A club that almost collapsed after its clubhouse was destroyed by fire is poised to mark a special anniversary.
Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club, formerly North Caloundra SLSC, will commemorate its 75th anniversary with a series of events including a march and gala dinner in late September.
Club historian and life member Enid Traill said the club almost literally went up in smoke when its clubhouse burnt to the ground on February 21, 1976.
An electrical fault was believed to have started a fire, which ripped through the building one night and brought the club to its knees.
“The membership dropped to 13 and it took great spirit and determination to get things back on track,” Mrs Traill said.
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A new clubhouse was built not far away within a few years and Mrs Traill said the fire might have been a blessing in disguise, with the new location more practical in terms of access and position to the more swimmer-friendly part of the beach.
After a significant debate the club also experienced a name change, from North Caloundra SLSC to Dicky Beach SLSC, in 2001.
“When North Caloundra SLSC was established it was in North Caloundra but there is no such suburb now,” Mrs Traill said.
“We would do house-to-house collections for fundraising and we’d say ‘we’re from North Caloundra’ and people would say ‘where’s that?’.
“But if we said we patrolled Dicky Beach, they knew. It was a famous name due to the wreck the beach was named after.”
Dicky Beach was named after the wreck of the SS Dicky, an iron-hulled steamer driven ashore at Caloundra during a cyclone in 1893.
The wreck had long been an attraction, however, was badly eroded by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald in 2013, and due to safety risks, a portion was removed with artifacts relocated to a display in the nearby park.
It has created additional challenges to patrolling the beach over the years, with parts of its hull reappearing during times of severe erosion. This means lifesavers are always conscious of its presence as they work to protect those who swim, surf and walk in the area.
Life member Mick Taplin said that the club had always been competitive, even against much bigger rivals.
“We have seen great achievements, producing champions on and off the beach,” he said.
“The club has been recognised for its efforts on patrol and had success in first aid, surfboat rowing, beach, nipper, board and ski and IRB competitions.
“From youngsters to champion masters, we have created a wonderful club made up of people willing to work together to serve their community and save lives and this is what it’s all about.
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“We also have been fortunate to have many inspirational instructors, coaches and officials, as well as amazing surf girls, who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for lifesaving over the years.”
In 2009, Dicky Beach SLSC was awarded Club of the Year by Surf Life Saving Queensland. Also, its Supporters Club (dining, bar and gaming facilities) has twice won the Clubs Queensland Small Club of the Year Award.
The club now boasts almost 300 active patrolling members, plus more than 350 nippers. In terms of active patrolling members, Dicky Beach SLSC is now the fourth largest club in Queensland.
Last season, volunteers completed 12,201 patrol hours.
Mr Taplin said there was so much to celebrate and the community was invited to attend the 75th anniversary march, beach commemoration and barbecue on September 20, starting at 10am.
A 75th anniversary gala dinner will be held at the Caloundra RSL on September 27.
