Surf club numbers were boosted by league players

The history of the Killcare surf life saving club includes a period from 1959 when the membership grew significantly, after some Sydney rugby league players decided to join.

During the winter season of 1958. a strong rugby league team from Newtown came up to Gosford to play a trial rugby league game against Gosford Townies, the local league champions.

A few of the Newtown team came from Erskineville and stayed at Killcare in a house owned by the Tubby family.

They all had a great weekend and decided when the summer came, they would join the local surf club.

Killcare was very lean in numbers that year, and the small influx was a great help to the patrolling numbers as well as at surf carnivals.

It was a commitment that meant coming up to Killcare every weekend to gain their bronze and, in those days, it was two and a half hour steam train from Central to Woy Woy, then a ferry to Killcare.

The first six gained their bronze in early 1959, including Phil Tubby snr, Rod Roberts, Roger Gurr, Bill Maxwell, Dennis Shoesmith and John Bourne.

For the next 10 to 12 years, more members came from the inner Sydney region, swelling the Killcare numbers to record levels and of course the financial side benefited greatly.

The new surf boat Blue Bottle IV was taken back to Erskineville during the week for a boat crew to train at Tempe on the Cooks River.

Chaos was caused by parking a surf boat outside the Erskineville Hotel.

The Erko was the Sydney club house and very successful raffles and other fund raisers were carried out there along with club meetings.

Every year a bus was hired by the fundraising committee to bring the local supporters to Killcare for the day.

Many had never been to the beach let alone somewhere as remote as Killcare.

In all, 50 to 60 past members of Killcare originated in Erskineville, some are still connected with the club in some way.

Some of the "Erko Boys" still around the club include Jim Mcfadyen, Dennis Howard, Greg and John Bourne, Jim Tubby, Phil Tubby snr, Brad Berry, Ray Comans and son Blake Comans, Clarrie Kemister, Gus Gurrin and Richard Moulton.

Newsletter, 2 Dec 2016

Craig Sheppard, Killcare SLSC