THE 1930’s
DRAFT – CHAPTER FOUR
THE 1930’s
HONOUR BOARD
|
Date |
President |
Hon. Secretary/Treasurer |
Club Captain |
|
1930-1931 |
Vic Suosaari |
Jack Tyrrell |
Vic Suosaari |
|
1931-1932 |
Thomas Thynne |
Jack Tyrrell |
Vic Suosaari |
|
1932-1933 |
Andy Dingwall |
Jack Tyrrell |
Jack Petersen |
|
1933-1934 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Jack Petersen |
|
1934-1935 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Gordon Petersen |
|
1935-1936 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Gordon Petersen |
|
1936-1937 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Gordon Petersen |
|
1937-1938 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Gordon Petersen |
|
1938-1939 |
Bill English |
Jack Tyrrell |
Gordon Petersen |
|
1939-1940 |
Gordon Petersen |
Jack Tyrrell |
Arthur Scott/Frank Klemm |
1930-31
FORMATION OF QUEENSLAND STATE CENTRE
Maroochydore’s fortunes during the 1930’s, especially during the first half of the decade, are closely related to the formation of the Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia, Queensland State Centre. The inaugural meeting of what has become Surf Lifesaving Queensland, was held on 28 September 1930 and:
“…was the outcome of an agreement between the Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia and the Royal Lifesaving Society, Queensland Head Centre, where the former would control all surf lifesaving and the latter all still water lifesaving activities”.[1]
A second General Meeting of the Queensland State Centre was held in Brisbane on 24 January 1931. It was attended by representatives of Clubs from Cudgen Headland (Kingscliff, NSW) to Cairns. The affiliation of the Point Danger Branch was accepted by acclamation, thus completing a shift of that region from the influence of the New South Wales Head Centre of Surf Life Saving. As at January 1931, the Queensland Head Centre then consisted of 35 Clubs patrolling beaches on a coastline of over 1,500 kilometres. That meeting decided to endeavour to form branches on the North Coast (Sunshine Coast), Central Coast and Far North Queensland.
On 20 September 1931, a meeting was convened at Maroochydore SLSC to form the North Coast Branch. It was chaired by Mr WA McClintock of Alexandra Headland SLSC. The formation Clubs of the North Coast Branch were Metropolitan Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headland, Maroochydore, Coolum, Noosa Heads and Laguna Bay.
Two of the founders of Maroochydore SLSC played a significant role in the formation of the Queensland State Centre, in that FO Venning was the inaugural Hon. Secretary/Hon. Chief Examiner, and JJ Betts was the inaugural Hon. Assistant Secretary and Hon. Chief Instructor.
The first Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of Queensland State Centre, presented at the first AGM on 7 November 1931 in Brisbane, shows that Queensland Surf Lifesaving was well organised from the very start, although it was not exactly awash with funds. For example, the Report thanked the NSW Head Centre in Sydney for a donation of £25 and 50 instruction handbooks – this being the organisation’s “Seed Funding”! But the Report noted the rather farsighted initiative of the establishment of the “Surfers’ Special Insurance Policy”, made available courtesy of the Commissioner of the State Government Insurance Office:
“Issued … under the Workers Compensation Act, whereby a Beltman or Patrolman engaged in lifesaving work under the control of the Club, is covered for the sum of £1 per Club per annum. Provision is also made for surf boat crews”.
The Queensland State Centre had obviously benefited greatly from the disciplined organisation of the Head Centre of the Royal Lifesaving Society. Clearly, there had been a gentleman’s agreement to divide responsibility between Surf Lifesaving and Still Water Lifesaving, and for a number of years, the two organisations shared office space and a telephone in the middle of Brisbane City.
Since the formation of the Queensland State Centre during the 1930-1931 season, Maroochydore SLSC has maintained a pre-eminent position as Queensland’s leading surf club, particularly in the areas of maintenance of its corporate brand, administration and competition. The Club certainly got away to a great start in the early 1930’s, although, as we shall see, it was not all plain sailing during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The first State Championships in 1931 were abandoned due to adverse weather conditions. As a consequence, no team was sent to Sydney to compete at the Australian Championships.
