1933 - 2008

The Mac’s Beach Hire business was run by 3 generations of the McDonald family for 75 years. The McDonalds were as much a part of Bondi Beach as the sand and surf. Stan McDonald, a New Zealander by birth and a renowned middle weight pugilist, was appointed as the second full time Beach Inspector (Lifesaver) sometime around 1913. He was selected to be Chief Beach Inspector in 1923 and held that role until 1933. For a long time Stan lived in the Bondi Surf Club where quarters had been built for him in the new surf club. Basically, he was on call 24 hours a day. 

Stan was highly respected amongst the beach community and earned a place in local history with his heroic rescues and three bravery awards during his time as a Beach Inspector. He hosted annual Christmas parties in the northern groyne bringing together the ever rivalling members of the North Bondi and Bondi Surf Clubs. In 1933 Stan was carried to his throne by members of Bondi and North Bondi Surf Clubs and crowned Festival ‘King of Bondi’ at the Waverley Mayoral Ball held at the Bondi Casino. Thereafter he was known as the “King of Bondi”.

Upon retirement, Stan took over the deck chair rental business and opened Mac’s Beach Hire in the northern groyne hiring out deck chairs, wind shelters (Wigwams), surf-o-planes, towels, and surfboards.

In the 1950’s, Stan added the ever popular VitaTan Oil spray service. VitaTan was sourced from an eccentric industrial Queenland chemist, John Black Paterson. It was derived from mutton bird oil that had been perfumed and deodorised and given the colour of an Aussie rose wine. It was marketed as producing "a satin-like finish suntan while preventing and curing sunburn and protecting the skin from peeling and dryness." Eventually the name was changed to VitaSun to reflect growing concerns about over-exposure to the sun. After Paterson's death the formula included a sunscreen. Stan passed away in 1959 and the business passed on to his son Basil.

Mac’s Hire flourished under Basil and his wife Joan’s management becoming quite a large business. Joan manned the shop from early morning until 6pm seven days a week during the summer months whilst over the winter, she sewed endlessly making new canvas shelters (Wigwams) and deckchair inserts. Joan was very strong physically and mentally and it was often observed that Basil would not have been able to achieve all he did without her help. When Basil received his ‘Bondi Bas – Order of Australia’, Basil had both he and Joan photographed receiving the award. Joan ran the business on her own after Basil’s death in 1989 with occasional help from her three sons. Eventually, second son Neil joined her in the business. Joan died in 2003. She had juggled multiple roles with immense drive, boundless energy, intellect and a warm peronality. Everyone described Joan as a beautiful human being; she was a much loved Bondi character.

Mac’s Beach Hire closed in 2008 when its groyne premises were deemed unsafe for occupation by the Waverley Council.

Courtesy Stuart McDonald, Waverley Library Local Studies Collection, State Library of New South Wales and Fairfax Media.