Edith (nee Kieft) Rowe
(1907- 1998)

Life Guard /Lifesaver

Edie Kieft
(Source: Public Domain)

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Activities for Students

The Up to Date Magazine!
Prejudice at Australian beaches - still alive?
Optional Extra: Learning from other Hidden Women in History: Isabel Letham #TC

Introduction to Edie Kieft's life

I was never told why they refused the award except that it was not lady-like for a woman to be a surf lifesaver" Edie (Kieft) Rowe, 1991

Edie Kieft was 15 years old when she qualified for her surf bronze medallion.

She was 84 when she finally received the award.

In 1991, when Edie was presented with her medallion, the President, Alan Whelpton, from Surf Lifesaving New South Wales in Sydney flew up for the day. He presented Edie with a specially minted bronze medallion cut in two so that it could be mounted on a plaque; he also allocated a number on the medallion, 2190, the number Edie would have received in 1923.

The presentation of a gold plaque with the Bronze Medallion attached, was given to Edie by the President of SLSA, Alan Whelpton. The then 84-year-old Edie was very proud and overcome after waiting all those years to be recognised for her earlier achievement.

Edie receiving medallion
(Source: Facebook)

Edie passed away in 1998 in a nursing home in Murwillumbah aged 91.

Edie's Bronze Medallion
(Source: Tweed Regional Museum)

Her Story:

Kieft was a member of the Greenmount Ladies' Club and, in January 1923, she passed the surf lifesaving exam at Tweed Heads and Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club. Twelve boys had registered for the exam but when one withdrew at the last moment, Edie stepped in. She thought she was doing the club a favour but did more than just make up the numbers, passing the exam easily.

Because Kieft had registered using only her initial and surname, the Surf Bathing Association of New South Wales, the body responsible for acceditation, didn't realise she was a woman.

When they discovered that "E" stood for Edith, they withheld the award.

At that time, the association argued that women were not strong enough to operate the lifesaving equipment or to swim in heavy surf. They were therefore banned from qualifying as surf lifesavers.

Edie Kieft was one of thousands of women barred from qualifying as surf lifesavers from 1918 - 1980. When the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia finally admitted women as full members, the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta club requested that Edie Kieft (by now Mrs Rowe and a grandmother) be given her medallion. She was finally awarded her bronze medallion in 1991." (Source: Between the Flags)

The Surf Bathing Association of NSW

In 1902 it was against the law to enter the ocean during daylight hours in Australia .

A Sydney newspaper editor William Gocher announced his challenge of this law at Manly Beach. Eventually as more people began to challenge the law it was reversed but inexperienced swimmers were having problems with unusual surf conditions such as rip currents and the number of drownings increased.

Groups of volunteers began to patrol the beach to assist and in 1906 the Bondi Beach Surf Bathing Association was formed. The Surf Bathing Association of New South Wales was formed on 18 October 1907 when nine voluntary surf life saving clubs and representatives of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) met and affiliated to represent the interests of surf lifesavers. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Bronze Medallion

The Bronze Medallion was introduced in 1910 by the Surf Bathing Association as its measure of proficiency, and is still the basic qualification required to perform surf rescues today. The Association's Bronze Medallion proficiency test included use of the reel, and it was adopted widely in New South Wales and interstate, and remained largely unchanged for decades (NMA (2006) Between the flags: 100 years of surf lifesaving. National Museum of Australia, Canberra. p.7).

Links

ABC - Can We Help?

Transcript:

Episode 30, Friday 7 September , 2007

Moment in Time - Episode 30

Back in the 1970’s many women around the country wanted to be able to help out on the beach. They were training with surf clubs and successfully assisting in simulated rescues but couldn’t qualify as surf lifesavers.

Kerryn Briody remembers having the same dream and says ‘I was told nice little girls like you don't do those sorts of things, now what this meant I still to this day don't know.’

So who became the first female lifesaver? Well to be one you had to pass the Bronze Medallion. But for those wannabe women, there was a problem... women could not be lifesavers because the Association's constitution reserved the bronze medallion for men only.

[Kerryn Briody] ‘I distinctly remember two very senior members at Cottesloe sitting on chairs outside the gear shed and saying to 3 of us girls, ‘If you can’t carry it you can’t row it or paddle it, love’.’

But was physical strength the only issue? Surely anyone who could rescue should rescue?

The real reason for the opposition of women joining the lifesaving movement was spelled out by the Association's publicity officer. ‘It's always been a man's habitat. The surf club itself is where a man can come down, enjoy himself on the weekend, relax, enjoy a bit of surf competition, have a beer and relax, free from the female worries.’

Nothing much changed... the blokes continued to do their thing, but then there was a female they really needed to worry about!

[Kerryn Briody] ‘I guess we can thank Germaine Greer and her push with the Federal Government to ensure that women had equal rights within sporting organisations that changed the face of surf lifesaving and ultimately allowed us to become surf lifesavers in 1980.’

These days all that talk about only men being able to pull the belt are .. passe!

So, who was the first female to pass the bronze medallion? Actually it was Edie Kieft in 1923. Her club had twelve boys taking the test and one pulled out. Edie put up her hand, to make up the numbers, and passed easily.

[Joanne Bach – Curator of ‘Between the Flags’] ‘When they found out that 'E' was for Edith rather than Edward or Edgar they withheld the medal and said, 'I'm sorry but women aren't allowed to become surf lifesavers’.'

But 68 years later Edie finally received her medallion, backdated to 1923.

Tweed Daily News: 19 October 2010

Also in Daily Telegraph

Surf Life Saving Australia - History Fact Sheet #11

Royal Life Saving: Bronze Medallion

Tweed Regional Museum

Activities

The Up to Date Magazine!

Primary Middle

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical & Creative Thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

1. You are to interview 5 older women [grandparents or elderly neighbours] and one surf boat rower [if possible] about:

their life
the changes in attitudes to women in jobs and in sports from when they were children to now
ask if they would like to see more acknowledgement of women in sports today by more TV coverage
Surf boat rower - about how the surf club and the sport may have changed

2. You are to record this interview - either by taping it or making a video.

3. You are to take a photo of that person

4. You are to write an article about this person and submit it to this website - see link below (after getting permission from the person you have interviewed).

5. Using Scoop it , create a magazine about Women Surf Lifesavers and include Edie Kieft!

Scoopit

Prejudice at Australian beaches - still alive?

Middle Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Personal and social capability
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural Understanding
Australian Curriculum General Capability: Ethical Understanding

Cooperative Learning Activity

Mecca in Lifeguard's uniform
Mecca Laalaa [in the middle] in her Lifeguard's uniform - the burqini

1. Read Mecca Laalaa's story: Read

From bikini to 'burqini'	Lifesaver Laalaa rides a wave of support
Mecca Laalaa WebArchive Only	Racism No Way WebArchive Only
ABC Media Watch 2 February 2018 Although an old article it is still relevant...

2. As a group of 4 - 5 students, discuss the topic: "Prejudice at Australian beaches - still alive?" Has there been a major shift from Edith Kieft's day? Why? Why not?

What do you admire about Mecca Laalaa?

3. Look at the following video: Surf Life Saving - On The Same Wave
https://youtu.be/FiDyteaWj5s

In your group, discuss "What is this promotional video's main focus?" Give reasons. Is it successful in promoting it's message?

4. Make a poster using Canva.com to encourage all Australians living near the coast to be part of the SLS - On the Same Wave

Canva.com