Lifesavers at Bondi for the 1938 Commonwealth Games

Date1938

Object number00054285

NamePhotograph

MediumPhotograph, paper

DimensionsOverall: 70 × 110 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Johanna Trainor

Terms

DescriptionBlack and white photograph depicting swimmers standing on a line on Bondi Beach facing away from the water during the 1938 Surf Carnival Commonwealth Games. The lifesavers are all wearing their colours and divided by groups, each marked by the club's flag held by a man in front of the group. The flags visible on the shot are Queensland, Tasmania, WA and New Zealand. Handwritten on the reverse reads: Surf Carnival 1938. HistoryLeonard Trainor appears to have commenced his surf life saving career in 1932. Initially he served with the City of Perth surf life-saving club then moved to the Scarborough club around 1936. He would have patrolled City Beach and Scarborough Beach. Trainor was a member of the Western Australian State Surf Life Saving Team from 1934 to 1938. And participated as member of the WA Team in the Inter- Dominion Surf Life-Saving Competition in Sydney in 1938. He participated in other swimming events such as the Quick Surf Cup (where he came 3rd) and the McGovern Cup endurance events (where he came 1st). Trainor also played Australian Rules football with the Perth Metro Juniors from 1932 and also played with the Perth Football Team in 1938. Trainor enlisted in the RAAF on 30 January 1940 where he worked as a carpenter rigger at the Geraldton Air Force Base. He attained the rank of Sargent in the RAAF and was discharged on 16 October 1945. SignificanceThese photographs belong with a collection of surf life saving memorabilia from WA surf life saver Leonard Trainor which constitute is a rare ensemble which is provenanced, dated and enhanced by these photographs of Trainor annotated by him. They show him as a surf life saver at the club house and in carnivals - at City Beach and in the WA State team in the national titles on Sydney beaches.

More specifically though, material representing Western Australia shows the growth of surf life saving into a national movement in the interwar years, one which was proud of its heritage, sportsmanship and pageantry, and its genesis in voluntary self sacrifice, with links to war service and exemplified by its national competition as much as its life saving service.