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A recent enquiry focused on the whereabouts of the Bunbury (Lifesaving) Cup, in which PLC Perth had a team compete from at least 1952-1982. While we don’t have it, or know its whereabouts, we were reminded of our Stella Elford Clarke’s (1927) sad role in the 1925 formation of the Bunbury Amateur Swimming and Lifesaving Club. Stella was born in 1910, the daughter of Charles and Elvina Clarke nee Lowe, from ‘Boongarra’, Burekup. She was their oldest daughter, third of six children, and blessed with a lovable, bright, sunny nature. Her early schooling was at Burekup State School where, in 1922, she was the top student of Standard V. She came to PLC at the start of third term in September 1923, aged 13. Earlier in 1923 PLC had purchased ‘Duff’s House’, the old Macbean and Gawler residence at 1 View Street (now Finlayson House), directly opposite what is now Scorgie House. Back then it was dubbed ‘Junior House' and Stella boarded there with the “younger fry”. She settled in well. She was a good swimmer, but neither overly sporty nor robust. She was interested in science and proved to be a clever illustrator. But her greatest love was gardening, and she was often found tending to the soil and plants in a tiny, sunny patch near the Summer House, in its original location. (Also known as the Gazebo, it was moved to the eastern side of View Street in the 1970s.) In 1924 Stella passed several life-saving certificates and was delighted to be joined in the Boarding House by *May Verschuer, aged 15, an old family friend from Bunbury. The next year she won the Science and Gardening Prizes at Speech Day on 8 December, before going down to Bunbury with May to stay with the Verschuers for a few weeks’ holiday. May was the only daughter of John and Maud Verschuer, nee Chalmers. She had one older brother, Paul, and three younger: Peter, Jack and Ivan.
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Peter was 15, the same age as Stella, and had a glass eye from a childhood accident. While his good eye was fixed on Stella, she had her heart set on trying surfing! Doctors encouraged her as they thought it would help her weak heart. The weather was too rough for the first few days, but on 21 December it cleared. It looked safe... At around 10am Peter and Stella walked into the water at Back Beach between Rocky Point and the Surf Bathing Clubhouse. Stella was about 12 metres from shore, a little ahead of Peter, when she turned with a look of alarm, saying she was in trouble. Peter was a strong swimmer and went to her aid immediately, but the undertow swept them both nearly 400 metres out to sea. They both began screaming for help but unfortunately, right then, the beach was just about deserted. Peter held onto Stella and tried to reassure her, but as she lost consciousness in his arms, he began desperately screaming for help once more. The South West Times of 22 December 1925 described the unfolding tragedy: "... Medical opinion is that finding herself in grave danger, the girl’s heart … gave way. The boy’s position became critical … After a few minutes, during which he courageously fought to hold up his companion, his cries attracted the attention of a couple of firemen off the Seattle who were strolling along the sea beach… One of them, named Victor Boswell, hastily stripping off his jacket as he ran and not even stopping to divest himself of his boots, sprang into the sea ... In the meantime, the grim fight for life on the part of the two young people was evidently nearing its close as far as the girl was concerned.”
Boswell unlocked Peter’s grip on the unconscious Stella and in the doing, was immediately swept out to sea himself. Peter, who was nearly done in, grabbed hold of Stella once more as the fickle tide swept the pair closer to rocks near the shore. He briefly lost his grip on her and the waves tossed him up the beach, where the gathering crowd restrained the exhausted lad from going back in to try to save his friend. When he saw Stella floating at the edge of the breakers he grabbed a rope and valiantly brought her to shore, 40 minutes after she’d first got into difficulties. Dr Joel, who’d arrived on the scene, knew Stella and her family well, but he realised she was dead before Peter brought her to shore. He worked on her for an hour, but to no avail. Peter, who came close to drowning, was awarded the Royal Humane Society Certificate of Merit for his brave actions that day in trying to save Stella. Victor Boswell, who needed artificial respiration to survive, received the Bronze Medal. An ‘In Memoriam’ appears in our 1926 Kookaburra: "A cloud was cast over our holidays just before Christmas by the news of the death of Stella Clarke, who was drowned while bathing at Bunbury on December 21st. Our deepest sympathy goes out to her parents and brothers and sisters. We know that Stella was one of the sunniest members of the School, and realise what the loss of her must mean in her home. Stella’s garden is still being tended, and her name will be commemorated by the prize for gardening, which has been very kindly promised by Mrs Clarke." The Stella Clarke Memorial Prize for Gardening was first awarded in 1926, as Mrs Elvina Clarke had promised, and awarded every year thereafter, until 1951.
