Growth

The 1982 / 83 season saw a rapid change in the clubhouse. Amended plans were submitted to the Shire Council and approved and the also received a $10,000 Special Unemployment Grant from the State Government for labour. Three people were given jobs and the building moved at a much faster pace. By the end of the season the upstairs area was mostly completed.

School surfing was introduced as a sport at Moruya High and the Club was host to some forty students during the year.

Broulee Surfers were hosts for the second I.R.B. Branch Championships with six crews entered. Broulee were also the winners of the Far South Coast Branch.

The Broulee Open Surfout was held in January and another $2,000 worth of prizes were donated. Broulee competed in four other contests during the year.

The 1983/84 season was the club’s fifth and it was a year of pressure. Seven Committee Members resigned and although some vacancies were filled there was extra workload on the rest of the Committee. The inside of the Clubhouse was completed so as to make it useable, and the Club finally had the money to order the cladding for the outside of the building. Broulee Surfers were awarded the winners of the Branch Patrol Efficiency Competition and the Club also conducted and won the Branch I.R.B Championships. There were no major rescues during the season.

Finally, during the 1984/85 season, the outside cladding of local spotted gum covered the external walls. This was done in September. Broulee Surfers won the Branch I.R.B. Championships yet again. This was a great feat for a small club. At the end of the season, the Club acquired its first surfboat. The wooden boat, found beside a boat shed at Batemans Bay, was sixteen years old and originally belonged to North Cronulla. This boat was repaired for the 1985 / 86 season.

Surfboat success

The 1985/86 season was a big one for Broulee Surfers. The number of Committee persons was increased to twenty-one, including Assistant Secretary, Assistant Instructor, Vice-Captain and House Captain. The Club was getting bigger. This was also Broulee’s first Surf Life Saving competitive year, including their first surf carnival. This year the Club took part in all events at the Branch Carnivals and won the IMB Handicap Branch Competition Point Score.

A boat crew, representing the Club for the first time, took part in the Mazda Surfboat Marathon and their first George Bass. In the old boat, which became waterlogged along the way, they finished. They were to come last but they finished, an achievement in itself.

The I.R.B. Crew also did well, they made it through to the final of the NSW I.R.B. Championship, the only club in the Branch to do so.

Broulee Surfers attended the Australian Titles for the first time in the 1986/87 season. The Junior Boat Crew, headed by Lional Franks, competed in Perth, and reached the quarterfinals. Both Junior and Senior crews competed in the State titles, the Juniors getting through to the semi-finals.

The season saw the building of a boat shed with storage area and club members worked hard on the inside and outside of the Clubhouse. One hundred and fourteen people were rescued on the beach, no lives were lost.

The 1987 / 88 season was the beginning of change for the club. Two major sponsors became involved in backing them, Glen and Dianne Felkin from Seaview Caravan Park and the Carter’s Broulee Cellars and General Store. The two sponsors allowed the club to buy a new competitive surfboat and to update the I.R.B. with a $ for $ grant.

Success was gained in the George Bass Marathon, coming in 20th. Unfortunately the boat was holed at Tuross at the start of the third leg so there was a complete loss of points for that leg. The crew worked hard that day to repair the damage and made it for the next day. The last two legs were rowed with only five rowers as one was ill. The new boat also competed at the NSW titles. It was the year of the surfboat.

It was a quiet year for the club with fund-raising the main aim. There were three boat rescues and ten preventative actions performed by the I.R.B., another safe season on the beach.

In the 1988 / 89 season the club moved from strength to strength, with 101 financial members. The club gained 59 life saving awards, the largest number in the Far South Coast Branch.

Our surf carnival in January was an outstanding success and Broulee’s Club results were excellent. James Hayward and Mark Edibone were chosen to represent the Far South Coast in the Branch team at the Inter-Branch Championships held at Manly.

The dollar for dollar Carters Store I.R.B. was successfully launched at the January Carnival and the club was presented with a board from the Smith family of the Broulee Beach Caravan Park.

This was followed more recently with another board donated by Meg and Ken Filmer of “Caraluki” Holiday Apartments. A new sponsor was gained by the club in the form of WIN 4, ABC Industries and the Commonwealth Bank. From them we acquired a new fully fitted out surfboat.

Through hard work in three areas, Patrol Competition, Patrol Skills and Award Incentives the club was the proud winner of the Mayne Nickless I.R.B. and engine.

Lional Franks was chosen Club Member of the Year and James Hayward the Young Achiever Award, two new awards in the club.

Committee members for the 1989/90 season were; Patron – Jack Horne, Vice Patrons – Dr. P Bannon, G. Felkin, G. Carter, President – T. Freeman, Vice President – L. Franks, Secretary – C. Dixon, Treasurer – A. Wensing, Assistant Secretary / Treasurer and Public Officer – N. Dixon, Club Captain – J. Gale, Vice Club Captain – C. Filmer, Boat Captain – J. Shiels, I.R.B. Captain – R. Suter, Publicity Officer – R. Coleman, Publicity Officer – R. Coleman, Chief Instructor – J. Gale, First Aid Officer – J. Vaughan, House Captain – T. Cootes, Gear Stewart – C. King, Radio Officer – D. Franks and Committee Men – P. Halpin, G. Williams, K. Filmer.

The club was presented with their new Mayne Nickless I.R.B. and Meg and Ken Filmer donated two wetsuits to be used in the I.R.B.s. We also gained new members from Narooma and their sponsored surfboat. Throughout the 1989/90 season the club gained a high profile through surfboat results.

Image: Brewarina to Bourke Outback Marathon – Broulee finished third in the 1989 Brewarina to Bourke Outback Marathon, our best achievement in surfboats.