surflifesaving in australia

There are few aspects of Australian culture that have been as distinctive in relation to other nations, as the relation to the beach (Daly, 2002). Due to our geography, our habitable areas are predominantly coastal, and like AFL, the Sydney Opera House and kangaroos the beach helps to define our cultural identity. Australia has therefore provided the ideal setting to develop, nurture and flourish the sport of Surf Life Saving. Surf Life Saving’s suitability to Australian conditions has led it to become, not only a sport, but an important part of Australia’s history, lifestyle and culture (Wilson, 1979).

Although bathing and swimming in the ocean are now an integral part of our contemporary beach culture, this has not always been the case. In the conservative Victorian era of the 19th century, sunbathing was actually prohibited by many local governments. This was due to the pressure from moralists who considered it an ‘indecent pastime’ and for most of the nineteenth century...