1931-32
The Inaugural Queensland Surf Championships
The inaugural State Surf Lifesaving Championships were held on Coolangatta Beach on 24 January 1932. With the exception of two events, competitors from the fledgling North Coast Branch took out every title.
Mr MJ Kirwan, MLA, President, Queensland State Centre, presented the Courier Shield to the winning team and inaugural Champion Club, Maroochydore.
The inaugural State Titles were marred by controversy, however: the Brisbane Courier reported as follows:
“Following the decision of the referee that only the winning teams in the eliminating tests could compete in the State final, the Members of the Mowbray Park, Southport and Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Clubs indulged in a ‘sympathy’ strike and withdrew from all events on the program. The referee’s decision had the effect of eliminating Southport from the R&R final, E Lane, Kirra and A Petersen, Maroochydore, from the Senior Belt Race and Rootes, Southport, from the Junior Belt Race. The withdrawal of the Clubs named resulted in only a single competitor starting in the Senior and Junior Surf races and two teams in the R&R and Surf Relay Race”.
Maroochydore won the following events:
R&R
Surf Relay
Senior Belt (Jack Petersen)
Senior Surf (Alan Petersen)
Junior Surf (Gordon Petersen)
The other events were decided as follows:
Boat Race – Mooloolaba
March Past – Mowbray Park
Junior Belt – Dan O’Connor of Kirra
The Brisbane Courier reported that a large section of the public expressed ‘strong disapproval’ of the action of the TH&C and Mowbray Park boat crews in refusing to even indulge in a friendly race with the Mooloolaba crew. This was apparently suggested by the officials in order to keep faith with the public, many of whom had come specially to view the boat race.
The Maroochydore R&R team, with a total of 87.25 points, defeated the Kirra R&R team with a total of 86.207 points. The teams were as follows:
|
Maroochydore |
Kirra |
|
G Petersen (patient) |
Alan Petherick (patient) |
|
J Petersen (beltman) |
W Reinicke (beltman) |
|
Vic Suosaari (resuscitator) |
W O’Connor (resuscitator) |
|
R Petersen |
J Winders |
|
A Petersen |
A Moore |
|
V Anderson |
E Lane |
Gordon Petersen and Petherick, who were both Juniors, acted as the patients for each of the teams. The Maroochydore swimmers won both the patient and belt swims, but O’Connor of Kirra achieved maximum points in the resuscitation. You will be pleased to know that Kirra “led also in general efficiency and discipline, but was unable to make up the ground lost in the swim section”.
State President Kirwan presented the Courier Shield to the winning Captain, Jack Petersen of Maroochydore, and made eulogistic reference to the public spirited action of the Brisbane Newspaper Co, in donating such a fine trophy. Mr Kirwan said that the winners stuck strictly to their duty as lifesavers and gave unswerving loyalty to the State Centre. Their title as State Champions was well deserved. He also presented the Honour Pennant donated by Captain Jos Francis, Assistant Minister for Defence, to the winning team.
O’Connor of Kirra apparently featured in a thrilling Junior Belt Championship tussle with Gordon Petersen of Maroochydore:
“Right at the start O’Connor got the line entangled round a leg and lost 3 seconds and immediately afterwards Petersen’s line fouled on the reel and he lost at least half a minute before being released and was then unable to make up the big lead obtained by O’Connor”.
O’Connor finished in 4 minutes 19 seconds, only two seconds slower than the Senior Title winner, Jack Petersen of Maroochydore. Gordon Petersen finished in 6 minutes 38 seconds.
Jack Petersen, being the only swimmer in the Senior Belt, was declared the winner after withdrawals by Tom Boast of Mowbray Park and the competitors Lane (Kirra) and A Petersen (Maroochydore) were declared ineligible by the judges.
The Senior Surf Championship went to Maroochydore in a quinella, Alan and Jack Petersen were the only swimmers after Boast, Field and Forster of Mowbray Park withdrew.
In the Junior Surf Championship, Gordon Petersen of Maroochydore staged a tussle with Petherick of Kirra in a time of 5 minutes 59 seconds, after Turpin of Southport and Hattersley of Tweed Heads withdrew.
