Life Guard - Edith (nee Kieft) Rowe (1907-
1998)
Edie Kieft
(Source:
Public Domain)
I was never told why they refused the award except that it was not lady-like for a woman to be a surf lifesaver" Edie (Kieft) Rowe, 1991
Edie Kieft was 15 years old when
she qualified for her surf bronze medallion. She was 84 when she finally
received the award.
Her Story:
Kieft was a
member of the Greenmount Ladies' Club and, in January 1923, she passed the
surf lifesaving exam at Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club.
Twelve boys had registered for the exam but when one withdrew at the last
moment, Edie stepped in. She thought she was doing the club a favour but did
more than just make up the numbers, passing the exam easily.
Because Kieft had registered using only her initial and surname, the Surf
Bathing Association of New South Wales, the body responsible for
acceditation, didn't realise she was a woman. When they discovered that "E"
stood for Edith, they withheld the award.
At that time, the association argued that women were not strong enough to
operate the lifesaving equipment or to swim in heavy surf. They were
therefore banned from qualifying as surf lifesavers.
Edie Kieft was one of thousands of women barred from qualifying as surf
lifesavers from 1918 - 1980. When the Surf Life Saving Association of
Australia finally admitted women as full members, the Tweed Heads and
Coolangatta club requested that Edie Kieft (by now Mrs Rowe and a
grandmother) be given her medallion. She was finally awarded her bronze
medallion in 1991." (Source:
Between the Flags)
|
The Surf Bathing Association of NSW In 1902 it was against the law to enter the ocean during daylight hours in Australia .[3] A Sydney newspaper editor William Gocher announced his challenge of this law at Manly Beach. Eventually as more people began to challenge the law it was reversed but inexperienced swimmers were having problems with unusual surf conditions such as rip currents and the number of drownings increased. Groups of volunteers began to patrol the beach to assist and in 1906 the Bondi Beach Surf Bathing Association was formed. The Surf Bathing Association of New South Wales was formed on 18 October 1907 when nine voluntary surf life saving clubs and representatives of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) met and affiliated to represent the interests of surf lifesavers. (Source: Wikipedia) The Bronze Medallion The Bronze Medallion was introduced in 1910 by the Surf Bathing Association as its measure of proficiency, and is still the basic qualification required to perform surf rescues today. The Association's Bronze Medallion proficiency test included use of the reel, and it was adopted widely in New South Wales and interstate, and remained largely unchanged for decades (NMA (2006) Between the flags: 100 years of surf lifesaving. National Museum of Australia, Canberra. p.7). |
 ABC
- Can We Help? |
Tweed
Daily News: 19 October 2010 |
Surf
Life Saving Australia - History Fact Sheet #11  |
Royal
Life Saving: Bronze Medallion |
The
Up to Date Magazine!
Primary
Middle
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Critical & Creative Thinking
Australian
Curriculum General Capability: Literacy
1. You are to interview 5 older women [grandparents or elderly neighbours] and one surf boat rower [if possible] about:
-
their life
-
the changes in attitudes to women in jobs and in sports from when they were children to now
-
ask if they would like to see more acknowledgement of women in sports today by more TV coverage
-
Surf boat rower - about how the surf club and the sport may have changed
2. You are to record this interview - either by taping it or making a video.
3. You are to take a photo of that person
4. You are to write an article about this person and submit it to this website - see link below (after getting permission from the person you have interviewed).
5. Using Scoop it, create a magazine about Women Surf Lifesavers and include Edie Kieft!
Prejudice
at Australian beaches - still alive?
Middle
Secondary
Australian
Curriculum General Capability:
Critical and creative thinking
Australian Curriculum General Capability:
Personal and social capability
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural
Understanding
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical
Understanding
Cooperative
Learning Activity
Mecca Laalaa [in the middle] in her Lifeguard's
uniform - the burqini
1. Read Mecca Laalaa's story:
From bikini to 'burqini' |
Lifesaver Laalaa rides a wave of support |
Mecca Laalaa |
Racism No Way |
2. As a group of 4 - 5
students, discuss the topic: "Prejudice
at Australian beaches - still alive?" Has there been a major shift from
Edith Kieft's day? Why? Why not?
What do you admire about Mecca Laalaa?
3. Look at the following video: Surf
Life Saving - On The Same Wave
https://youtu.be/FiDyteaWj5s
In your group, discuss "What is this promotional video's main focus?" Give
reasons. Is it successful in promoting it's message?
4. Make a poster using Canva.com to encourage all Australians living near
the coast to be part of the SLS - On the Same Wave
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