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Welcome
Freshwater Amateur Swimming Club (FASC) hosts organised swim meets at the rockpool at Freshwater Beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Races take place every Saturday afternoon from October through March.
We welcome new members throughout the season, whether you're a beginner swimmer or advanced. Races start from 15 metres for under five year olds, to medleys for the more experienced (if not more competitive!).
FASC loves the social aspects of swimming and hanging out at the pool enjoying the sunshine (or rain!) and a weekly sausage sizzle. It's a great way to have fun and meet new friends in your local community. So come along!
Races every Saturday at 1.30pm - please register between 1.00pm to 1.15pm!
Did you know?
FASC was founded in 1943, and renowned for women's synchronised swimming in the 1960s.
Learn about our history!
Latest News
FASC RECORDS
WASA 14 & Under Peninsula Challenge
D ate: Saturday 25th February 2012, 5pm start
Venue: Warringah Aquatic Centre
Registration poolside Sat 4th & Sat 11th Feb 2012
For further information on this event Browse all news
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MEMBERSHIP & REGISTRATION 2011-2012
Our swim season is October to March. Club races are held every Saturday and new members can register on the day at 1.00-1.15pm. Races start at 1.30pm sharp.
Registration for FASC membership is held at the Freshwater Club House on Saturdays (get directions/view map). If you'd like to race on the day, please register for your events by 1.15pm.
New members under 16 are required to bring along proof of age, preferably a a birth certificate or passport.Membership forms can be downloaded at the left - families please note that one needs to be filled out for each swimmer. Payment can be made by cheque (payable to FASC) or cash.
Membership option 1
FASC + W arringah Amateur Swimming Association (WASA) - $50.00*
WASA is the local rock pool clubs of the Northern Beaches. During the season, in addition to FASC's club races, you may attend WASA's four swim meets at Warringah Aquatic Centre and a new twilight handicap meet on Friday 28th January at Collaroy Rock Pool. View race calendar
* Family discounts are available: Fee is reduced to $140 for three people in the same family, $170 for four, $200 for five and $230 for six.
Membership option 2
FASC + WASA + Swimming NSW (under SMNE) - $65.00
For people wishing to further enhance their competitive swimming, this option enables you to compete for FASC at any swim meet sanctioned by SNSW and Swimming Australia. You will also be eligible to attend Swimming NSW Development Squads throughout the year. At any time throughout the season you can upgrade your membership to include Swimming NSW for an additional fee.
Affiliate Membership - $18.00
Affiliate Members are non-swimmers who wish to eligible to vote in the running of the club.
Junior Membership - $30.00
Junior Membership is available to swimmers who are under the age of five years old and compete in 15 metre races only.
Need help?
For enquiries regarding Membership Fees and Registration, please contact our Registrar, Karen Thomson.
