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Our Club History

Caves Beach Surf Life Saving Club was conceived in February 1929 when a group of men from Swansea, some already qualified lifesavers from our neighbouring club, decided to look for a spot between the Heads and Pinney Beach to establish a Surf Lifesaving club. They decided the safest spot as being adjacent to the big cave on Caves Beach.

History 1 History 2 History 2 History 4 History 5 History 6

Since these noble beginnings, the club has prospered. In competition, Caves Beach boasts over 37 State, Australian and World Champions. This competitive record is not only a testament to our club members’ dedication, perseverance and will to win, but a measure of their capability and the quality of service the provide.

Caves Beach S.L.S.C has grown to become a well-renowned competitive club, as well as reputable public service provider.

Little Nippers were founded in Australia by Newcastle Branch in the 1964 – 65 season. In 1966-67 Juvenile SLSA was formed and Branch officials elected Swansea Caves Ron Ekert as President a position he held for some years. Barry Vasella successfully organised the 1973 Nipper State Titles at Caves Beach.

The Junior movement of Swansea Caves have had some great people involved. The senior club has benefited from wonderful people like Ron and Barry, Carl Ulrick, Jim Pembroke and Steve Knight and many more. The juniors take pride in teaching our Surf Lifesavers of tomorrow the fundamentals of Surf Education and awareness, as well as encouraging them to lead an active and healthy lifestyle.

With over 250 junior members, Caves continues to produce dedicated lifesavers, ensuring the safety of swimmers at our beach.

At 7.30am on the 28th February 2004 Kevin Harman, our World, Aust. State and Branch Master Champion was knocked from a his ski in Swansea Channel, by a team mate’s out of control ski. This blow caused abdominal and chest injuries including multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

Adam Rowe, John Gifford Matt Begg and Phil Rowe came to assist, but due to the massive injuries and only skis available Kevin could only be supported in the water. The tide was on the change, and all were being swept seaward and caught in surging waves. Redhead Surf Boat could not render assistance due to huge seas. They gave a rescue tube and Ches Suska relieved tiring lifesavers. Matt Begg, a Junior paddler, remained to assist Kevin, who had by this time lapsed into unconsciousness. By this time they were on the infamous bar, at one of its angriest days. A small fishing boat was seconded into the rescue. The plan to race between waves and tow Kevin into calm water was put into action. As the boat reached Kevin a wave hit it and it slewed sideways, putting both of Kevin’s feet through the propeller, inflicting severe damage.

Two surfboard riders came to assist, Kevin was put onto a flat surface, Kevin state had deteriorated or due to loss of blood and shock, in the meantime Nathan Croal had paddled to Swansea Belmont SLSC to raise the alarm, Nat McGregor and Matt Rees ,were doing early morning training, quickly manned an IRB to assist in these very difficult conditions, these two men managed to get Kevin aboard, administer emergency care and manoeuvre in very dangerous seas. The paddling team and rescuers had to carry the IRB and Motor up the beach to the waiting ambulance. The rescue in the water took 1 hour 18 minutes

After a battle to save his right foot and weeks in hospital Kevin is now fully recovered. To Adam Rowe, Phil Rowe, Matt Begg, Ches Suska, John Gifford, Matt Rees and Nathan McGregor we applaud you for your perseverance to make sure we did not loose a treasured icon of Hunter Surf Lifesaving.