In the Surf Boat Championship, Mooloolaba Club’s boat, the ‘Spray’, was the winner in 3 minutes 46 seconds, being the only starter after the withdrawal of Mowbray Park and Tweed Heads.
The Surf Relay Championship was another win to Maroochydore (Jack Petersen, Vainor Anderson, Vic Suosaari and Alan Petersen). They defeated Cudgen Headland in a time of 26 minutes 1 second. Maroochydore won each of the four rounds, although in the third round Suosaari was hard-pressed by Stevens of Cudgen Headland. Cudgen finished in a time of 27 minutes.
The final points were:
Maroochydore 19
Kirra 7
Cudgen Headland 4
Mowbray Park 3
Mooloolaba 3
Tugun 1
It is of special historical interest that the Maroochydore R&R team of 1932 had four brothers in the team – Jack, Alan, Gordon and Reg Petersen; the other Members being Vainor Anderson and Vic Suosaari. Not only did the team win the State Senior R&R Championship, but they also took out the Senior Teams (Jack Petersen, Vic Suosaari, Vainor Anderson, Alan Petersen), Jack won the Senior Belt (and repeated the performance in 1933, 1934 and 1937), Alan won the Senior Surf Championship (a title he again annexed in 1934 and 1935) and Gordon took out the Junior Surf Championship. Jack was 2nd in the National Championship Belt races in both 1933 and 1934.
|
LIFE MEMBERS – L. GORDON PETERSEN (1952) F. REG PETERSEN (1953) G. STAN PETERSEN (1953)
The Petersen family of 5 brothers, and their father, left an indelible mark on Maroochydore SLSC, in both the pre-WWII and post-WWII eras. Though Alan and Jack Petersen excelled as State Champion surf swimmers, Gordon, Reg and Stan were the administrators: Gordon served a total of 14 years as President from 1939 to 1954, though 5 of those years were served in absentia as a member of the Australian Infantry!
Gordon also served 5 years as Club Captain/Chief Instructor from 1934-1939. He won State Surf Championships, like his brothers, in R&R, Junior Surf and Surf Teams. Reg served a total of 5 years as Club Captain or Chief Instructor in the immediate post-WWII years, and was also in the inaugural State Champion R&R team in 1932, so he served the Club at a high level for well over 20 years. [DETAIL TO BE INCLUDED ON STAN]. |
The controversy surrounding the inaugural State Championships continued to the next Queensland State Centre meeting. On Friday 12 February 1932, the Nambour Chronicle reported that at the State Centre Meeting held on Sunday 7 February 1932, the behaviour of the Southport, Mowbray Park and TH&C Clubs at the State Championships was condemned as “unsportsmanlike”.
State President Kirwan, told the meeting that the refusal of the 3 Clubs to compete at the Queensland Championship events, in protest over rulings made by the referee, Mr Wallace Nicoll, was “…unfair to the public, and held the officers of the Association up to ridicule, and had brought discredit upon the organisation which they represented”. Mr Kirwan told the meeting that the State Constitution had to be upheld, and the loyalty to the State Centre insisted upon. The President said that he could suspend the Clubs “on the spot”, and would have no hesitation in doing so in the future.
State Centre Treasurer, CE Taylor, acted as spokesperson for the 3 Clubs concerned. He offered to express regret to the State Centre for the conduct of the Clubs, conditionally upon an admission being made that certain officials were responsible for mistakes which gave rise to the boycott action. The meeting refused to accept Mr Taylor’s offer. Towards the conclusion of 4 hours’ debate, Mr Taylor made an unconditional offer of regret on behalf of the 3 Clubs.
The meeting resolved to issue a severe reprimand to the 3 Clubs concerned, and to suspend them for a month unless an unqualified expression of regret was received by the State Centre before 29 February 1932. The motion of Southport SLSC that the State Championship results should be declared null and void was dismissed by 15 votes to 3. A vote of confidence was passed in Mr Nicoll as referee for the inaugural State Championships.
Finally, Maroochydore was voted as the venue for the second State Championships to be held on the last Sunday in January, 1933. The first State Champions became the second Championship venue.
