West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 29 January 1945, page 2


SWIMMING PICNIC. Aid for Child Development A swimming picnic at the Point Reserve, on the Swan River, Bassendean, in support of the Bassendean Child Development Centre, was attended by a large crowd on Saturday. Juvenile swimming races, pony rides, "duck hunts" and various sideshows provided popular entertainment. Percy Oliver demonstrated the freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke methods of swimming. Members of the Cottesloe Surf Life-saving Club showed the "Uni-Grip" method of life-saving, which is taught to army personnel proceeding on amphibious operations. The chief patrol officer of the Surf Life-saving Association demonstrated the use of the rocking stretcher, and the secretary of the Royal Life-saving Association (Mr N. R. Collins) presented the life-saving team with certificates and medallions for having been the first in this State to quality in the new method. The main Juvenile swimming event was the "Swim through Bassendean," which was closely contested. Miss V. Bowra won from R. Harris (scratch and fastest time), and F. Mongon was third.