Bermagui SLSC

Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club was established in 1909 as the South Bermagui Surf Bathing Club (the Bega Budget newspaper of 22 December 1909 refers to an agreement between the Club and the Council regarding enclosures on the beach for the use of surf bathers).  Apart from locals, the Club also catered for the growing influx of tourists who flocked to the area in search of fishing and holiday opportunities. In the 1920s a clubhouse was located on the eastern foreshore of Horseshoe Bay, but it was washed away by heavy seas sometime during the 1940s.

Bermagui SLSC was closed down during the Second World War and it was almost three decades until the Club reformed in 1971. At the time, the club operated through the support and benevolence of businesses and residents in the township, with club gear stored at a variety of locations. Due to the challenges of coordinating surf lifesaving activities under such conditions, the club has closed several times over the years, only to be reopened when circumstances supported revival. The Club’s last resurrection occurred in the early 1990’s and initially operated out of a dilapidated shower block on the western end of the Horseshoe Bay headland.

Club members worked hard to maintain the daily operations of the Bermagui SLSC while continuing to house essential lifesaving equipment throughout the community.  Despite such obstacles, the Club thrived and, in the early 2000’s plans were made to build a new clubhouse.