Serena Kirby, Denmark Bulletin
It was a mix of tall tales and tears at the Denmark Surf Life Saving Club recently as past and present members gathered to mark the pending demolition of their 73-year-old patrol room. Built in 1960, the patrol room, featuring its porthole windows, has long been a much-loved icon of Ocean Beach.
Past club president and life member Jock O’Donnell told those gathered that the building grew out of the simple need to store the surf-reel equipment used in surf life saving back in the 60s.
“It was just a couple of blokes back then and the club started after a tragic double drowning at Ocean Beach in 1958,” Jock said.
“We soon needed a clubhouse and somewhere to store our gear, so in 1960 we all pitched in to build one.
“I also know of clubbies sleeping in there after a big night out so those walls could tell a story or two.”
Patrol room makes way for sea wall
Current president Sam Williams said the patrol room was more than simply a physical structure to many people.
“This place holds a lot of memories, sad and happy, and what goes on in this building is an integral part of what we do and who we are as a club,” Sam said.
“But our club is growing and our community is growing so we need to expand and we need to grow too.”
Sam said the club had 480 members so needed more space and with the rising sea level eroding the sea wall in front of the patrol room there was no other choice but to move and expand to a bigger building.
Over the past few decades the patrol room has been nearly lost to the sea several times and its removal will enable the construction of a significantly larger and more substantial sea wall.
It will also create space for larger public lawn areas and new viewing decks.
The club’s new patrol room will be incorporated into a much bigger building further back from the water.
The new building will replace the existing public ablution block and house the club’s watercraft, surf patrol operations, kiosk and first aid rooms as well as new public toilets and showers.
There will also be an alfresco area plus a small park with seating and picnic tables.
The old patrol room’s porthole windows, commemorative plaques and the old shark alarm are some of the pieces of structural-memorabilia that will be salvaged and incorporated into the new building.
Some members hope that pieces of the black and white nautilus mural will also make it into the new building.
Demolition of the patrol room will start in the next two weeks.
See all the pictures in the issue.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 8 February 2024.
