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freshwater : carnival, 1912

Freshwater SLSC : Carnival Programme, 26 January 1912.

Extracts from
Freshwater Surf and Life Saving Club: Souvenir Programme
Second Annual Surf Carnival
Freshwater Bay, Warringah Shire
Friday, January 26th, 1912.

Introduction.
The program for the second Freshwater Carnival demonstrates the club saw the event as a significant occasion on which to raise funds with an attempt to appeal to the general public by providing a combination of entertainment and competition.
Apart from the initial Fancy Dress Parade from the Manly Wharf to Freshwater Beach, note the inclusion of the events described as Treacly Apple Race, Carry a Chum Race, Obstacle Race, Cockfighting, Pillow Fighting, Climbing the Greasy Pole.

The Carnival Officers include responsibility for Barriers, Gates and Ticket Sellers (page 3).
Significant funds were forthcoming from advertising (at £1-1-0 a full page) in the 3000 freely distributed copies of the souvenir program as detailed in a letter from Wm. R. Waddington, Hon. Sec. included in advertising material on page 12.

Event Number 6, the surfboat display, was no doubt by the Sly Brothers in their boat, mostly beached at Shelly or Fairy Bower Beach, from Manly.

Event Number 10, the "exhibition by Mr. Fred Nottingham (sic) in the 'Big Risk' Surf Canoe" (page 5, the name has been correctly adjusted on page 19) reprised a similar exhibition the previous summer by Fred Notting at the fourth carnival of the Manly Surf Club on Saturday, 1 April 1911.

- Daily Telegraph 3 April 1911, Manly Surf Carnival programme 1911.
-noted by S&G Champion: Drowning, Bathing and Life Saving (2000) page 144.

The experimentation with a variety of canoe and boat designs by Australian surfriders was no doubt instrumental in the ready acceptance of the Harry McLaren's surf ski, introduced to Manly by J.S. Crakanthorp in the early 1930s.

It was probably in conjuction with Notting's exhibition that Tommy Walker of the Seagulls Club demonstrated his skill on the surfboard:

"A clever exhibition of surf board shooting was given by Mr. Walker, of the Manly Seagulls Surf Club.
With his Hawaiian surf board he drew much applause for his clever feats, coming in on the breaker standing balanced on his feet or his head."

- The Daily Telegraph 27 January 1912, page 21.

Tommy Walker's attendance at the carnival is noted as a competitor representing Manly Sea Gulls Life Saving Club in the beach sports listed on page 31.

Page 3 Carnival Officers
__________

REFEREE: Mr. J. Lord.
STARTER: Mr. G. Cohen
JUDGES-WATER EVENTS: Messrs. S. Fullwood, H. Rathborne, W. A. Kellam.
JUDGES-BEACH SPORTS: Messrs. W. C. Fisher, R. O'Brien. W. H. Walker.
TIMEKEEPERS: Messrs. L. Abel, F. Williams, C. Martin.
CHECKSTATER: Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald.
MEGAPHONE: Mr. R. D. Doyle
CLERK OF THE COURSE: Mrs. L. Corbett
RECEPTION COMMITTEE: Messrs. H. Moyse, W. J. Bailey,
w. J. Henderson. A. F. B. Hull. E. W. Brierly. J. Byrnes, J. Hinton.
STEWARDS:
PRESS AND RESULT: D. D. McIntyre.
CALL: E. W. Munro, K. V. Holmes. G. Drury.
CAP AND COSTUME: J. B. Steel, J. B. Pym. C. L. Westcott.
PROPERTIES; W. J. Owen. R. N. Beale, G. Dobell.
REFRESHMENTS: J. C. Bowrey, S. Dobell, G. O. Young.
POLICE AND BAND: R. Mills.
BARRIERS: J. Gourlay, F. Paddon, G. Wright, G. Millar. F. Ridgeway, C. J. Wilson.
TICKET SELLERS: M. P. Richards. J. Bulte, H. Corbett. A. Maul.
GATES: J. C. Bowrey. A. H. McNamara, R. Sobels.
HON. TREAS.: S. F. Gall. HON. SEC.: R. Waddington.
ASST. HON. SEC.: D. D. McIntyre.