DOWNLOAD DOCS
Membership_details[1].pdf
REGISTRATION FORM 2011-12.pdf
RACE CALENDAR
FASC/WASA events view below or
FASC_RaceProgram_2011-12.pdf
NSW Swimming Metro North East calendar view here
Swimming NSW calendar view here
WASA Meet Programme 2011/2012 Season view here
FASC JANUARY 2012
Saturday 7/1/2012
Sprint Week - All 4 strokes:
"15m swim 15m
25m swim 15m
50m/100m/Masters swim 33m"
Mystery Relay
Saturday 14/1/2012
Free 15, 25, 50, 100 & Masters
Back 15, 25, 50 & Masters
Distance Free 100 or 200
Brace Relay (2 swimmers)
Saturday 21/1/2012
Championship 200 IM
Breast 15, 25, 50 & Masters
Back 50
Brace Relay (4 swimmers)
Saturday 28/1/2012
Championship 400 IM
Free 15, 25, 50, Special & Masters
Fly 15, 25, 50 & Masters
Breast 50
FASC FEBRUARY 2012
Saturday 4/2/2012
Championship Backstroke
IM 200
Saturday 11/2/2012
Championship Breaststroke
Saturday 18/2/2012
Championship Butterfly
Distance Breast 100m or 200m
Saturday 25/2/2012
Championship Freestyle
FASC MARCH 2012
Saturday 3/3/2012
Distance Back 100m or 200m
Saturday 10/3/2012
Championship Free Distance
Saturday 17/3/2012
Championship 400m Free
Saturday 24/3/2012
Championship 800m Freestyle
Start at 12 noon
Medley Relay (4 swimmers)
Saturday 31/3/2012
1500m Freestyle
Start at 11:30am
Register week before
FASC DECEMBER 2011
Saturday 3/12/2011
Distance Free 200 or 400
Saturday 10/12/2011
F r ee 15, 25, 50, Special & Masters
Saturday 17/12/2011
Saturday 24/12/2011
No races
Saturday 31/12/2011
SATURDAY
RACES
Register by 1.15pm
Races start at 1.30pm
WASA JANUARY 2012
Friday 27/1/2012
WASA Handicap meet
Collaroy Pool
5.30pm (6.00pm start)
Entries close 23rd January
WASA MARCH 2012
14 & under peninsula challenge
Warringah Aquatic Centre
4.30pm (5.00pm start)
Entries close 26th Feb
WASA FEBRUARY 2012
Entries close 5th Feb
WASA DECEMBER 2011
Saturday 3/12/2012
Jenny Oates Championships
Entries close 13th Nov
RACE RESULTS 2011-2012
Coming soon!
RACE
HANDICAPPERS
Freestyle
Brett MacKinlay
Breaststroke
James Coates
Backstroke
Ian Coates
Butterfly
Fabio Ribeiro
Distance
TBA
ALL THE LATEST CLUB NEWS
"FRESHIE SWIMMER" newsletter
Date: Sat 25th Feb 2012
Time: 4.40pm for 5pm start
Register: Poolside Sat 4th & Sat 11th Feb 2012
LATEST ISSUE: 3RD JANUARY 2012
The Freshie Swimmer Volume 4 2011-12.pdf
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES:
NewssletterV3Dec2011.pdf
The_Freshie_Swimmer_Volume_1_2011-12.pdf
The_Freshie_Swimmer_Volume_2_2011-12.pdf
Photo gallery
HISTORY
Gwen Gordon in her book Queenscliff & South Curl Curl 1788- 1978, wrote the following piece about the Freshwater Amateur Swimming Club and its early history.
This club was founded with separate sections for men and ladies soon after World War 2. Thousands of children have since participated in the clubs activities. The ladies club became affiliated with the NSWASA during the presidency of Margaret Griffen (1946-51).
In 1947 Isabel Letham introduced water ballet to the ladies club. This was followed by synchronised swimming, for which Freshwater Club was noted. Margaret Bardwell, a club member, was appointed assistant- manager of an Australian team which competed in the first world synchronised swimming championships, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Freshwater was represented in the solo events by Beverly Balkind. At the second world championships at Cali, Colombia, Donella Burrage and Lisa Steanes of Freshwater competed.
The 19th Annual Report of the Freshwater Ladies Amateur Swimming Club (1964-65) made mention of Jan Smith winning the State Open Solo Championship Synchronised Swimming as well as winning the State Open Duet Championship with Ann Shepherd of Roseville. Jan went on to come second in the same two event at the Australian championships in the same year.
The 21st Annual Report (1966-67) made mention of the following achievements of club members at the Australian Synchronised Swimming Championships.
The Clubhouse
The clubhouse was erected by volunteers in two stages. The upper level stage two was added and funded by Warringah Shire Council and officially opened by Councillor J Fisher in November 1954. In 1956 a Trust was formed for the care, control and management of the pool, the clubhouse and McKillop Park. It comprised officials of the Mens and Ladies Amateur Swimming Clubs and three ex-officio Council members.
The Trust was authorised to hire out the clubhouse for the benefit of the clubs members and the maintenance of the facilities. The clubs were responsible for the internal maintenance of the clubhouse and the Council for any external repairs and painting.
