Cronulla SLSC has celebrated a special milestone in its history, more than 80 years after the original surf club was first built, with a multi-million dollar renovation officially opened in front of a proud and dedicated membership.

With Prime Minister Scott Morrison in attendance, the Bate Bay club turned the page on a new chapter with their now state-of-the-art facilities giving them the platform to attract new members and retain the talent they have.

“It’s three years, $8.75 million and many hours of blood, sweat and tears,” Club President, Christopher Giles said.

“It’s a project that has been in genesis for many years across multiple club presidents and to be able to officially open it was a momentous and historic occasion, one that myself and our members truly cherish and celebrated.

“What we’ve managed to do in a building first opened in 1940 is retain its culture, heritage and history while also utilising modern methods which enables us to be rescue-ready and equips us to train and deploy lifesaving services and run Nippers and surf sports programs.

“We have a better ability to attract new members and support the community at large.

“It assists with revenue generation and we anticipate that recruitment and retention will be driving points off this but creating the best vibe and culture is our focus.”

Building on the vibe is indeed the important next step on Chris’s mind, as the club’s membership has gone through plenty of hardship throughout the renovation process – hardship that most recently saw the delay of the opening by more than a year after it was discovered the water supply to new fire hydrants was insufficient, preventing an occupancy certificate being issued.

“The next stage is to really capitalise on the vibe,” he continued.

“It’s hard to put into words what we mean by that but when you’ve been through three years of building and members have persevered, operating out of shipping containers, it shows tenacity and patience weaved into the fabric of the club.

“Building towards a successful environment, we need to embrace that and grow ourselves. We want to re-position Cronulla as the premiere surf club in the Bate Bay.”

Monday 28 March 2022