1907 - present

Bondi’s women were keen swimmers from the earliest days of legalised ocean bathing, with the Bondi Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Club (BLASC) forming in 1907.

It operated at the Bondi Baths at the southern end of the Beach until 1912, remaining closed over the war years. It reopened in late 1920, with its membership steadily growing to more than 200, making it Australia’s largest women’s swimming club at the time. At its peak in 1954, membership reached 370.

Many champion swimmers emerged from the club, competing at national and international events. In the early years, standout swimmers included Jean Cocks, who won the 200m freestyle at the 1929 Australian Women’s Championships, aged 13. Kitty MacKay and Pat Norton represented Australia at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Backstroke swimmer Pam Singleton (1956 Melbourne Olympics) and national breaststroke champion Judy Playfair (a silver medallist in the 4x100m medley relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics) were other notable members, along with Maree Robinson, who won the 200m butterfly gold medal at the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, aged 15.

Arguably the most famous identity was Margaret Whitlam AO (née Dovey, 1919-2012), the wife of former prime minister Gough Whitlam. The Bondi local represented Australia in the 220-yard breaststroke at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney under her maiden name, placing sixth.

Although the ladies shared the Bondi Baths with the men’s club, the sexes were segregated in the early years. By the 1930s, however, women athletes were competing in the public arena, and the Bondi Baths were no longer segregated. As Margaret Whitlam recalled, the club kept Thursdays for women-only and Sundays for men-only, but had mixed swimming on Saturdays.

In 1952, the women’s and men’s clubs held their first combined swimming carnival. In 1969 the two clubs officially merged, with the ladies’ club contributing 230 members, bringing the membership of the first combined season to 576. At its peak, combined membership totalled more than 700, making it Australia’s largest club. Today, the Bondi Amateur Swimming Club (BASC) still offers social swimming to people of all ages and abilities with weekend races, lessons and championships.