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On the Northern Beaches of Sydney is the suburb of Manly. Given its name by Captain Arthur Phillip, because of the “confident and manly behaviour or the indigenous Australians” that he encountered.
Popular as a Seaside resort during the 19th & 20th Centuries it was home to one of the first Surf Lifesaving Clubs in the world. The need for such a service was driven by William Gocher who protested the Daylight swimming laws in 1902. Dressed in a “neck to knee” swimming costume, he stepped into the surf at Manly beach at Midday. This was against the law and after a second midday swim was pulled from the surf by police. This protest was successful and the first day time swimming season was permitted in 1903 for those in the modest neck to knee costumes. A total of 17 people drown that year and so to protect the bathers in the Manly surf the Manly Beach Club was borne.
