HISTORY
In 1934, a few young men from Brisbane decided to get together and form a Life Saving Club at Amity Point on Stradbroke Island. The venture ran into some difficulties due to lack of support, and when the subsidised boat fare was withdrawn, they decided to change their venue to Broadbeach, after an approach from Harry Bruce (MLA) and an inspection of the beach.
At the time, there were no Surf Clubs between Surfers Paradise and Burleigh Heads, and there were only five houses at Broadbeach. A meeting was held at the residence of Mr. Harry Bruce (MLA) on the 5th August 1935, where officers were elected and a letter was sent to “Point Danger” Branch, requesting affiliation as a Surf Club. They were advised to attend the next meeting at Cudgen Headlands late in August 1935.
A dance was held to raise funds and the boys attended the meeting at Cudgen Headlands, forms were filled in, affiliation and capitation fees were paid and with a cash balance of ten shillings, Broadbeach Surf Life Saving Club was born. The first “Clubhouse” was a tent pitched in the sand dunes and, after arranging a lease for the land with the Lands Department, a corrugated iron shed (20’ x 10”) was erected with an external annex for meals.
Membership grew steadily and the first “real” clubhouse was built in the 1937/38 season. It must have been an impressive sight in those days, a two-storey structure in the midst of sand dunes. The outbreak of World War II had a devastating effect on membership and by the end of the 1941/42 season, the club had only a handful of members. The future looked grim but at the start of the next season, the employees of Evans Deakin decided to join Broadbeach rather than form a new club.
After the war, the enlisted members returned to find a larger, more dynamic club and the stage was set for Broadbeach to enter a period as one of the strongest clubs on the Gold Coast. Over the next 10 years, the surf life saving scene was expanding with an increasing number of clubs and competition events. Despite some members leaving to form and/or join these new clubs, membership levels at Broadbeach remained at the same levels.
In the 1963/64 season a “new clubhouse” committee was formed and a proposal submitted to the South Coast Council. This was approved and construction started in the following season. The new clubhouse was officially opened on 10th September 1966
Surf life saving continued to grow throughout the 1970’s but it had always been a male dominated activity. It wasn’t until 1980 that female members were admitted as active members of Surf Life Saving Australia. However, Broadbeach wasn’t in a position to accept female members until suitable accommodation could be provided. Plans for further extensions to the clubhouse were submitted to Council in the 1981/82 season and construction was completed in the following year.
Broadbeach Surf Life Saving Club celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in October 1984. A reunion was held at the clubhouse with many past members attending.
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, the clubhouse was redeveloped into a modern structure catering for various needs. Some characteristics of the old clubhouse remain with dormitories (for both male and female members) storage for gear - rescue boards, IRBs "Rubber Duckies' etc for patrol; competition gear including surf boards and surf skis as well as the club's competition surf boats and modern function facilities.
While the view of the ocean hasn't changed, the current clubhouse is a far cry from the 1930’s when that dedicated group of young men from Brisbane chose Broadbeach as the one spot on the Gold Coast to patrol
© Broadbeach SLSC 2010