The Pool
As already mentioned, the pool was officially opened at 3pm Saturday, 28 November, 1925. This year [of writing this history], 2000, is therefore its 75th Anniversary.
In 1962 the original 33 yard (30.18 metres) pool was extended at its western end to 55 yards (50.29 metres). This extension was made to comply with the standard for competition swimming pools at that time.
This change of length has resulted in there now being three sets of club swimming records. Short Pool and Extended Pool both measured in yards and the Extended Pool in metric. These three sets of records (Ladies Club only prior to amalgamation as the Men's Club records are not available) are attached as Excel Spreadsheets.
The earliest known recording of swimming times is 1955 in the Ladies Club. The records of the short pool cover a number of distances, not all of which can have been swum in the Freshwater Ocean Pool. The club records show the pool to be 33 yards up until December 1962 when the extension to 55 yards occurred. The pre 1963 Ladies Club records show club members having club records at 55 yards which, it is presumed, were achieved at other pools. In compiling the attached table of short pool club records it is not possible to distinguish between at home and away records.
Amalgamation
The Men's and Ladies' Clubs were amalgamated in 1966, with races being held on Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings.
Breaking the rules -:
EARLY OCEAN BATHING
[H]arbourside rock pool bathing in daylight hours was allowed but in 1900, bathing in the open surf was banned after 7 am.
The Freshwater camps were not without some positive outcomes however. The rising popularity of surf bathing in the early 1900s saw many young men emerge from their camps to take to the waters and be by far the majority of people in the surf. It would appear that the harbourside rock pool bathing in daylight hours was allowed but in 1900, bathing in the open surf was banned after 7 am.
The following is an extract from No Lives Lost, the history of Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club:
The really important event in the history of surf bathing was the campaign by W. H. Gosher at Manly in 1902. The Manly Council had a by-law which prohibited bathing in the open ocean after 7am. Gosher publicly announced his intention of breaking this by-law.
Many different versions of his defiance have been published, one writer even asserting that in his swim in the Pacific Ocean Gosher wore a frock coat, striped trousers and spats. He was arrested, but later he interviewed the Inspector-General of Police, who said that no magistrate would convict for this offence, but the men would have to wear neck to knee costumes.
Eventually, on 2nd November 1903 the Manly Council rescinded the by-law prohibiting bathing after 7am.
Surf bathing at Freshwater Beach seems to have started about 1900. In those days there were no surf sheds and bathers had to change behind rocks at the end of the beach. Transport from Manly was first by horse tram, then steam tram and later electric tram, which ran along Pittwater Road to Brookvale, Freshwater passengers alighting at Freshwater Junction at Collingwood Street. The lagoon was crossed by a low-level wooden bridge which was sometimes under water when the lagoon was flooded. Later, the present high-level concrete bridge was erected.
The Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club was formed in 1908 and included both local permanent residents and the campers in its early years. This community spirit and camaraderie not only sustained the club but probably helped to extend the life of the camps.
It should be noted that whilst the district, including the beach, was officially named Harbord in 1923, the surf club retained its name of Freshwater despite strong community and shire council pressure.
In later years the rock pool at the northern end of the beach was called the Harbord Rock Pool but just after the Second World War when the ladies and mens swimming clubs were formed, they also adopted the name Freshwater. It was surf club and local community pressure and vigorous lobbying that saw the beach at least being given back the name Freshwater.
FRESHWATER ROCKPOOL
The rock pool to the north of Freshwater Beach just under McKillop Park was opened at 3pm Saturday, 28 November 1925 by Mr A. G. Parr, President of Warringah Council.
The creation of the rock pool was brought about by the Harbord Beach Improvement Committee. The names of the members of this committee at the time are not known but Warringah Shire Council minutes in 1924 show ..... Messrs, McPaul, Caldicott, Evans and Thomas as forming a deputation which addressed the council in support of the construction of the pool. A number of fund raising events were held including surf carnivals at Harbord Beach (as it was then officially known) during 1923, 1924 and 1925. By June 1924 the committee had accumulated 160 Pounds.
