THIRTEENTH BEACH SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
During the very early 1950’s a beach just over a mile west from the “Bluff” along the ‘top road’ at Barwon Heads was just being recognised as having consistently good surf.
Testimony of this was evident by the condition of the road, as surfers had to be keen, mad or both to traverse it, but traverse it they did to surf at this beach.
The road had been constructed with compacted and rolled lime stone, but was now derelict, with large, deep pot holes and notorious sand drifts that could blow up and cover the road to a depth of two feet (6oo mm) or more in a few hours. The worst section was between the 13th hole of the golf links and the black rocks where the sewerage treatment plant now stands. Because many cars became bogged along this section the preferred route was through the Barwon Heads camping ground, up to the Bluff and west to the beach. In the very late 50’s, early 60’s Golf Links Road became preferable as it was shorter and consequently less pot holes, travelling past the Golf Club and continuing on over the seventh fairway near the tee past Old Geelong Road (Stephens Parade) then west to the beach.
The fifties decade witnessed several names for the beach; Coorong because the strip of land between Lake Murtnaghurt and Bass Strait resembles a swans neck culminating at the Bluff – the swan’s head. Kings Beach and Thirteenth Beach because of the close proximity to the 13th hole of the Golf Links, this became the most commonly used name. There was another name but I cannot remember it.
In the early 50’s, surfing enthusiasts visiting the beach included members of the recently formed Torquay SLSC, a Melbourne group including a Mr. “Mick” Dunlop, who used to camp behind the tennis courts (now the netball courts) each Summer, and many others including Ocean Grove SLSC members in the late 50’s.
An enthusiast of interest, Mr “Claire” King (Kings Beach) made considerable effort to establish a Surf Life Saving Club at the beach. Strong rumours around 1953/54 indicated that he had obtained a life saving reel with the aid of Mr. Moreland who screened open air, 16 mm short films of Charlie Chaplin and other ‘slap stick’ comedies, cartoons and documentaries, in the camping ground between the road and river opposite the south end of the football oval. During interval a blanket would be taken around collecting coins and the proceeds donated to charitable causes.
In 1955 Clarie King approached a group of Barwon Heads youths, inviting them to help form a surf life saving club. Further enticement was to form a junior boat crew where considerable achievements were possible. This offer was refused, probably due to their adolescence and ignorance as little was known about Surf Life Saving in Victoria at that time.
Shortly after the foundation of Barwon Heads 13th Beach SLSC., Mr. Moreland presented to the club an older style of reel by 1961 standards, complete with cotton line (not synthetic) and belt. I suspect this to be the reel obtained by Mr. King around 1954 and Mr Moreland had held it in trust.
1959 was eagerly awaited for the release of the Hollywood ‘block buster’ film “On The Beach” based on Neville Shute’s novel of the same name, it stared Gregory Peck, Ava Gardiner and Fred Astair, and depicted the end of the world due to an atomic war. Melbourne was the last surviving city on earth. A scene in the latter part of the film featured the heroine driving an open sports car along the top road at 70 miles/hour (113 km/hr), her long dark hair streaming out behind her in the slipstream, to wave her final good-bye to the hero as he sailed off across Bass Strait in a submarine. The film was quite successful, but a disappointment for the locals as the Barwon Heads scene was a case of ? Don’t blink!
However the road was left in far better condition than many could remember it, until the wind and elements once again wreaked their havoc. .
During the last few years of the decade to 1961. Ocean Grove members conducted several rescue missions to 13th Beach. At this time Ocean Grove SLSC’s original club house had barely reached lock up stage of construction and had no fittings or telephone.
A rescue mission necessitated someone driving from 13th Beach to the Barwon Heads Police Station on the north west corner of Ozone Road and Hitchcock Avenue. This police station also serviced Torquay and Ocean Grove. If there, Sergeant Finchett would drive across the bridge, through the camping ground to the Ocean Grove SLSC, in his own vehicle, a Morris Oxford utility. (Police cars with flashing lights and sirens were still some years away, especially in country stations).
On his arrival he would alert club members, who would load a reel or two and a surf board or ski onto their vehicles and be escorted by Sergeant Finchett back through the Ocean Grove camping ground, over the bridge, through the Barwon Heads camping ground, past the football ground to the Bluff and West to 13th Beach.
