North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club
(previously Barrenjoey Surf Life Saving (or Surfers) Club)

Established: 1930-1940

Affiliated: 14.10.1941

Bronze Medallions – 6 on 23 March 1941

How formed: In the 1930s there was an attempt to form a Surf Bathers Club made up of surfing enthusiasts from the camping area. They met initially in the Beacon Store in 1939 and later became known as “Barrenjoey Surfers Club” but was forced to disband due to the outbreak of WW2.

Clubhouse: In March 1941 a small temporary structure was built to house a surf reel, box line and box lifesaving gear. In November 1941, council enclosed the shed to protect the gear.

(now Nth Palm Beach)

Founded: 1946  ???

Affiliated: 13.11.1953

First Clubhouse Built: How started: In the 1930s there was an attempt to form a Surf Bathers Club made up of surfing enthusiasts from the camping area. They met initially in the Beacon Store in 1939 and later became known as “Barrenjoey Surfers Club” but was forced to disband due to the outbreak of WW2. Surf Lifesaving NSW records indicate that in the early thirties there was an effort to start a lifesaving service at North Palm Beach and start a club.

It was called the ’Surf Bathers Club’ and was made up mainly by surfing enthusiasts from the popular camping area. Some would have been ‘permanent resident’ and others frequent weekend campers and then holidaymakers. It then became called the ‘Barrenjoey Surfers Club”.  It disbanded at the outbreak of the second World War.

In January 1941, Warringah Shire Council received a request for permission to form ‘The Barrenjoey Surf Lifesaving Club’ to specifically patrol the northern end of Palm Beach. The Council agreed provided the Club affiliated with SLSA. Although there is no record of that occurring. Although it was maybe not affiliated at that time with SLSA,

6 members gained the Bronze in March 1941 and a further 4 in December that year. Probably as a result of the first quad becoming qualified in March 1941, Barrenjoey SLSC asked Council permission to erect a shed to store gear, shed which was being donated by Palm Beach Golf Club. In the mid 1940’s this shed was replaced by a larger building which had been the clubhouse of the Careel Bay Cricket Club and was positioned on the present site of the modern North Palm Beach SLSC.

Above Information sourced from the Avalon Historic Society by Rob Berry.

Below Information sourced from their website by Rob Berry in Sept 2023

Surf Lifesaving NSW records indicate that in the early thirties there was an effort to

start a lifesaving service at North Palm Beach and start a club. It was called the ’Surf Bathers Club and was made up mainly by surfing enthusiasts from the popular camping area. Some would have been ‘permanent resident’ and others frequent weekend campers and then holidaymakers. It then became called the ‘Barrenjoey Surfers Club.”  It disbanded at the outbreak of the second World War.

In January 1941, Warringah Shire Council received a request for permission to form ‘The Barrenjoey Surf Lifesaving Club’ to specifically patrol the northern end of Palm Beach. The Council agreed provided the Club affiliated with SLSA. Although there is no record of that occurring at that time. 6 members gained the Bronze in March 1941 and a further 4 in December that year. Probably as a result of the firsts quad becoming qualified in March 1941, Barrenjoey SLSC asked Council permission to erect a shed to store gear. It was a shed which has been donated by Palm Beach Golf Club. In the mid 1940’s this shed was replaced by a larger building which had been the clubhouse of the Careel Bay Cricket Club. In 1946, the club name was changed to North Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club. An accidental fire partially destroyed the bunkhouse and lead to the club being rebuilt in it’s present location in 1973. The club was renovated in the 1980s when women became full members of Surf Life Saving. North Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club has always been at the forefront of lifesaving innovation. Many of the patrolling procedures techniques and items of equipment that have become the standard ways of doing things these days were pioneered on North Palm Beach. In the 1980s Dr Yeo the spinal surgeon from Royal North Shore Hospital worked with the lifesavers at North Palm Beach to develop the techniques and equipment for dealing with spinal injuries in the surf. Many of these techniques have been adopted by Surf Life Saving throughout Australia. North Palm Beach SLSC claims it was the first Surf Club to own a four wheel drive vehicle and to use it as an integral part of patrolling the beach and were then the first to use the Polaris All Terrain Vehicle (ATV). At that time most clubs were using quad bikes. In the late 1970s North Palm Beach SLSC joined with Palm Beach and Whale Beach Surf Life Saving Clubs to operate a jet-boat service for the northern part of the peninsula. During the 1980s, members of North Palm Beach were among the first volunteer crew on the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service. events. The club was then also at the forefront of the introduction of rescue jet ski services within the Branch.

The club is quite isolated being located at the extreme northerly point of the peninsular and most of the members are from out of area. The main focus of the volunteers at North Palm Beach SLSC has always been maintaining high lifesaving and patrol standards and North Palm Beach is one of the few clubs to maintain full day patrols with members being rostered for a maximum of 8 patrols over summer.

 Around 2000, North Palm Beach was chosen as the location for a TV Series, ‘Home and Away’ which is shown world-wide. The Club has an alias as ‘Summer Bay SLSC and benefits financially.