HISTORY 1935 - 2001

By Graham Walton (Life Member)

Unlike the northern beaches where a series of disasters and mass rescues made the establishment of surf lifesaving clubs a necessity, the early days of Fremantle were characterized by a number of false starts beginning in 1932. The reputation of a "safe" beach and lack of disasters contributed to the slow start of the club and a continual struggle to expand membership. The membership of the club has been drawn predominantly from the working class of the North Fremantle and Fremantle districts. Through World War II and after, Leighton Surf Lifesaving Club struggled to gain members, the patrols and club administration falling to a dedicated few. This forged a strong camaraderie within the club, which has continued to this day.

The club has a close connection with WWII, through the donation from the crew of HMAS Sydney II who made a surf reel and a trophy replica whilst stationed at Fremantle. All lives were lost when the Sydney was lost on 19^th November 1941. The club has run the HMAS Sydney II Reel event each year since 1941.

In 1958-59, Port beach became accessible to the public through the re-routing of traffic. Largely through the efforts of some employees of the Port Authority, Port Surf Lifesaving Club was formed in 1958. The patrolling boundaries were; Port: from Rous Head to Angus Street; Leighton Surf Lifesaving Club: from Angus Street to the Cable Station.

In 1976 the two clubs amalgamated to form the Fremantle Surf Lifesaving Club, with the responsibility for patrolling 4 km of coastline, the longest in Western Australia. Over the years, the position of the clubhouse has moved southwards to its present location. The existing clubroom was built in stages, with the main hall and kitchen/office facilities completed in 1977 and the gear storage area and members change rooms completed in 1995.The middle section of the building retains the original shed erected in 1962. The new clubhouse was completed with financial support from corporate sponsorship, WA Lotteries Commission, a grant from the Federal Government and a loan from the Fremantle City Council.

Throughout the club history it has been innovative, Leighton was the first Australian Surf Lifesaving club to have a Licensed Bar (1973) as a means to raising funds. On patrols, the club tested and used the first IRB in the 1971-72 season. The long coastline was patrolled in 1977-78 by a mobile ("roving") system, with 2-way radios and more recently, the use of a 4-wheel drive vehicle has increased the effectiveness of patrols.

For a club with a small membership, it has been very successful in both State and Australian competition. Members have been particularly strong in beach and surf boat events, winning the Australian Beach Flag in 1976 and the Australian Beach Relay in 1987. In 1941, Lochyer Cottman won the Australian Surf Belt Race and 1968 - 77 were the 'Golden Years' of State R & R Championships. Many club competitors are well known in WA Surf ; Rob Pickard, Michael Cook, Don Pass, Kelvin Graham and Mark Nolan to name a few. John McCourt was both WA and Australian Surfer of the Year in 1982-83, whilst Club President.

Although it wasn't until 1980 that women gained full membership of the surf lifesaving movement, they have been strong supporters throughout. Late in WWII, nurses carried out duties in the ambulance room at Leighton Beach. A Ladies Auxillary began in 1945, with girlfriends and wives raising funds for buildings and equipment. From 1940 to 1968, a women's interclub competition existed, at which Leighton were very successful. Lyn Watson and Lyn McClements, Australian Olympic representatives, were part of that ladies surf club. Since 1980, female membership has risen steadily, taking responsibility in patrols, administration and competition.