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Australasian Gazette – Spectacular Surf Club Parade at Bondi Championships Carnival (c.1929)

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Surf club parade

Original classification rating: G. This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

This segment from an Australasian Gazette newsreel from approximately 1929 shows a Scottish pipe band leading the opening parade of a surf carnival at Bondi Beach, Sydney. Surf clubs including North Bondi, Maroubra, Curl Curl, Clovelly, Collaroy and Manly participate. The clip ends with a surf-lifesaving demonstration using the reel, line and belt.

Curator’s notes

An Australian icon, Bondi Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world. Surf-lifesaving began at Bondi in 1906 and surf carnivals have become a strong part of Australian beach culture.

Surf-lifesaving clubs are formed from volunteers that patrol the beach during summer ensuring the wellbeing of its visitors. In this newsreel we see them performing a march past, various sand races and a lifesaving demonstration as part of a surf carnival. This newsreel records the old reel equipment and methods used in lifesaving.