1932–33
Maroochydore’s sole State Champion for 1932-1933, on his own beach, was Jack Petersen in the belt race. Jack travelled to Sydney for his first Australian Championships at Bondi. It appears that he travelled alone, however, because members from Burleigh Heads, Mowbray Park SLSC formed his Belt Crew. Jack became the first Maroochydore SLSC member to represent the Club at a National Titles.
Maroochydore was host club for the second State Championships of 1933. We hosted the State Titles again in 1936. It was not until 1961 that we again functioned as the host club.
State Titles Venue
1933
1936
1961
1970
1976
1986
1994
According to the Nambour Chronicle of 3 February 1933, Maroochydore Beach was the venue for the 1933 State Titles, because the host club held the Courier Shield from 1932. Burleigh Heads-Mowbray Park SLSC, the “premiers” of the South Coast, were the obvious challengers. The surf conditions were moderate, the weather overcast. Other Clubs in attendance were TH&C, Southport, Kirra and Mooloolaba. Close finishes were the order of the day, with all but one of them falling in favour of BHMP and against Maroochydore. At the conclusion of the programme, in presenting the Courier Shield, Mr M J Kirwan, State Surf Life Saving President, gave a speech in which he: “deplored the almost complete failure of the public to support such useful work. The support was so meagre as to set one to visualising unpatrolled beaches and resulting loss of life”.
Imagine for a moment the effort on the part of the South Coast clubs to attend the second State Titles on the North Coast, back in 1933. The TH&C (“Greenmount”) crew towed their surfboat to Maroochydore:
“The boat had to be brought on a trailer the previous day from Tweed Heads. Unfortunately, they travelled over Sandy Pinch and over Buderim through inadequate road signs, and some hardship was endured when the trailer had to be detached and pulled round the hairpin bends by hand”.
1933–34
The Club had an excellent year in State Surf Competition, taking out the R&R Premiership for the second time, the belt race (Jack Petersen) and the surf race (Alan Petersen).
Maroochydore’s contingent at the 1934 Australian Championships at Bondi was therefore a significant one: our State Champion R&R Team contested the Australian R&R Premiership, Jack Petersen contested his second Australian Belt Championship, again winning the Silver medal, and Alan Petersen contested the Australian Surf Race Championship. At Maroochydore’s second appearance at the Australian Championships, there was no question that another club would provide the Belt Team for the magnificent Jack Petersen. This time, the belt crew was from his own Club and included a famous member of the day, Billy Potter.
[Include here some detail about Bill Potter]
1934-35
By the 1934-1935 season, Maroochydore was playing a prominent role in the affairs of the Queensland State Centre and the North Coast Branch. In April 1935, the State Centre issued the first Examiners’ Certificates in favour of Maroochydore members, recognising their qualification retrospectively:
JJ Betts 8 February 1931
Vic Suosaari 7 January 1933
Jack Petersen 26 January 1934
These 3 early Maroochydore “Legends” were in good company, because in the first round of Examiners’ Certificates, the following “Legends” from other clubs are to be found:
SW Winders Kirra SLSC 1931
FO Venning Mooloolaba SLSC 1931
WA McClintock Alexandra Headland 1931
Whilst Examiners played an important role on behalf of the Club on the bigger State/Branch stage, another indicator of the health of a surf club at operational level is its Instructors. Again, some of the Club’s early Instructors were “Legends”:
|
Jack Evans |
Instructor’s Certificate |
26 March 1932 |
|
Harry Mellor |
Instructor’s Certificate |
14 April 1933 |
|
Arthur Scott |
Instructor’s Certificate |
3 March 1934 |
|
EC “Mick” Gibson |
Instructor’s Certificate |
30 March 1934 |
|
Frank Melrose Klemm |
Instructor’s Certificate |
20 April 1935 |
|
LIFE MEMBER – ERIC C. (MICK) GIBSON (1951)
|
Yes, Hortense, they played up in the 1930’s too!
The Beach Bowls Club was actually declared open the night before the official opening. At about midnight a group of Maroochydore Clubbies set up a sugar bag full of beer on the main bowling green. The Surf Club Members faithfully drank to the health of the Beach Bowls Club. Having ‘officially opened’ the Beach Bowls Club, the Members cleaned up their mess and happily went off to bed. The real official opening occurred the next day!