The Council meanwhile had arranged for the Shire Engineer to prepare designs and cost estimates for two pool option, a 70 feet by 100 feet and a 70 feet by 50 feet. These estimates were provided to the Harbord Beach Improvement Committee in March 1924 and in May of the same year the deputation approved the cost of 480 Pounds for the 70 feet by 100 feet pool. At the same time it guaranteed to raise the additional 80 Pounds to enable it to contribute half the cost. Later that year tenders for the construction of the pool were offered. In September 1924 the council resolved to ..... accept the lowest tender, that of W. H. Morgan, for 297 Pounds.
Council records at the time indicate W. H. Morgan had difficulty in completing the pool. In October 1924 he advised Council that he had miscalculated his tender and asked for an additional 75 Pounds which the Council approved. In March 1925 he asked for compensation for the loss sustained by him through recent heavy rains. In May the Council stopped making progress payments to the builder but resumed payment in June.
Towards the end of the construction period. in September 1925, Morgan asked for and received from council an additional 100 Pounds for his work bringing to 472 Pounds the total cost of the pool, 8 Pounds under the engineers original estimate. In September 1925 a Mr R. Antill won a tender to construct the lower path from the beach to the pool at a cost of 105 Pounds to which the Harbord Beach Improvement Committee contributed half.
Life members
MEN (date elected follows)
R W Weekes - October 24, 1952
G B Forshall - November 20, 1953
G B Mullins - December 8, 1954
CR McLean - September 12, 1958
C E Bardwell - September 12, 1963
A Grant - September 12, 1963
A J Mitchell - September 12, 1963
F Reddan - September 12, 1963
K G Meakin - September 17, 1967
R C Longley - August 20, 1971
J D Cahalan - September 18, 1978
R Harbour - September 1, 1989
K Smith - September 7, 1990
K Chapple - November 25, 2000
S Simpson - November 25, 2000
K Stewart - November 25, 2000
S Thompson - May 9, 2006
B Andronicos -
WOMEN (date elected follows)
R Graham - September 14, 1955
C Henry - September 21, 1960
L Henry - September 21, 1960
T Wilson - September 21, 1960
M Bardwell - September 18, 1963
B Ashby - September 15, 1965
R Mitchell - September 15, 1965
S Smith - September 15, 1965
W Vaughan - September 16, 1969
S Davis - September 5, 1980
S Johnson - September 1, 1989
R Coates - September 1, 1989
S Bidner - May 9, 2006
J Cahalan - May 9, 2006
V Thompson - May 9, 2006
LEARN MORE
1. A history of FASC
2. Breaking the rules -
early ocean bathing
3. Harbord rockpool
4. Life Members
FASCRecords_1945-46_1961-62.pdf
FASC RACE RECORDS
jump to:
EVENT
3 Years and Under
15m Freestyle
4 Years
15m Backstroke
15m Breastroke
15m Butterfly
5 Years
6 Years
7 Years
25m Freestyle
25m Backstroke
25m Breastroke
25m Butterfly
8 Years
50m Freestyle
50m Backstroke
50m Breastroke
50m Butterfly
100m Freestyle
200m Medley
9 Years
BOYS
-
A.Crerar
B Meaney
A Crerar
S McNeil
