Members of Mona Vale Alumni Surf Life Saving Club with their first boat, 1933
Back in 1922 the Mona Vale Surf Bathers Life Saving Club was formed with Fred Lane, Australia’s first Olympic gold medal winner for swimming, as the President. A couple of years later on the 9 November the new clubhouse was officially opened and the club recorded no fatalities and six successful rescues that year.
The club continued to expand in the 1940’s, with a notable member being a young Rod Taylor who would go on to star in over 50 feature films, joining the boat crew.
A larger clubhouse was established in 1969 and with continued population growth since then, a clubhouse with state of the art facilities was needed. This set in motion a 10 year period of consultation and planning, and a construction process of 13 months which has coincided with the new clubhouse opening in June 2022, as the Club celebrates its centenary.
This fabulous $10 million project includes a restaurant, café, aboriginal artworks in an outdoor space and provides a home base for lifesaver training. Providing a focal point for community projects in and out of the water, this is a world class facility and a wonderful celebration for the club in its centenary year. Learn more about Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club.
This article was created by Northern Beaches Council Library Local Studies. For enquiries, please contact the Northern Beaches Library Local Studies Team at LocalHistory@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au or visit History Hub.
Go more in-depth into the history of Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club.