Surf Life Saving Australia

Budgie smugglers included

Brothers Graham and Peter Ward, along with Richie Farrar, have been in the Kidney Kar Rally for 10 years and in that time have been the highest fundraiser four times, have come second once and third three times.

“We are social ralliers,” Peter said.

“It’s a great cause and a chance to catch up with mates once a year.”

The team members are aiming for $30,000 this year.

“We generally raise around that much; last year we made $35,000 for Kidney Health Australia,” Peter said.

The Bathurst Surf Lifesaving Club Kar 8 nearly needed rescuing itself one year as the team walked into a pub in their lifesaving caps and ‘budgie smugglers’.

“It was like a movie,” Richie said.

“The old saloon doors open up and everyone gasps and goes quiet and just stares at us.

“Everywhere we go people look at us and we get people laughing.”

The three drivers had never really had a great interest in cars until the rally.

“I was asked to come along and I did,” Richie said.

“It gets in your blood and is something that we will continue to do; we just love it.”

Kar 8 finished eighth last year.

“We didn’t realise but we were actually in sixth at one stage and thought we should give it a crack and try and finish in the rankings,” Peter said.

“Usually we just drive and are there for the social interaction.”

This year the team will drive a 1997 308 Commodore and will have points deducted, but it’s something they are willing to cop.

“We got a new car,” Peter said.

“We got sick of spending most of our time in backyard garages, so we will take the penalty points.

“This race will be like Driving Miss Daisy – we don’t want to hurt it.”

Cars are meant to be 20 years old to participate in the rally.

Peter, “the brains of the operation”, doesn’t use all the bells and whistles that other teams use – he calculates with his head and analogue watch.

“Others use technology, but Peter uses his head to work it all out,” Richie said.

“I know I couldn’t do that,” he laughed.

Con gave his life to surf life saving | NIO

It was at Stanwell Park beach 71 years ago that Con decided to join surf life saving because, in his own words, he was attracted by the camaraderie and friendship that he saw among the members of the local surf club.

Within a few years of gaining his Bronze Medallion, Con was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Club, a role he filled for 24 consecutive years. Con held other offices in surf life saving at Branch and State level including 12 years as State President from 1967 to 1978.

In his lifetime, this member gave 71 years of distinguished service to the surf life saving movement and was honoured with Life Membership of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Club in 1950, Surf Life Saving Illawarra (1962), Surf Life Saving NSW (1963), Surf Life Saving Australia in 1966, and was awarded an MBE in 1972. He was also awarded Life Membership of Ballina Lighthouse and Lismore SLSC in 2009.

Con was instrumental in the development of the nipper movement in the 1950s, the introduction of IRBs (rubber ducks) for surf rescue work in the 1970s and the acceptance of women as patrolling surf lifesavers in the early 1980s.

On Sunday, July 24, family members together with members of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving club, other Illawarra and NSW surf clubs, and senior officers from Surf Life Saving NSW and Surf Life Saving Australia gathered to pay tribute to Con Asmussen, MBE.

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