Page 5

Programme

Event No.	Time P.M.
1	1	Fancy Dress Parade, to start from Grand Pier Hotel
2	2.30	Parade' of all competitng Surf Clubs
3	2.45	Treacly Apple Race
4	3	Rescue and Resuscitation Competition
5		Carry a Chum Race
6		Surf Boat Display
7		Obstacle Race
8		Alarm Reel Race Heats
9		Cockfighting on Beach
10		Exhibition by Mr. Fred Nottingham (sic) in the "Big Risk" Surf Canoe
11		Pillow Fighting
12		Final of Alarm Reel Race
13		Climbing the Greasy Pole
14		Potato Race
15		Surf Race
16		Grand Finale- lnter-Club Push Ball Match (Amateur only) 6 prizes valued at 5/- each

Page 9

Programme
EVENT NO. 1.- FANCY DRESS PARADE.
To start from Grand Pier Holel. Manly. at 1 p.m. Prizes valued at 10/6 for best
Gomic (sic, Comic) 10/6 for best sustained, and £1 for best group.

EVENT No.2. To start 2,30
GRAND PARADE. -
Confined to 20 representatives of any affiliated Surf Club, in full bathing costume, with
life saving gear and equipment. Teams will fall in and march round enclosure
and past judges. Points awarded for general neatness, discipline, equipment and
and (sic) marching. Prize-Life Saving Belt, valued at 17s. 6d.

1	Freshwater Surf and Life Saving Club
2	North Steyne Surf Bathers' and Life Saving Club
3	Manly Life Saving Club.
4	Manly Sea Gulls Life Saving Club
5	Coogee Life Saving Club
6	Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club
7	North Bondi Club
8	Bronte Surf and Life Saving CIub

EVENT No.3 To Start 2.45
TREACLY APPLE RACE.
First Prize Valued at 10/6 Competitors as per Page 29

Page 12
Advertising material with photograph of S. G. Baker's Premier Butchery at the top (not reproduced).

"Where Quality counts before Price."

The Letter-
Freshwater Surf and Life Saving Club.
1st January, 1912

Mr. S. G. Baker, Manly,
Dear Sir,
We hold our 2nd Annual Surf Carinval on 26th inst- for which we are preparing an elaborate illustrated programme- proposed issue 3000 copies whic (sic, which) will be given away (not sold) thus ensuring a better advertising medium.
As you have always been a generous supporter of our movement, may I crave your assistance for this Carnival, by a full page advt. in our Programme - prIce £1-1- 0 ?
I note that you were good enough to advertise in last week's North Steyne Programme and I shall be glad if you will repeat same advt. in ours.

Faithfully yours,
Wm. R. WADDINGTON, Hon. Sec.

- The Reply The Hon Secretary, 44, the Corso.
Freshwater Surf Club. Manly,

3rd January 1912

Dear Sir,
Your appeal is strong enough to melt the hearts of even good Mayor Bonnor's (sic, Bonner) stone images which adorn the Corso.
For lack of opportunity, I do not do much surfing myself, being mostly engaged in the more prosaic occupation of selling good meat, but my sympathies are- as they should be- entirely with the pastime that has made Manly and district what it is and what in (sic, it) will be.
That is why I give you this advt.! Yours faithfully,

S. G. BAKER
Premiery Buchery,
in the Corso, Manly

Page 19

EVENT No. 10

THRILLING EXHIBITION BY MR. FRED NOTTING IN THE
"BIG RISK" SURF CANOE.

Page 31

BEACH SPORTS
Competitors for Treacly Apple Race, Carry a Chum Race, Obstacle Race, Cockfight-
ing Pillow Fighting, Climbing the Greasy Pole.
...
FIFTH HEAT

...
Sea Gulls - T. Walker and P. McMahon. C. Hutchin and A. Roberts.
...
In 1912, the Daily Telegraph reported on the second Freshwater Life Saving Carnival held on the 26 January.
A detailed account of the days events included the following comments:

"A clever exhibition of surf board shooting was given by Mr. Walker, of the Manly Seagulls Surf Club.
With his Hawaiian surf board he drew much applause for his clever feats, coming in on the breaker
standing balanced on his feet or his head."
- The Daily Telegraph 27 January 1912, page 21.

Freshwater Surf and Life Saving Club:
Souvenir Programme
Second Annual Surf Carnival
Freshwater Bay, Warringah Shire
Friday, January 26th, 1912.

Geoff Cater (2008) : Freshwater SLSC : Carnival Programme, 1912.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1912_Freshwater_SLSC_Programme.html