History
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We had 10 active bronze members in 1933 and won all the events at our first ever home carnival, and proved to be the best club in the State by winning the State Premiership.
There was no craft competition in Tasmania until the early 50s, so until then competition consisted only of swimming and beach events. The only rescue equipment was the reel, line and a large cumbersome cork belt.
The first team to represent the State was selected in 1938. Chosen to compete in carnivals in NSW, including interstate competition at Bondi, it included three of our members.
The writing was on the wall for the short-term future of our club in the 1940s. On 21st October our President J.C Hales reported to a NW Association meeting that five of our ten active members had enlisted in the armed forces and a sixth was about to go. With only two or three members we withdrew from competition and in January 1942 withdrew from the Association.
Surf Life Saving competition in Tasmania was suspended in 1942. It was not until 1946/47 season that competition resumed.
The clubs first facilities were public change rooms. These were destroyed by storms sometime in 1932. The first actual clubhouse, built in 1932-33, lasted until 1953. A new clubhouse was built during 1953, Lou Stubbs, a building contractor prepared plans for a double storey building. With State Government assistance of 1000 pounds this new building was constructed for a cost totalling 2000 pounds.
After raising 50 pounds as the result of an appeal launched after the rescue of a girl we purchased our first surfboat in early 1954, a second-hand tuck-stern timber craft from the Freshwater Surf Club on Sydney's North Shore. It was around this time that Lou Stubbs persuaded Bill Foster to make using marine ply, the clubs first single ski and long board.
The 1970s proved to be a great time in the history of our club. We overcame financial problems to buy another boat, toward the end of the decade we commenced building a new clubhouse at Preservation Bay, the Nippers were formed becoming an important part of the club and we won the State Premier Club competition.
During the 1980s our number one priority was to finish the clubhouse. The first stage (the lower storey) was completed and officially opened on 9th January 1982.
1980 was the first year that females could obtain their surf bronze medallion, six young Penguin girls gaining this award during the season. The highly secret purchase of a fibreglass boat provided Penguin with a psychological advantage in the 1981 Mercury Surf Safari, a marathon event around the Derwent River we had never won. The club was also victorious in the Open Ski, Open Double Ski and the beach run section of the boat race. Work on the upper storey of the club started in 1985, it was completed and officially opened in May 1987.