Bringing home the bacon

Thanks to Terry Metherell for drawing my attention to an article which appeared in the Brisbane Courier, Tuesday 1 January 1878. Titled “A Queenslander in Sydney”, it is a long piece about the writer’s impressions of Sydney. It includes a description of Manly’s Fairy Bower, then still relatively unspoiled, and there is also this account of the entertainment on offer at Manly on Boxing Day, 1877:
“But, if Christmas Day was calm, Boxing Day was not. Once more the scene shifts to Manly Beach, and we are on the verandah of the Pier Hotel, and the steamers, and the barrel organs, and the German band, and the holiday folks, are coming in: Emu, and Breadalbane, Goolwa, Phantom, and Royal Alfred, ‘one down, 'tither come on,’ come looming round the Middle Head, disgorge cargo and are off again for more in a merry follow-my-leader style. Buckets of ‘prog’ [food], guns, fishing tackle, and babies form the chief impedimenta of the ‘camp followers,’ and a nervous invalid accustomed to the quietude of Cleveland or (say) of Bowen, would be startled out of seven years' growth by the bustling noise and scene... One melancholy death occurred on Boxing Day, at Manly Beach. There is rigged out from the pier, like the boom from the Wolverine, a spar, well-greased; and at the end of it is slung a four-dozen case containing a pig, to be the prize of him who first walks the pole and gets him. After about a couple of dozen spills off the greased spar and into the water, one daring cornstalk [youth] hugged the boom and got the pig out, and it fell into the water, in the clutches of the swimmers, who, in disputing the prize, six at each leg and two at each ear soon drowned it; and, this we believe was the only life lost at Manly Beach during Boxing Day.”

Manly Council's surf-boat

The Manly Daily printed this account of the launching of the first Council-purchased surf boat on 25 March 1907. The account was reprinted on 15 September 1931, and 28 July 1966 (p19). The surfboat was constructed by J Hubbard of Leichhardt Street, Glebe, and was, as far as we know, the first municipally-funded surf rescue boat in the world.
“The launching of the Manly surf boat on Saturday afternoon [23 March 1907] was a magnificent success, perhaps one of the greatest successes the Manly Council has to its credit.
This was mainly due to the efforts and activity of Mayor Learmonth, ex-Mayor Quirk and Mr D Hogan (Council Clerk) who were ably assisted by many other willing and energetic workers.
The Mayor of Manly presided and on the specially erected platforms there were also: Mr C G Wade, KC, Attorney-General; Mr C W Oakes, MLA for Paddington; Dr Richard Arthur, MLA for Middle Harbour; ex-Mayor Quirk, Alderman Walker, Alderman King, Mr D Hogan (Council Clerk), Commander M Roberts, Mr A von Tossau, Mr W Tonge, and Captain Webber (Royal Shipwreck Society).
The Manly surf carnival was a new departure in the 'pastime natatorial' and was organised for the purpose of celebrating the launching of the recently built surf boat, which, under the control of Messrs Sly brothers will patrol the water fronting ocean beach during the bathing season.
Between 40,000 and 50,000 people were present.
The Attorney-General referred to the widespread popularity of surf-bathing. It was essential, he said, that bathers should be well catered for and every effort should be made to contend against the possibility of loss of life through drowning.
Mr Wade, with a pair of silver scissors, presented to him by Mayor Learmonth (on behalf of the Council) severed the red silk ribbon and performed the ceremony of launching the surf boat.
During the afternoon ‘Appy Eyre, beach custodian, and Mr A von Tossau, gave a display of life-saving, Eyre entering the water and effecting a rescue after which the usual methods of resuscitation were adopted.
The Seagull Club (Messrs Chambers, Lane, Rosenthal, Wickham and Triglone) contributed a diving display from a pedestal erected in the sea.
The Manly Borough Band played selections during the afternoon.
After the ceremony and whilst the surf carnival was proceeding Mayor Learmonth invited Mr Wade, KC, and a few others to join him in a few toasts at the New Brighton Hotel, where host P J Byrne had placed a tempting and pleasing little spread.”
Identified in the photograph from right to left are: Dr Arthur, ex-Mayor Quirk, and addressing the crowd, Attorney-General Wade.