From a Packing Crate to a Palace

In 1960, the original Portsea Surf Life Saving Club (PSLSC) in Victoria was housed in a packing crate – well, the building was made from a packing crate. Today, 60 years later, it has been transformed into a stunning clubhouse, with a current membership just recently exceeding 4000.

Without doubt, the remarkable new clubhouse design gains the attention of passers-by

This new clubhouse, opened in 2019, sits in one of the most unforgiving environments in Australia and its construction required the use of a timber that could withstand salt, water and wind. That called for large, commercialgrade Blackbutt timber, which is the dominant design feature of the building, wrapping the entire façade.

PSLSC’s clubhouse is located on the cliff face of Mt Levy Beach, better known as Portsea Back Beach, where the club has operated since 1949 to protect the lives of swimmers, and they have saved many lives in that time. The original packing crate clubhouse was located just 200 metres east of the current clubhouse. Without doubt, the remarkable new clubhouse design gains the attention of passers-by. For the Members and community, though, PSLSC is a place to enjoy the camaraderie afforded by the club, and a place to look out wistfully across the sweeping sandy beach and over the rolling sea. It is also a hive of activity for young and older club members.

PSLSC is especially busy in summer when its volunteer life savers patrol the beach every weekend from the beginning of December until Easter. As a volunteer emergency services provider, their primary role is to train lifesavers and upskill members. With over 1000 having participated in the training and education

programs this season, PSLSC is now one of the largest in the State, having rescued over 5300 swimmers and prevented many more from drowning.

The Club now hosts a number of community events annually over the summer period, including the Portsea Swim Classic, which again this year attracted record numbers of participants and spectators.

Foot and swimming traffic at Portsea back beach has increased markedly over the past few years, which means that more resources were needed to ensure everyone’s safety.

Throughout the year, the club provides more than just lifesaving duties on the back beach; it also gives lectures and presents demonstrations on water safety to organisations and schools in the Mornington Peninsula. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 are encouraged to join in the club’s Nipper program, and it also conducts a live-in Bronze Medallion camp to provide intensive training for more than 90 young people in skills for becoming a qualified surf lifesaver.

Porsche Centre Brighton are proud sponsors of the PSLSC, and we encourage all to support the club’s ongoing activities.

www.portseasurf.com.au