Department of Education Victoria Swimming Junior Certificate awarded to William Cavanagh
Date1921
Object number00045287
NameCertificate
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 280 x 330 mm
ClassificationsEphemera
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Lorna Cavanagh and family
HistoryWilliam Cavanagh (1908-1995) was a swimmer, surfer and surf lifesaver. He held various Victorian State swimming titles and was a member of the Melbourne Swimming Club. Cavanagh surfed with fellow club members at Lorne and Torquay in the 1930s and was a founding member of the Torquay Surf Life Saving Club. In the mid 1950s he was elected as Vice President and Club Captain of the newly formed Wauchope-Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club in New South Wales.
As a 16year old William Cavanagh was known as the 'Peter Pan' of swimming. He competed against Frank Beaurepaire and won the Victorian 220 yds Championship in 1925. He retired from competitive swimming and moved to the United States. He returned to Australia in 1935 and made a comeback to win the Victorian State half-mile title which he repeated in 1937. He again retired from competitive swimming and joined the RAAF. He returned to Melbourne and began training for pennant swimming. In 1938 he outpaced youthful rivals and won his third Victorian Championship at Surry Park.
William Cavanagh competed against Olympians Andrew Boy Charlton and Frank Beaurepaire. He was a prominent figure in Victorian swimming and through the Melbourne Swimming Club pursued interests in surfing and surf lifesaving at Lorne and Torquay. He later moved to Wauchope in New South Wales where he continued his involvment in surf ifesaving.