Even in the 1930’s, the Members thought of the time-honoured prank of releasing cane toads onto the floor of Jazzland during the New Year’s eve dance. This was considered incredibly good fun back in the 1930’s. It must have been pretty good fun, because it became a somewhat popular prank during the 1950’s and 1960’s also!
At one time during the 1930’s Sgt Pat Mahoney, a well-respected policeman from Nambour, usually performed weekend police duty at Maroochydore, since there was no policeman permanently stationed there at that time. As part of his function as ‘the law’ for the weekend, Sgt Mahoney used to call on the lifesavers who were on duty that weekend. This was often for good reason, since the Sergeant would make it his business to know who he would be dealing with in any emergency surfing situations over that particular weekend. He stayed at Stretton’s pub at Maroochydore on each of the weekends that he was on duty. One weekend he was carried away with the good fellowship offered by the Maroochydore Members. Ron Brett and other members escorted the Sergeant, in a somewhat tired and emotional state, back to Stretton’s pub to put him to bed so that he’d be fresh for the following day’s duty. It was well into the following morning before the Club Members received a telephone call from Stretton’s pub. The message was quite clear: “Could you please come down and release me from my handcuffs?” Sgt Mahoney’s helpful Surf Club escort had made sure that they’d handcuffed him to his bed!
Some Characters from the 1930’s
Two prominent members from the late 1930’s were Jack Evans and Bob Muirhead. Jack later achieved fame by establishing the Porpoise Pool at Tweed Heads. Bob Muirhead later achieved fame as a rugby league footballer. Both Evans and Muirhead worked as cane cutters in Far North Queensland during the cane cutting season. This, of course, was in the days when cane cutters did not have mechanical harvesters to assist them.
Jack Evans rapidly tired of this kind of work and decided that it was time to give up cane cutting and make a living from working on the beach. So it was that he introduced surf-o-plane hire to Sunshine Coast beaches. Jack was selected in the 1938 Queensland Surf Team. He also was a member of the State Champion Maroochydore Surf Teams of 1940 which included Arthur Scott and Gordon Petersen. He was also runner-up in the State Surf Race Championship on at least two occasions during the 1930’s.
The Colourful Jack Evans
Jack enjoys the distinction of being the very first Maroochydore competitor to have been selected in a State Surf Team, in 1938, to contest the Interdominion Championships at Manly. Jack was a gifted surf swimmer – a barrel-chested “natural”. He and his brother “Bub” (who joined Mooloolaba SLSC) grew up on a cane farm on the Maroochy River. The brothers Evans shared a love of all kinds of fishing – net, beach, deep water. They spent a fair bit of their time dodging the fishing inspector, Billy Phillips. Jack divided his time between the Sunshine Coast and North Queensland, where he went cutting cane. The earnings from this tough profession meant that he could build some flats near the surf club, buy himself a car, and set up his surf-o-plane hire business on Maroochydore and Mooloolaba beaches. From early on, Jack had a fascination with porpoises and sharks, and this led him to his most famous assignment of all – the Jack Evans Porpoise Pool at Point Danger. Jack was an amazing lifesaver, performing many heroic rescues on the North Coast, and later, the Gold Coast.
Jack and Norm Weir qualified for the 1940 Australian Surf Championships, held at Bondi. Jack, according to Norm, delighted in “taking the mickey” out of the North Bondi boys: they presented him with a parcel of food on the platform, just prior to Jack’s departure home: “Don’t open it til you’re on your way”. Jack was chuffed – until he found a dead cat!
Road Access to Maroochydore in the 1930’s
During the 1930’s access to Maroochydore from Nambour was gained over what was known as the ‘old road’ through Kunda Park. If the old road was flooded, the only way to the beach was via the Mons Road and Buderim. For those who did not have their own transport, there was an unreliable bus service which plied the route.
Before these roads were opened, access to Maroochydore was gained by Club Members at weekends in the following way: they would meet outside the Club Hotel on Sunday morning and take the cane tram to Deepwater which is situated just below the showgrounds outside Nambour. There they would board a launch and travel down the Maroochy River to Cotton Tree. They would then walk across to the Surf Club from the Cotton Tree landing. At the end of the day’s patrol, the process would be repeated.
