by Guest Writers Suzie Cheel and Des Walsh

Volunteer surf lifesavers setting up at Coolangatta Beach

Inspiration. Every weekend, right around Australia, teams of volunteer men and women surf lifesavers turn out to spend their days at the beach, watching the surfers and often risking their own safety to rescue the unsuspecting or foolhardy. Locally, because this is a major tourist area, the city council provides paid lifeguards on weekdays. Starting just over 100 years ago, in 1907 with a group on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, the organization now known as Surf Lifesaving Australia is the largest volunteer movement of its kind in the world.
Suzie Cheel & Des Walsh