  • Hams Beach was named after the pioneering Ham family who lived on the hill at the back of Caves. Club Life Member Ron “Eggs” Ham is a great grandson of this family and Ron’s mother the late Laura Ham was the daughter of foundation president AB Payne
  • In 1929 with no water pipeline to Caves Beach, the club erected water tanks (water was also transported in drums from Swansea). A copper was also erected for boiling the water. The hot water became a source of income selling it at the beach, a practice which carried on into the fifties
  • In 1936 and through to the sixties rubber surf planes were dominant at the beach and were for hire each weekend
  • In 1939 the club holds a 10 year reunion at the beach. Tickets 2/6
  • Bill Thomson represented Caves in 1954, as one of sixty lifesavers in the guard of honour for Queen Elizabeth at the Royal Tour Surf Carnival at Bondi
  • In the early fifties club life members Tom York and Bill (Rocker) Fox assisted by their wives run the very popular family fun carnival in Swansea park each Christmas. Besides becoming an attraction for locals and visitors alike the surf club benefited from the funds raised. The carnival continued through to 1985
  • During the seventies two surf boat rowathons were held in Swansea channel with members rowing continuously for 24 hours with fresh crews every hour. The rowathons were very successful events organised by club life member Roy Broadbent
  • From the original minutes book 6/2/1934 George Cameron was given permission to use the surf boat to go shark fishing
  • The surf boat on display at the Caves Beach Hotel is the boat that Mick Ellercamp swept the U/21 crew to victory in the state titles at Bondi in 1991
  • Ron (Sam) Elkert has the distinction of being the on life member of both the junior and senior clubs
  • In 1955 German Eugeine Brell was the first migrant to gain a bronze medallion at Caves
  • The visiting Welsh Surf Lifesaving touring team attended Caves annual carnival in 1979/80 and were hosted in our club house afterwards. A Welsh Competition hat presented to the club is in the trophy cabinet
  • Caves present competition hat, maroon with white lightning bolt is the fourth hat the club has used in competition. The lightning bolt was used before, only the bolt was maroon on an all white hat. Another hat worn in the early years was all white with a maroon jaggered trim around the top of the forehead. The hat that was worn at Carnivals from 1930’s to 2001 was the maroon and white quartered hat

 

Caves Beach SLSC purchased its first IRB, a Zodiac, at a cost of $3600.00 in January 1981 (and its latest at a cost of $l0,000.00 in mid 2004).

The purchase was funded with $1000.00 donated by Swansea Lions Club, $1365.00 from a NSW government grant and the remainder raised by club members. Lake Macquarie Municipal Council provided for all running costs, maintenance and repairs as well as providing a 4WD vehicle to tow it with.

The mobile services officer at the time, Terry Wheeler (an IRB captain was not constitutionally established until 1988) was given the unenviable task of looking after the boat. The club’s first qualified drivers were John Moore, Robert Kirk, Brett Kirk, Terry Wheeler and Mick McDougall who was also the council Beach Inspector.

IRB’s got off to a very slow start in the club and throughout the 80’s relied on a very small number of qualified “enthusiasts”. Keep in mind that the craft in these days was extremely unreliable and was not compulsory for patrols or required for any water safety or training. Jet boats were still on many beaches and the IRB was the new toy on the block. Gaining a license usually took all summer and few people were bothered.

Through the 80’s Caves Beach SLSC went from 5 qualified drivers in 1981 to only 12 drivers in 1990. Compare this with development in the 90’s that saw driver numbers climb to over 40 by 2000 and SLSA to require a craft to be on the beach for every patrol at every beach in the nation as well as carrying out compulsory water safety for every SLSA activity conducted.

Caves Beach didn’t purchase a second IRB until 1986 (another Zodiac) and the arrangement remained with Lake Macquarie Council providing a motor, fuel and 4WD until around 1990 after which time they chose to simply provide each club with an annual grant for upkeep of an IRB and vehicle (as they still do) to enable their beach inspectors to have unlimited use of them.

Over the past 20 years Caves Beach has owned a total of 8 IRB’s. The position of Mobile Vehicle Officer / IRB captain has never been vacant and members of Caves Beach SLSC have also held positions of Branch IRB co-ordinator and sat on National SLSA IRB Advisory Panels.

Crews have been asked to assist the rescue helicopter with rescues off Fraser Park, ferried fuel to a stranded yacht off Norah Head and even helped with the attempted salvage of a 40ft cruiser wrecked on Caves Beach. Believe it or not, members of Caves Beach have even dabbled in the design of lRB’s in an attempt to construct their own rigid hull version.

Nothing however, in my opinion has aided the development of our IRB crews and equipment more than the involvement of our members in IRB competition.

The first surf boat James L. Boyd was designed by club member James Boyd who supervised the building of it by club members E Boyd and C Wilson at his ship yards on Swansea Flats. Boyd’s also built the 2nd boat. Tom Humphreys then built the next eight boats at his boat yard on Swansea Channel.

Colin and Boyd Humphreys then built the next seven boats in Swansea. Colin’s son Robert also built one boat. Boat No. 4 Sea Swan II was one of the first two tuck stern boats built. 1946 was the year in which Swansea Caves and Swansea Belmont clubs introduced the tuck stern surf boat to the Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia. This type of boat is a permanent memorial to the late Tom Humphreys, designer and builder of this surf boat.