1935-36
Although Maroochydore was host club for the State Championships of 1936, the Club failed to win a single title, for the first time since the inauguration of the State Championships in 1932. But it was not for want of trying that Jack Petersen nearly won his 4th Queensland belt title in 5 years:
|
________
Brisbane Courier Mail – 6 March 1936
LONG RETAINS TITLE – PETERSEN’S APPEAL DISMISSED – SENIOR BELT RACE
The delegate meeting of the State Centre of the Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia last night dismissed the appeal by J.R. Petersen of the Maroochydore Club against Thor Long’s victory in the senior belt race at the State Championship Carnival at Maroochydore on February 18 last. As a result of this decision, Long will retain the title and will represent Queensland at the Australian Championships in Sydney. A request is to be made to the Australian Head Centre to revise the rules covering belt races.
Petersen’s protest claimed that Long’s line should have been attached to his belt during the event and unless it could be proved that it was detached after his touching the buoy, he should be disqualified.
In evidence Mr T. Boast, the No. 1 linesman of Long’s club, Mowbray Park – Burleigh Heads, stated that he paid out the line to Long and then saw him reach the buoy and signal. At that time there was no slack line on the beach. It had been stated that there was a line along the beach, but this was a dry line and could not have been Long’s. After Long’s signal he pulled in the line. There was a weight on it for some time. As the line was cutting his side, he moved aside eight paces. There was still weight on the line and he asked his second linesman to take some of the weight, as his arms were getting tired. The line afterwards became slack and he reported to the referee. Mr J. Corkey, No. 1 linesman for the Metropolitan-Caloundra Club, said he saw Long signal and at that time, there was no slack at Boast’s feet.
Mr A. Williams, Southport, one of the judges, said he was sure the Mowbray Park linesmen were taking weight when they started to pull the line in.
Mr Thynne, the boat judge, said he was not sure whether the line was attached when Long reached the buoy. He appeared to be slugging solidly when coming out to the buoy, however.
On the motion of Mr Corkery, the motion was dismissed and a request was made to the New South Wales centre to make a rule regarding the line in all belt races”. |
Though Jack was to regain his State Title in 1937, the nature of his challenge to Thor Long’s 1936 win should be appreciated. Firstly, as was the case for at least the next 30 years, only one State Belt winner contested the Australian Belt. And secondly, Jack was really accusing Long of cheating!
1936-37
Jack Petersen retired at the end of the 1936-1937 season after an outstanding career as our first multiple State Champion and National Medalist. At the time of his retirement, Jack’s career was second to none:
Jack Petersen
1932 1st Belt Race Championship of Queensland
1st Surf Teams Championship of Queensland
1st R&R Premiership of Queensland
1933 1st Belt Race Championship of Queensland
2nd Belt Race Championship of Australia
1934 1st Belt Race Championship of Queensland
2nd Belt Race Championship of Australia
1st R&R Premiership of Queensland
1937 1st Belt Race Championship of Queensland
The earliest available Maroochydore SLSC Minutes date from the 1936-1937 season. They are written in immaculate copperplate handwriting. They were found during the compilation of the 75 year history in 1990. The Minutes give some insight into the way Maroochydore SLSC operated during the second half of the 1930’s. Earlier Surf Club Minutes were destroyed by fire shortly after the death of long time Secretary-Treasurer, Jack Tyrrell. Mr Tyrrell was an official in a number of sporting bodies which operated in the Maroochydore area, including Maroochydore Rugby League. After his death, his widow tidied up a vast quantity of what she thought to be useless paperwork by disposing of it on a bonfire. Thus, the early Surf Club Minutes no longer exist.
The Maroochydore SLSC Minutes for 1936-1937 reveal that the Patrons elected included Foundation President, William Whalley and future Queensland Premier, Frank Nicklin, who was the local State Member of Parliament.
|
LIFE MEMBER – SIR FRANCIS NICKLIN (1965)
George Francis Rheuben (Frank) Nicklin was born in 1895 in Murwillumbah in New South Wales where his father George edited the Tweed Herald. Secondary education was completed at Highfield College in North Sydney where he was a member of the school cadet unit.
