I can see a hinged door and the boatshed door was a lift off one).

The second photo is of Gaynor and Christine Maloney (and I can vouch that she has changed but little, and not for the worst).

ON PATROL - this is what it was really all about

Reg and June Hartshorne. In the background the kiosk, the toilets and the swings

The Carnival competition Junior Rescue and Resuscitation team with Instructor, 'Big Bob' Warhurst.

.