Long before the zinc cream and beach umbrellas, before lifeguard towers and bikini bans (or, more accurately, bikini approvals), Kiama’s surf and swim culture was something else entirely.
It was… illegal.
Yes, in the 1890s, going for a dip in the ocean in Kiama was a rebellious act, especially if you did it within view of a public street. In 1895, a fellow named John Holbrook dared to take a surf bath near Manning and Barney Streets at 7am. He was promptly hauled into court and fined 10 shillings under the Towns Police Act, which apparently took a dim view of early-morning enthusiasm and exposed ankles. That bold splash effectively sank surf bathing in Kiama for more than a decade.
But let’s backstroke to the beginning.
In the late 1800s, swimming wasn’t taught in schools, and most people bathed in the sea fully nude, preferably very early or very late, and never when the ladies were about. In 1891, some order was attempted: men were directed to bathe before 10am or after 5pm, while women had access to the baths in the middle of the day. Also, brace yourself, men were asked to wear trunks. A shocking concept for some.
Kiama’s Blowhole Point Baths, initially privately built, were handed over to Council and officially opened on New Year’s Day 1894 by G.W. Fuller, MLA, with 400 onlookers. W. Kelly, organiser and swim evangelist, went on to form the Kiama Swimming Club that same year. A.E. Fulton and S.S. Wells were club secretary and president, respectable positions in a sport that was only just becoming respectable.
Around the same time, a zigzag track down the cliffs to Kendall’s Beach was carved out by locals under the leadership of P. Proud. Initially called Jacob’s Ladder, it later became known as the Golden Stairs, possibly because anyone climbing back up needed the strength of a god and the patience of a monk.
By 1905, the tides were finally turning. Council rescinded the old anti-bathing laws. And in 1908, despite Alderman Hyde Marsh’s solemn warning that “surf bathing is only a craze,” Kiama gave it the green light. That same year, the Kiama Surf Bathers Club was born. Costumes were neck-to-knee, compulsory for anyone over eight. Nude swimming? Still a thing, unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your perspective, because by 1909 complaints were rolling in about young men skinny-dipping at North Kiama Beach.
And what really pushed things over the edge? Leapfrog.
In 1910, a stern council motion condemned surf bathing after complaints that men in bathing suits were “playing leapfrog” on the beach. But like any movement with good sand and better timing, surfing couldn’t be stopped.
By 1911, Surf Beach at Storm Bay was selected as the official town surf beach, two dressing sheds were built, and by 1912 the surf club boasted 45 men and 11 women. In 1913, the first major surf rescue took place. Tragically, Mr. Pollock drowned while his wife was saved and successfully resuscitated, marking the beginning of Kiama’s legacy in ocean safety and surf awareness.
By 1915, it was clear, “The baths and the surf are the greatest pleasures of a holiday in Kiama.” And while there were still complaints about the wrong people wandering into the wrong baths, and suggestions for continental bathing facilities, scandalous, the waves had won.
What began as a sneaky morning splash, a zigzag path, and a few brave souls defying the dress code became something bigger, a culture.
So next time you’re at Surf Beach, spare a thought for John Holbrook, fined for his 7am dip. He didn’t just take a swim,
He took the plunge, for all of us.
Much of this delightful detour through Kiama’s past has been made possible thanks to W.A. Bayley, whose 1959 book Blue Haven: History of Kiama Municipality remains a treasure trove of stories, facts, and fabulous detail. It’s not just a source, it’s a time capsule, capturing both the spirit of the district and the language of its era.
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