Nicklin’s military service was spectacular. In 1915 he enlisted at Beerwah to serve overseas with the 1st A.I.F. He quickly saw service with the 49th Battalion and as an enlisted soldier was awarded the Military Medal for ‘bravery in the face of the enemy’. He was soon commissioned in the field – a rare honour – and became Lieutenant Nicklin, M.M.
Prior to and during World War One the Nicklin family ran a banana farm on the slopes of Mt. Mellum. After the war, many returned servicemen took up soldier settlement offers and started growing fruit in the North Coast region. Frank Nicklin was one of those who settled in the Palmwoods district (just across the Landsborough Shire borer), accompanied by his young bride Georgina. Nicklin quickly became involved in local affairs and organisations, including the Palmwoods Fruit Growers’ Association. After holding several positions on local boards and committees Nicklin stood for parliament in the State election of 1932 and won the seat the Murrumba. He represented the region capably and continued to be heavily involved in all matters pertaining to fruit growing and, especially, agricultural shows and exhibits.
In sport, Frank (‘Nicko’ to his mates) was very competitive and left an indelible mark on the sporting records of the North Coast. His first love was cricket and he played for Country versus Brisbane, captaining most sides he was selected for; he was also a natural at tennis and served on local tennis committees. Whatever game he tackled he did so with great enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
In 1942 Frank Nicklin was again called to military duty, this time as lieutenant colonel, to organise the 6th Battalion Volunteer Defence Force on the North Coast. After the war he resumed his role as the Member of Murrumba, and over his political life spent many years in opposition before finally winning the State election and gaining the Premiership in 1957. His achievements as Premier of Queensland were substantial and his natural leadership qualities made him a master at heading a coalition government.
As former president of the Liberal Party Sir Thomas Hiley was noted: ‘In the first 110 years of Queensland’s Statehood, no single leader contributed more to the State than George Francis Rheuben Nicklin’. In recalling Nicklin, former Premier Mike Ahern stated that ‘he was known as “Honest Frank Nicklin” and this man’s life was interest in, concern for and work on behalf of the people, whoever they were and whatever their walk of life. People were his first and last concern’.
Sir Francis Nicklin retired to Caloundra and lived at Bellissima in Upper Gay Terrace, always on call for the opening of buildings and events and for attending social events around town. He was knighted K.C.M.G.in 1968 and died ten years later aged 83 years. As a legacy to his contribution to the entire North Coast region a town clock was unveiled in Palmwoods on 29 January 1979.
|
1937-38
The matter of Boat Captain was left in abeyance at the 1937 AGM. The Club did have an old ‘double-ender’ surf boat during the 1930’s, however it seems that it was not widely used in competition. It seems that ‘serious’ boat competition began at Maroochydore after World War II. ‘Swan 1’ was purchased in 1947. The prominent pre-war Boat Clubs at State level were TH&C, Mooloolaba and Burleigh.
It was resolved that a handicap swim be held every alternate weekend in conjunction with the Swimming Club. The Hon. Sec/Treasurer, Mr Tyrrell, was voted an annual honorarium of 15 Guineas.
|
LIFE MEMBER – JACK TYRRELL (1940)
|
A Queensland team competed in the Inter Dominion Surf Carnival at Manly in Sydney in February 1938. Jack Evans became our first State representative. He was in good company. The 1938 Queensland State Team was a veritable “who’s who” of Queensland Surf Lifesaving:
Clarrie Englert (TH & C and formerly Queensland Chief Instructor)
Bill Daley (Mooloolaba SLSC and a Queensland Chief Superintendent)
Bob Howard
Tom Boast (Burleigh Heads, Mowbray Park/State Champion Beltman)
Thor Long (Burleigh Heads, Mowbray Park/State Champion Beltman)
Alan Imrie (Burleigh Heads, Mowbray Park/State Champion Beltman)
Mick Winders (Kirra SLSC/State President)
Arthur Parkyn (Mooloolaba SLSC)
A team selected from throughout Australia also conducted an instructional tour to Victoria in 1938, and Arthur Scott of Maroochydore SLSC became our first Surf Lifesaving National representative. By the end of the 1938 season, Evans and Scott had joined Jack Petersen and the Maroochydore team of 1934 on the National stage.