With almost continuous honking of horns and speeds a little above normal, the campers realised there was an emergency and to their credit gave these crazy convoys clear progress.
Estimate the time elapsed from when the messenger departed 13th Beach and the lifesavers arrival? It is clearly a long time for a ‘Davey Jones’ Locker’ candidate to be considering their final farewells. In each case the victim was safely back ashore before the arrival of the Ocean Grove SLSC members.
Rumour has it that one lucky victim was saved by a lovely young lady member of the Williamstown Life Saving Club. While returning from this mission, the three Ocean Grove cars were involved in a nose to tail encounter at the Football oval, when a young boy ran across in front of them. Luckily due to the slow speed of the convoy, very little damage was suffered.
At the inaugural meeting held on Wednesday 17th October 1961 with twelve members present a title had to be found. A couple of names were dismissed, the “Coorong” was discarded because of several other “Coorong” beaches. This left 13th Beach which was accepted in part, but where is it? At Barwon Heads, so now we had 13th Beach Barwon Heads. Because it was deemed most desirable for the club to be part of the local community, “Barwon Heads”, the prime part of the title, was made the prefix, and thus; Barwon Heads 13th Beach SLSC was born.
Notes:
In 1950 Ewing Blythe Drive did not exist.
By 1960 it was a sandy track from the Hotel to Bell Street.
During the early 50’s the Tennis Club moved from the Park to Grove Road.
About 1963 the top road was sealed from the Bluff to Black Rocks, where the sewerage plant now stands.
Over the last 47 years I cannot recall any mention of, or reference to superstition in regard to 13th Beach.
The 13th Beach area has been a very popular surf fishing spot for a long, long time.
BARWON HEADS UNITING CHURCH CELEBRATES
140 YEARS OF WORSHIP WITNESS AND SERVICE
The exact date of the first service at what is now Barwon Heads Uniting Church is not known, but at least we can determine within a few months just when the work began. The minutes of the Local Preachers’ meeting of the Geelong Circuit (Methodist) held on the October, 1868 indicate that Barwon Heads is to be a new preaching place to be put on the plan. The Circuit Schedule for December 1868 includes Barwon Heads. In 1869 the February-April quarter’s plan showed that Barwon Heads had a weekly service at 3.00pm and a monthly service at 7.30pm. It is thought that the early services were conducted in the open air and in private homes.
The church was originally erected in 1873, off Cameron’s Road. The work was carried on in that locality until 1891 or 1892 when the building was removed to the present site in the town. The section removed constitutes the front portion of the church and was transported there on a jinker drawn by horses. This was added to what is now the transept portion which had been erected earlier on the present site. Over the years the Barwon Heads building was extended and in 1942 an additional section was built on to the rear of the the church to be used as a Sunday School. This addition was given by the late Misses I. Goodwin and G. McLaren. In 1947 a further need was felt for a larger Sunday School building also suitable for other activities. Again through the generosity of Misses Goodwin and McLaren this need was met by the gift of an army hut. The bell at the church originally came from the “Sussex” which was wrecked off Barwon Heads in 1871 but unfortunately was stolen in 1969 and never recovered.
Beginning its existence as part of the Geelong (Yarra St.) Circuit, the Barwon Heads congregation was for many years part of the South Geelong pastorate. In ‘1946 through a division of the circuit, Barwon Heads became part of the newly constituted Belmont Circuit where it remained until 1961 when it was transferred to the enlarged Queenscliff Circuit. In 1963 due to the amalgamation of the Queenscliff and Drysdale Circuits it became part of the new Bellarine Circuit. Regrettably the records of the church are quite incomplete and make a full historical survey impossible.
The Barwon Heads congregation continued as part of the Methodist Church until the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977 when with the congregation of the Conewarre Presbyterian Church it became part of the Ocean Grove Uniting Church Parish.
The Army Hut served as a hall until 1995 when it was replaced by the present hall which was transported in three sections from the Church Campsite in Ocean Grove. Showers and toilets and covered way from the church to the hall were completed soon after its arrival.
The congregation of the Church will be celebrating the 140th anniversary of the first service held in Barwon Heads in December 1868 at 1O.3Oam on Sunday, the 15th of February.
