Photograph depicting members of the City Beach Surf Club
Samuel J Hood Studio1934
Australian National Maritime Museum
Sydney, Australia
This collection of surf life saving memorabilia from Western Australian surf life saver Leonard Trainor from the 1930s includes his swimsuit, cap, formal blazer and photographs. Leonard Trainor was a carpenter and an 'everyman' in surf life saving movement volunteering and competing - from 1932, initially with the City Beach, City of Perth Surf Life Saving Club, and then with the Scarborough Club from about 1936. He was a member of the Western Australian State Surf Life Saving Team from 1934 to 1938 and also competed in swimming events.
This material 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.
- Title: Photograph depicting members of the City Beach Surf Club
- Creator: Samuel J Hood Studio
- Date: 1934
- Type: Photographs
- Significance: These photographs belong with a collection of surf life saving memorabilia from WA surf life saver Leonard Trainor which constitute 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. In terms of national representation this WA story of Leonard Trainor, an 'everyman' in the WA team would be a highlight and in any interpretive program would complement the few badged costumes in the ANMM Collection - WA City Beach - coincidentally where Trainor first patrolled on joining the movement, Coff's Jetty, North Wollongong Beach and, in Sydney, Palm Beach and Cronulla.
- See institution's online collections: http://www.anmm.gov.au/collections
- Medium: Photograph, paper
- Dimensions: 150 × 205 mm
- Credit line: ANMM Collection Gift from Johanna Trainor
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