Milestone Reached By North Beach Surf Club

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 11

Milestone Reached By North Beach Surf Club

J’IFTY years of sport and public service on Christchurch beaches will be celebrated by the North Beach Surf Life-saving Club with special carnivals and social functions this week-end. The club was formed by the late Mr A. R. Blank in 1915, when a group broke away from New Zealand’s first surf life-saving club, New Brighton. As the first club captain, Mr Blank headed a strong and lively group of competitors; in 1918, when the club was incorporated the membership was 202, including 42 women.

In the early days of the club there were . frequent battles between man and nature. The pavilion was often in danger of being washed away and on several occasions high tides reached 100yds up Leaver terrace behind the clubhouse. The piles were backed up with sandbags and an embankment was built, but it was not until 1927 that the club was free of this bogey. In these days, too, club members had an unenviable task in fixing buoys. The buoy sandbags were carried out on the shoulders of a swimmer and when his head submerged he cast off his burden and took it out to the desired point by constantly diving and trekking along the sea bed with the bag.

This difficulty was overcome by about 1928, when Mr A. T. Dalton built the club’s first craft, a catamaran—which most members

deserted if a breaker hove in sight Ten years later Mr Dalton built New Zealand’s first surf ski, which quickly proved its worth in several phases of surf life-saving.

There is no known record of the number of rescues effected by the club, but in half a century not one life

has been lost at North Beach while a patrol has been on duty. Many of the finest rescues at the beach have been impromptu efforts. Mr Dalton effected one memorable rescue on the evening of January 11, 1934, when he plunged into the surf fully clothed and brought in three persons.

Allan Dalton has been one of the strong men in the club. He was president from 1938 to 1963, winner of the New Zealand beltman’s title three times and a member of the first Dominion surf team to tour overseas. The tradition he established has been continued by his sons, Rex and Don. Rex is the

country's outstanding exponent with the surf ski and Don reigns supreme on the paddleboard. He was a member of the New Zealand team to Australia last season. The dub lias benefitted from the services of many able administrators, including Messrs G. D. Griffiths, D. V. Wilson, C. and R. O’Nedl and M. B. Restall, who was the longest serving secretary (1954-1961). Three of the club’s first group of office bearers are still living: Mr G. Baiiley, a member of the executive, Mr C. S. Thomas, the honorary solicitor, and Mr F. W. Freeman, now 85, who has been a vice-presi-dent for the entire 50 years.

Notable names have appeared among the ranks of the competitors as well. Between (he world wars North Beach had two Olympic swimmers, C. A. Atkinson and D. P. Lindsay, as well as three of the country's finest freestyle exponents, N. S. Batchelor, L. Newell and D. H. Symes.

In its jubilee year the dub appears to be entering another notable era. Two of the Dominion's leading pool swimmers, W. Brown and Miss A. McMillan, are recent additions to a dub already strong through the presence of the Dalton brothers and Miss J. P. Clark, the national women s surf race champion.

The focal point of the celebrations will be a surf carnival on the beach this afternoon. Leading competitors from all Christchurch clubs are expected to compete in surf races, beach sprints and craft-events.