1938-39
This appears to have been a year of change for the Club, as the incumbent President, Mr Theo Thynne, was challenged successfully and the Secretary/Treasurer, Jack Tyrrell, survived a challenge. Gordon Petersen functioned as both Captain and Chief Instructor of the Club until taking over as President in 1940. Two intriguing positions elected at the AGM were those of ‘Costume Steward’ and ‘Shed Steward’. It is not clear what the job specifications were, although the Shed Steward was clearly the forerunner to the Clubhouse Director.
A Mr Williams was appointed Honorary Coach for the Season, with expenses of his travel supplied by the Club: a very innovative move for 1938!
The meeting endorsed the establishment of an Annual Swimming Test for all Members, to be held in the river: 440 yards in eight minutes, to be done by the end of November.
At a General Meeting held later during the Season, it was resolved to hold a dance at Mr P Evan’s hall in conjunction with the Alexandra Headland Club. At the same meeting, the time for the test swim in the river was extended to 10 minutes! The members also resolved to hire a bus ‘in order to attend the Coolum Carnival’. The price: two shillings per head, return. Also at that meeting, it was resolved that the house to house collection be held on Boxing Day, and would commence at 8.30 am.
At the February General Meeting of the Club, it was resolved to subsidise Reg Petersen to the sum of 5 Guineas ($5.50) to attend the Sydney Carnival. The Club surf carnival program was decided as follows:
March Past Open Surf Race
R&R Alarm Reel Race
Novice Surf Race Surf-o-plane Race
Beach Relay
1939-40
Our first Boat Captain, J Howard, was finally installed. The members resolved to price the purchase of a new boat. A Mr Kuskopf was to be engaged to build the boat to specification, however the outbreak of War appears to have delayed the launch of ‘Swan 1’ until 1947. It must have been a Season for an upsurge in craft activity, as Jack Evans agreed to provide the trophies for rounds of handicap Surf-o-plane races, to be held between October 1939 and Easter 1940.
Arthur Scott continued in the role of Vice Captain and Deputy Chief Instructor.
It was resolved that the surf carnival to be held at Maroochydore, be called the Whalley Cup and that Mr G Norman be engaged to broadcast the results on the day of the carnival, at a fee of 1 Guinea – professional carnival announcers, in 1939!
Immediate Past President, and newly-elected Life Member, Mr English, was granted permission by the Members to wear the Club blazer, so long as it contained the motif of a reel and line.
|
LIFE MEMBER – BILL ENGLISH (1940)
|
The Club hired a bus to attend the 1940 State Championships at Kirra. The March Past, Beach Sprint and Beach Relay were the only ‘open’ events contested. It does appear, however, that the R&R team competed as a nomination from the North Coast Branch. This may have been the case with other swimming events as well, since it is recorded that Maroochydore won the Queensland Surf Teams and Junior Surf Race Championships at these Championships.
Jack Evans and Norm Weir (Norm having won the State Junior Surf Championship) were Maroochydore’s representatives at the 1940 Australian Championships held in Sydney.
During 1939-1940, discussion commenced about the building of a new Clubhouse. A rule was also promulgated which required Members to ask permission to stay in the ‘shed’ for extended periods other than at Easter or Christmas time. This suggests that the Club facilities were at full stretch.
Thus the 1930’s concluded on a buoyant note for the Club, although already the storm clouds of World War II were gathering. In the years that followed, membership plummeted as our young men went off to war. Rebuilding plans were shelved and the Club functioned on a skeleton membership, augmented from time to time by visiting servicemen.
The overall impression of the Club as at 1940, as reflected by the Minutes, is that it was already imbued with a sense of tradition and service to the public. Stable, strong leadership and the influence of Royal Lifesaving appear to be the major factors for the Club’s strength at the end of the 1930’s, not forgetting of course that the 1920’s and 1930’s had been successful for the Club in competition.
[1] First Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, presented at the inaugural AGM of the Queensland Head Centre, for season ending 30 September 1931, at the Commercial Travellers’ Club, Brisbane Club Building, Adelaide Street, Brisbane on 7 November 1931.
