Heritage Tour – Lifesaving in Perth (4 December 2023)
About
This guided tour will offer an in-depth look of the history of lifesaving in Perth. Join us to hear the stories and visit some of the key locations that have shaped the face of lifesaving in WA from the first public swimming baths to the place where the surf life saving movement was founded in WA in 1909.
$110 - inclusive of bus transfers and lunch
$132 from the 21 October 2023.
High level schedule
9:00am Bus Departs Barrack Square
9:15am Boat Shed (Crawley Baths) & Eliza Statue
Visit the site of the original Crawley baths, a public swimming facility in Matilda Bay that opened in 1914 and the bronze Eliza statute that commemorates the historic location. The baths were the largest enclosed body of water in the southern hemisphere and were an important recreational facility in Perth for fifty years. It was an important meeting place for the local community and featured 106 dressing boxes, two pontoons, springboards, and a moveable grandstand where generations of West Australian children learnt to swim.
9:40am Nedlands Baths
The only surviving example of public baths in Perth and a unique reminder of an almost forgotten way of life.
10:30am WA Maritime Museum (Fremantle)
The WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle is symbolic of the area’s past, present, and future as a coastal city and port. See the significant historic objects and vessels that highlight WA’s sporting, sailing and adventure heritage, including the America’s Cup-winning yacht, Australia II and Jon Sanders’ Parry Endeavour.
12:30pm Cottesloe Surf Club and Sgt Smith Memorial
Cottesloe Surf Club was formed in 1909 when Police Sgt Smith began the revolutionary beach safety and lifesaving movement in WA. It is now an iconic coastal location and a popular spot for swimming, snorkelling, surfing, and enjoying the beautiful Perth sunset.
2:00pm Arrive back at Barrack Square