  1. James L. Boyd

  2. Caves Beach

  3. Seaswan

  4. Seaswan 11

  5. Seaswan 111

  6. Gay Moorcroft

  7. Seaswan IV

  8. John Sitizen

  9. Tom Humphreys

  10. Tom Humphreys 11

  11. Edgar J. Fox

  12. Swansea R.S.L. & Services

  13. Ken Murray

  14. Narkinki Boona

  15. Captain Cook

  16. Mick Ellercamp

  17. Wal Jones

  18. Ye Old Bastards

  19. Bob McDonald

  20. Don “Boora” Ellercamp

  21. Narkindi Boona 11

  22. James L. Boyd 11

  23. Helen Boyd

  24. Alexander D. Campbell

  25. Gordon Thomas Richardson

  26. Tom York

  27. Mabs Ferris

  28. Stuart Chalmers

Foundation member Charlie Wilson Surf Boat Captain and Sweep selected Ernie Boyd, Tim Masters, Joe Harman and Norm Boyd as the club’s first boat crew. Others to row in the crew were Roy Murray and Vern Baxter.

Marathon Boat Races were a regular event each season and Caves Beach Crews with their top results can lay claim to be the top boat club for many seasons in this event.

Caves won the Ocean Beach race around Lion Island 3 times. Wins followed in the Lake Macquarie Marathon and Port Stephens Marathon and the NBN Blacksmiths to Nobbys race. A notable win was the Captain Cook Bicentenary Marathon at Queenscliff winning a surf boat appropriately named Captain Cook.

Many local races were won. Caves marathons were around Spooney which was at the end of the now breakwall. Several boats including Caves were disqualified in a marathon held from Swansea Bridge to Caves Beach. Caves won the race of the Long Ships from Pittwater to Whale Beach. The Coogee Marathon was won 3 years straight by Caves enabling Caves to keep the Oceanic Shield.

A race to remember by all was from Palm Beach to Manly. Four beaches along the way were nominated as beaches where all crews returned to shore where crew changes were allowed. Caves retained the same crew for the entire race and led coming into Manly only to be passed by 2 other boats on a wave to finish 3rd.

Caves senior “A” crew represented N.S.W. in the Cook Strait Boat Marathon in New Zealand. Late in the race they came from behind to take the lead only to hit the wall and finally finish in 4th. Crew members were Peter Ellercamp, Don Ellercamp, Robert Baxter and Henry Jonczyk with Ken Murray Sweep. Arguably the best crew this club has seen and maybe even Australia. The boaties also competed in the Bourke to Brewarrina Marathon.

At the first Australian Surf Boat Convention which was held at Bondi Beach in 1960/61 the Caves crew of Mick Ellercamp, Jim Cowan, John McDonald, Ron Ham and Ken Murray won the open Boat Final.

Another first for the club was the first female boat crew to represent Newcastle Branch. Swept by Gordon Richardson the girls were Lisa Buckman, Brooke Buckman, Alicia Jacques and Jessica Jacques.

A feature of Caves Boats was the White Oar blades with painted with Maroon Feet.

On our 75th anniversary Caves Beach launched a new surf boat kindly donated by Tim and Natalia from Hi Lo Beach Apartments, Broadbeach, Queensland and named after life member, Stewart Chalmers. Now in our 80th anniversary, Caves Beach, in the past five years of surf boats, have achieved some excellent results and is still one of the most successful clubs of all time.

2004/05 – Caves 120 years crew of Jeff Sharp, Robert Ballard, Steve Fleming, Brett Main and Sweep, Dave Regan finish 2nd in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.

2005/06 – Caves 240years crew (The Barnacles) of Peter ‘Mick’ Ellercamp, Don Ellercamp, Bruce Sharp, Gordon Richardson and sweep Rick Robertson achieved excellent results with 2nd NSW Championship, 2nd Australian Championships and 2nd World Championships. (Robert Ballard replaced Gordon Richardson in the Australian Championship).

2006/07 – Caves launched another new surf boat kindly donated by club member Garry Lunn from Independence Investments and Waratah Engineering and was named after life member, Ronald ‘Sam’ Ekert.

2007/08 – Caves 240years crew (The Barnacles) of Peter ‘Mick’ Ellercamp, Don Ellercamp, Jeff Sharpe Bruce Sharp and sweep Rick Robertson achieved excellent results with 1st Hunter Branch Championships, 2nd NSW Championships and 1st Australian Surf Boat Rowers League Australian Open.

