Drawing on Waverley Council’s Local History collection, this exhibition tells the story of Bondi Lifeguards through archival photographs, original artefacts and surprising stories.

See the history told through everyday objects: the iconic lifeguard uniforms, scrapbooks filled with clippings, duty rosters, a bronze shark warning bell from the 1920s, confiscation book and so much more.

Come for a glimpse into the curious, practical and deeply human details that have shaped over a century of watching over Bondi.

Exhibition 10am - 3pm daily

Local History Talks 11am daily

Join long-standing professional Lifeguard Lawrie Williams for an intimate stroll through Bondi's history and the history of the Professional Lifeguard Service on Bondi Beach. 
Affectionately named the Bondi Historian, Lawrie Williams weaves his personal experiences as a long-standing Bondi Lifeguard into this behind-the scenes virtual tour and talk about Australia’s most famous beach and its proud history of 113 years of professional lifeguarding. Dedicated to sharing the knowledge of the Bondi region, hear Lawrie tell stories that span decades, learn about the evolution of swimming and surfing at Bondi Beach, famous Beach Inspectors over the decades, and their feats of bravery, the Black Sunday mass rescue, the banning of bikinis on the beach, and later the banning of topless bathing. The virtual tour uncovers shark tales, Black Sunday, the WW2 shelling of Bondi by Japanese submarines, beach scandals, mermaids and so much more.