E O'Donnel
C McErvale
M.Thomas
A Press
Z.Dawtrey
S McNeill
S Meaney
A Priday
R Cahalan
B.Dawtrey
TIME
21.31
36.39
38.24
32.50
16.09
22.36
23.82
18.91
13.63
17.37
18.69
17.85
23.68
28.53
23.89
42.87
51.55
58.06
57.81
1.34.40
3.53.00
35.73
43.97
48.16
42.37
YEAR
1996
1994
1997
1998
1993
2011
1992
2001
2000
1974
1972
GIRLS
C.Priest
A Miller
G Miller
B Miller
K McKeand
L.Caruana
J.Ribeiro
J Tetsall
C Verhoeven
M Voller
1.24.50
20.45
24.37
20.83
29.19
14.05
18.47
19.94
17.26
13.91
17.17
18.18
17.89
21.20
26.03
29.20
27.48
46.72
50.70
55.58
55.80
1.41.90
3.54.30
38.50
45.00
49.40
44.80
2002
2003
2004
2010
1978
1975
1979
10 Years
11 Years
12 Years
200m Freestyle
13 Years
100m Backstroke
100m Breastroke
100m Butterfly
14 Years
S.McNeil
J.Coates
S.McNeill
J Coates
B Newman
A Hinde
T Firth
J Gallagher
34.16
44.10
48.86
39.26
1.20.30
3.16.17
32.00
40.12
44.67
36.06
29.80
36.78
42.81
35.81
2.32. 40
2.57.50
1.07.53
1.16.20
1.29.70
1.17.30
1.02 00
1.10.20
1.22.60
1.12.90
2.16 60
2.32.10
1983
1976
1984
2005
1985
1989
1977
1990
M.Mullins
D.Webster
J.Tetsall
K.Mullins
D Watts
C Longley
L Caruana
D Webster
P Bidner
D Verhoeven
35.90
41.80
45.90
41.00
1.19.40
3.08.80
33.20
40.30
43.10
37.90
32.40
36.70
42.80
34.60
2.33.20
2.53.70
1.08.10
1.15.60
1.28.70
1.16.50
1.10.10
1.23.40
1.31 40
1.20.70
2.25.40
2.43.10
1973
1980
1970
2007
1971
1982
15 Years
16 Years
Open Championships
400m Freestyle
800m Freestyle
400m Medley
Seniors
R.Cahalan
C Meakin
Seniors & Juniors
A.Cahalan
A Cahalan
M Simpson
59.40
1.09.90
1.20.40
1.09.30
59.30
1.05.30
1.18.10
1.06.60
2.07.50
2.22.00
4.27.90
9.44.50
5.02.90
27.37
32.77
36.65
30.74
1.04.90
1.11.80
1.23.90
1.11.30
2.41.80
2.16.17
L Stabback
L Hopping
E Gard
L Steanes
1.11.10
1.23.30
1.30.80
1.17.10
1.08.30
1.21.90
1.28.20
1.17.20
2.24.50
2.46.80
4.56.40
10.05.00
5.42.60
1.08.11
1.23.10
1.13.90
2.46.30
2.23.00
Captains & committee
CAPTAINS
Archie Smith
Oliver Fahey
Kamryn Bock
Benjamin Gillespie
Ellery Bock
Coco Bidner
Tom Smyth
COMMITTEE
President
Aaron Thomson
Vice President
Secretary
Janet Ribeiro
Treasurer
Adam Thomas
Race Secretary
Registrar
Karen Thomson
Chief Referee
Sunny Bidner
Chief Judge
Susan Higgs
Chief Timekeeper
Chief Starter
Assistant Starter
Point Scorer
Paula MacKinlay
Publicity Officer
Melissa Haithwaite
FASC captains 2011-2012
freshwaterswimclub_gmail.com
or PO Box 429, Freshwater NSW 2096
Location (see map below)
Our pool is located at the far northern end of Freshwater Beach. To access the pool from Freshwater Beach, walk along the northern footpath to access the pool. Alernatively, park in the McKillop Park carpark on the headland above the pool and walk down the steps.
Parking
McKillop Park carpark is located off Lumsdaine Drive, behind the Harbord Diggers complex. Parking is free if you have a valid Warringah Council ratepayer car sticker. Otherwise you must buy a ticket from the parking meter.
FASC COMMITTEE
Scott Hefferman
(c) 2011-2012 Freshwater Amateur Swimming Club ABN 48 405 976 959 I PO Box 429 Freshwater NSW 2096 I Contact us
