Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club - New venue for historic club

NEW VENUE FOR HISTORIC CLUB CAPE PATERSON SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB

For over sixty years, the Cape Paterson Surf Life Saving Club has been the heart of a picturesque surf town on the Bass Coast.

Formed at a public meeting the in Wonthaggi RSL Clubrooms in 1960, it became affiliated with SLSA the same year, and has grown in strength and numbers ever since.

This summer, the club will open the doors to its the brand new multimillion-dollar facility with ample space and stunning views.

The venue is a far cry from the first clubhouse which was a three metre by ten metre fibro shed built six decades ago near the site of the present boat ramp. A new club was opened in February 1969.

With humbled beginnings of only five active members, membership swelled over the years to more than 500 people before Covid hit. Now that restrictions have lifted, that number is expected to grow.

Cape Paterson SLSC President Ray Rust said the club was very family orientated. Some prominent names in the club’s history include the Harvey, Legg, Cantwell, Donohue, Abraham, Fitzgerald, Rogers, Prendergast, Manns, Marangio, and Phillips families- with some thirdgeneration members now in its ranks.

“Cape Paterson is one of the most amazing communities,” Ray said. “It has a pub, a milk bar, and a surf club. The kids are safe to ride their bikes on the road and swim in the ocean. The lifestyle brings people here and keeps people here. That’s why there are so many families who return.” The town is still considered to be a quiet, hidden gem- but as Ray said, it has been ‘discovered.’ And as more and more holidaymakers and new residents arrived at Cape Paterson, there was an increasing need for a new surf club.

“The old club was great in its time, but it was there for fifty years and suffered the wear and tear from the salty air and environment,” Ray said. “Dean Manns, who was the President of the club for 14 years until he stepped down recently, was the driving force behind this new venue. He did all the pre-work under his presidency and deserves the recognition for getting it off the ground.”

It took ten years from conception to completion. The club banked half a million dollars for the new facility through fundraising. They were then financially supported by emergency services, local council, the state government, and the federal government. The old club house was demolishment in October 2018, and the slab for the new building was poured in June 2019 and completed earlier this year.

The new modern venue boasts a huge floor level area for lifesaving lessons and storing equipment. A beautiful veranda wraps around the building giving guests a birds-eye view of the beach and surf. Connected to that is a new life-guard look-out tower, and inside the building is a grand function area with an attached state-of-the-art commercial kitchen and new appliances.

JENNA RUSSO, RAY RUST & CARLY HEISLERS

CAPE PATERSON SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB

OPENS NEW DOORS THIS SUMMER

BY LIA SPENCER PHOTOS SUPPLIED

The new club is already a hot commodity, with several parties and weddings booked for the upcoming year.

Venue managers and chefs Jenna Russo and Carly Heislers said they were looking forward to welcoming people to the club and creating memorable events for them and the community to enjoy.

They have worked in hospitality for over a decade and met while working together at Kilcunda. They both share a love of the coast and a passion for food. They have already created an exciting calendar of summer events for members this January, including sunset drinks on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Saturday events, a New Year’s Eve celebration followed by fish and chips on 1 January, and the first Sunday brunch of the year on 2 January.

The venue will also be available for hire for community events, corporate functions, business meetings, birthdays, weddings and more.

“This is one of the largest surf clubs in the area and will be a prime location for events,” Jenna said. “It has the space and kitchen to cater for 200 people, plus great views.”

“We know how important it is to cater to everyone’s individual needs too,” Carly said. “Everyone’s wants something different and we are happy to provide for that- whether it be canapes, for food-trucks or premium sitdown meals.” They also plan to use a lot of local wines, ciders and produce.

“We want to compliment the area,” Ray said. “That’s why we are working with local businesses.”

The venue is already proving to be a popular place for functions, with many weekends in 2022 already booked out. And though the events will attract a lot of attention, Ray said the revenue from these events will support the club’s main purpose.- which is to teach important swimming and rescue skills and keep the community safe.

“All of the functions are designed to bring in revenue to support our surf lifesaving programs. That really is our main objective. We run the Nippers programs for kids aged five and up, we have Surf Rescue Certification, Bronze Medallion and hold several school camps,” Ray said.

“For us, it’s all about surf lifesaving. For over 50 years we have been patrolling this surf beach, and we are here to save lives.

For more information, visit www.capepatersonslsc.org