A Geelong boat club is celebrating seven decades of boating and bringing people from across the region together.
Western Beach Boat Club held a 70th Birthday Open Day for its members on May 3, with music, food, demonstrations, kids’ activities and talks throughout the day.
President Paul Donnellan said the milestone was “fantastic” and that he was honoured to celebrate the club’s long history in the region.
“It is a really healthy and vibrant club… and covers more than just sailing or the love of boats and being out on the water,” he said.
“Predominantly, it’s a sailing club, but it’s so much more than that. Culturally, the club is a very healthy and inclusive environment.
“It (the celebration) was a huge success and there was a lot of work that went into it in terms of organising the event itself.”
Bill Ethell has been a member of the club for 25 years and said the club was founded in 1955 to provide a boating experience for the Geelong community.
“The location is wonderful and everybody appreciates that, including the people who walk along the foreshore,” he said.
“In recent years, the demographics are changing. It was originally started by people who wanted access to a slipway and work facilities for fishing boats.
“Then, sailing became more affordable in the late 50s and 60s, and more people started bringing their sailing boats, so the club expanded so it could take on more members.”
Jena Carr