Caves 140 years crew (The Executives) of Kevin Geeves, Robert Ballard, Steve Fleming, Brett Main and sweep Rick Robertson achieved excellent results, 1st Hunter Branch Championships and 1st Australian Surf Boat Rowers League Australian Open.

Caves Beach formed their first Masters Women’s surf boat crew consisting of Diana Fleming, Cynthia Ballard, Shanti Page and Tracey Dawkings. They appropriately called themselves ‘The Desperate Housewives’, swept by Robert Ballard.

2008/09 – Caves ‘Reserve’crew of Kevin Geeves, Robert Ballard, Steve Fleming, Brett Main and sweep Rick Robertson finish 3rd Australian Surf Boat Rowers League Australian Open. The reserve crew finished 3rd in Reserve Grade and 2nd in Masters 140years and the only crew to gain two medals.

Caves Masters Women surf boat crew (The Desperate Housewives) consisting of Diana Fleming, Cynthia Ballard, Shanti Page and Tracey Dawkings swept by Robert Ballard, compete in the final of the 160years NSW State Titles held at Blacksmiths Beach and finish in 6th place.

Caves 140years crew of Kevin Geeves, Robert Ballard, Steve Fleming, Brett Main and sweep Rick Robertson achieved excellent results, 1st Hunter Branch Championships, 4th NSW State Championships and 2nd Australian Surf Boat Rowers League Australian Open. This crew also gained a 3rd at the World Masters 2009 being undefeated to the final.

Mick Ellercamp, Don Ellercamp and Ken Murray all inducted to the Australian Surf Rowers League’s Hall of Fame.

Ken Murray’s record speaks for itself as a Champion Boat Sweep. As you read in this book, the number of medals won by members in Surf Boat racing, you will see that this is a Champion Boat Club. Mick Ellercamp and Don Ellercamp would rank in the top bracket of Boat Rowers ever in Australia. Both could also sweep.

Mick and Ken representing Australia and N.S.W. with Don representing N.S.W. Other top Boatmen amongst a host who all represented N.S.W. were Jim Cowen, John McDonald, Henry Jonczyk, Robert Hobson, Robert Baxter and present Sweep Gordon Richardson. Others to shine were Paul Simmington and Mick Jonczyk while Bob McDonald spent many years training all these champions.

The highlight would be hard to beat. The 1962 – 63 Senior Surf Boat Crew of John McDonald, Henry Jonczyk, Don Ellercamp, Mick Ellercamp and Ken Murray were 1st Newcastle Branch, 1st N.S.W., 1st Interstate, 1st. Australian. In the same season the Junior Boat Crew of Allan Sullivan, Robert Hobson, Gordon Richardson, Stuart Chalmers and Ken Murray, 1st Newcastle Branch, 1st N.S.W. State, 2nd Interstate, 1st Australian.

Caves Senior A Boat Crew won the NSW State Title four years in a row 1961, 62, 63, and 64, a feat we believe that has never been beaten or equalled in boats. Don Ellercamp, Mick Ellercamp and Ken Murray were members of each of those crews.

  • World Championships – 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
  • Australian Championships – 13 gold, 9 silver, 6 bronzes
  • NSW Championships – 13 gold, 7 silver, 9 bronze
  • Newcastle/Hunter Branch Titles – 70 1st’s
  • ASRL Open – 3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
  • Representative Boat crews Newcastle Branch 19 times,
  • NSW Representative teams 6 times
  • Australian Representative teams 3 times.
  • Nestle Peters Surfboat Survival Series – 8 gold, 8 silver, 3 bronze
  • (club Championships twice, runners up twice and third once)

1930 – First building at Caves Beach and tin boat shed built in the gully

1931 – A pavilion built in the gully (shelter shed and refreshment room)

1932 – 17th December saw the opening of the first club house built on the hill become the Caretakers Cottage (demolished in 1978)

1940’s – Second club house built in the gully with a timber verandah and canteen. The verandah was popular in the sixties and seventies being used by rock and roll bands for sand dances. In 1966 becomes nipper club and boat shed with canteen remaining. The building remained until 1977 when pulled down and burnt to make way for new clubhouse.

1956 – Third clubhouse built a three level building on the hill and side of the cliff overlooking the beach with a wonderful view. Demolished in 1978.

1977/78 – Bottom section of fourth clubhouse in use. Top section completed end of 1978 and officially opened February 1979.

1980’s – The balcony was also used by bands in the eighties among them Midnight Oil and the Angels.