AGY-1729 | Surf Bathing Committee

Full description

The Surf Bathing Committee was appointed by the Executive Council in July 1911 to inquire into and report on the general question of accommodation at various beaches in the Sydney and Newcastle districts for surf-bathing, including matters of dressing accommodation, and life-saving and safety equipment. (1)

The Committee was instructed to report on existing dressing room accommodation at Sydney beaches and to determine its suitability. If accommodation was unsuitable or non-existent, the Committee was to recommend the best location, most suitable type, and probable cost of establishing accommodation at the beaches. (2)

The first meeting of the Committee was held on 28 July 1911 and consisted of four members: The Chairman, Mr J.S. Lord, President of the Surf Club Association; Mr J. Garlick, Officer-in-Charge of Local Government; Mr E.M. Allman, Metropolitan District Works Engineer; and Mr C.D. Paterson, Tourist Officer. (3)

The Committee investigated the following beaches: Manly North Steyne and South Steyne, Bondi, Tamarama, Little Coogee, Coogee, Maroubra, Long Bay, Cronulla, Lady Robinson’s Beach, Freshwater, Curl Curl, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Newcastle, 'Bar' Bathing-place (Newcastle), Merewether, and Stockton. Others beaches were excluded because there was practically no bathing on them, or they were in privately owned, or for other reasons. These beaches included Fairy Bower, Shell Beach, Little Bay, Congwong, La Perouse, and Yarra Bay. (4)

Members of the Committee inspected the beaches with local authorities and took evidence from shire and municipal councils, representatives of life-saving clubs, surf-bathing clubs, and members of the public. The Immigration and Tourist Bureau collected information about surf-bathing in other countries but the Committee determined that none of it could be adopted for use in New South Wales. (5)

The Committee’s recommendations were tabled at its meeting on 13 October 1911 and presented in the Committee’s report to the Governor dated the 12 February 1912. (6) The Committee concluded that although facilities at the beaches varied greatly, in general accommodation for dressing was inadequate for the number of bathers, and unsuitable to their needs. The Committee made recommendations for individual beaches which were detailed in its report. The Committee also recommended amendments to certain laws governing surf-bathing which it believed were out-dated.

Section 77 of the Police Offences Act, 1900 which prohibited bathing in waters exposed to public view between the hours of 6am and 8pm was in the Committee’s view obsolete and required amending to conform with present-day conditions. The Committee recommended amending the Local Government Act enabling councils to control and manage beach reserves.

Ordinances under the Local Government Act were amended to provide for inspectors with the power to enforce guidelines on appropriate conduct and behaviour. (7)

The Committee’s report with appendices was ordered to be printed by the Legislative Assembly on 14 March 1912.(8)

Endnotes
1. Evidence Surf Bathing Committee 1911-12. 5/4493; Report of the Surf-Bathing Committee, New South Wales Parliamentary Papers, 1911-12 (3rd session), vol. 4, p.445.
2. Minister’s Minute re the appointment of Committee, Evidence Surf Bathing Committee 1911-12, 5/4493.
3. loc. cit.
4. Report of the Surf-Bathing Committee, New South Wales Parliamentary Papers, 1911-12 (3rd session), vol. 4, p.449.
5. ibid., p.464.
6. ibid., p.449.
7. ibid. p.467.
8. ibid., p.445.