history
Up until the end of 1930's Titahi Bay beach was unpatrolled. Teams of life guards from Wellington offered their services hoping their presence would encourage a club. The Titahi Bay SLSC was formally constituted in 1938. At the inaugural meeting they elected a committee and appointed a president and patron. Within 2 months the club won its first trophy at a carnival at Paekakariki SLSC.
The club ran for a few years and by 1941 the clubhouse had been built. Half the cost was covered by a grant from the Makara County Council and the rest by the local community. Midway through 1941, half of the clubs members were on active service overseas during WW II. In an effort to boost membership the club passed the motion that ladies be admitted as members. Despite these measures that were described as "drastic" in the minutes, the club closed its doors until 1945. Titahi Bay SLSC was one of the first community organisations to be started up again after WW II. In September 1945 the Titahi Bay Progressive Association called a meeting to help revive the club. This was attended by local residents and representatives form the NZ and Wellington Surf Associations. Members were recruited from returned servicemen.
The club spent the next 4 years improving its facilities. By 1950 an electric light had been installed in the clubhouse, a new surf canoe had been built and TBSLSC was the host of a test between NZ and Australian surf teams. Around this time a retaining wall was built behind the clubhouse and a small confectionary shop was opened at the north end of the club. The club helped to raise funds for the next 6 years enabling TBSLSC to buy the equipment needed to patrol the beach.
Titahi Bay Ladies SLSC was formed in the mid 1950's. Apart from during wartime, there had been no female members on the men's membership list. The new ladies clubhouse was built above the council amenities block at the southern end of the beach in the late 1960's. Until this time the ladies had been using an old army hut behind the northern boatsheds and then a storage room in the council toilet block. In 1971, not long after the ladies clubrooms had been completed, the Titahi Bay Ladies SLSC amalgamated with the men's club.
In 1960 the club celebrated 22 years of patrolling the beach with the opening of the new clubrooms above the old, and the seniors winning the Wellington Championship in rescue and resuscitation. A story of the Titahi Bay SLSC wouldn't be complete without mentioning the clubs successes in competition. The National Senior Surf boat championships have been won by the club numerous times since the 1960's and the Juniors and U21's have both won numerous titles also.
In 1969 and 1970 the first two Porirua Sportsman of the Year trophies ever awarded went to Jim Campbell and John Gilbert, both members of TBSLSC. Since then the club has won the award a further 5 times.
Titahi Bay Surf Lifesaving Club has a strong history and we continue this by serving our community and patrolling the beach with pride. Thank you to all the volunteer lifeguards and those people who helped to shape the club and make it the great place that it has become.
