'Feats of Fancy' and 'Marvels of Muscle': a Social History Of
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‘Feats of Fancy’ and ‘Marvels of Muscle’: A Social History of Swimming in Late Colonial Melbourne Rachel Winterton A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Sport and Exercise Science Faculty of Arts, Education and Human Development Victoria University Melbourne, Victoria January 2010 ii Table of Contents Abstract iv Declaration v Acknowledgements vi List of Acronyms vii Chapter One Historical Perspectives on Swimming: An Overview 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Australian Sporting Culture 2 1.3 International Aquatic Research 6 1.4 Australian Aquatic Research 10 1.5 Research on Swimming in Melbourne 20 1.6 Newspapers as Primary Sources 24 1.7 Methodology 27 1.8 Conclusions 31 Chapter Two The Characteristics of Swimming and Bathing in Early Melbourne 2.1 Introduction 33 2.2 Health, Sanitation and Morality: The Need for Public Baths 33 2.3 The Early Years: Yarra Baths and Bathing 36 2.4 Port Phillip’s Sea Baths and the English Tradition 39 2.5 An ‘Urban Beach’: The Establishment of the Melbourne City Baths 49 2.6 Early Competitions and Clubs 51 2.7 Conclusions 60 Chapter Three ‘Panderings to a Sensation Loving Public’: The Role of Carnival in Popularising Swimming 3.1 Introduction 63 3.2 The Historical Development of Spectator Sport 64 3.3 Selling Sport: Swimming in the Print Media 69 3.4 Sport as Carnival and Theatre 71 3.5 Ladies’ Day and Carnival 78 3.6 Novelties, Fancy Dress and Farcical Events 80 3.7 Trick Swimming, Diving and Plunge Events 87 3.8 Water Polo 94 3.9 Specialty Competitive Races and Events 102 3.10 The Increasing Emphasis on Competitive Racing 104 3.11 Conclusions 106 iii Chapter Four ‘This Truly Noble Art’: Lifesaving, Resuscitation and Swimming in Melbourne State Schools 4.1 Introduction 110 4.2 Early Swimming and Lifesaving Education 111 4.3 Lifesaving Clubs and Competitions 116 4.4 Youth Swimming Prior to the Schools Movement 122 4.5 The Inauguration of Swimming in Melbourne State Schools 130 4.6 The Consolidation of Swimming in Melbourne State Schools 135 4.7 Conclusions 147 Chapter Five ‘A Question of Propriety’? The Rise of Female Participation in Swimming in Melbourne 5.1 Introduction 150 5.2 Existing Attitudes Toward Swimming for Women 152 5.3 The Feminine Role at Colonial Swimming Carnivals 156 5.4 Barriers to Participation and Inclusion 164 5.5 ‘Not a Swimming Animal’: Building a Case for Women’s Carnivals 171 5.6 The Brighton Ladies’ Carnivals: A Case Study 177 5.7 Further Developments in Women’s Swimming 190 5.8 Conclusions 193 Chapter Six ‘A Spirit of Emulation’: Governing Competitive Swimming in Melbourne 6.1 Introduction 197 6.2 The Reflected Importance of Amateurism 198 6.3 The Development of Clubs and Competitions 207 6.4 Inconsistencies in Rules and Regulations 215 6.5 Poor Attention to Regional Clubs 220 6.6 Financial Problems 224 6.7 The Unacceptable Standard of Competitive Swimming 230 6.8 Conclusions 239 Chapter Seven Conclusions 242 Bibliography 252 iv Abstract The history of competitive swimming in nineteenth century Australia has been relatively well documented, with several publications dedicated to the social, cultural and statistical dimensions of the sport. However, little academic attention has been directed toward the manner in which swimming was promoted to the public, and the cultural influences surrounding this endorsement. In order to address such a deficiency, this thesis examines how the activity of swimming was represented in the Melbourne press at the end of the nineteenth century. Through a systematic analysis of selected metropolitan, suburban, sporting and specialist newspapers, a number of factors are identified as integral to the development of competitive swimming in Melbourne specifically, and in the colony of Victoria more generally. Key aspects include the existence of a popular carnival culture, the introduction of swimming in schools, the rise of female participation and the inauguration of a colonial governing body for competitive swimming. The varying press representations of these issues are examined thematically, and the socio-cultural reasons for trends in coverage are explored. It is suggested that the popularity of swimming in colonial Melbourne was influenced by the social, humanitarian and health benefits that the sport provided, and that these factors were reinforced by coverage provided in nineteenth century newspapers. In short, as well as promoting swimming to the public, the local press played an important role in providing social commentary on swimming carnivals, critiquing the sport’s administration and lobbying for improvements. This research therefore draws attention to the interactive role of newspaper columnists in not only promoting, but also in sometimes hindering, the growth of Australian aquatic sport. In highlighting the character and influence of the press, greater understandings of the socio-cultural processes that underpinned the development of competitive swimming in late colonial Melbourne are achieved. v Declaration I, Rachel Winterton, declare that the PhD thesis entitled ‘“Feats of Fancy” and “Marvels of Muscle”: A Social History of Swimming in Late Colonial Melbourne’ is no more than 100,000 words in length including quotes and exclusive of tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. This thesis contains no material that has been submitted previously, in whole or in part, for the award of any other academic degree or diploma. Except where otherwise indicated, this thesis is my own work. Signature: Date: vi Acknowledgements This thesis is a testament to the assistance and commitment of a great many people, to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. I am forever indebted to my supervisors, Dr Rob Hess and Dr Claire Parker, for the considerable hours they have invested in the development of this thesis. My thanks to them for schooling me on all things historical, methodological and grammatical, for their continual demands for excellence and most of all for their unstinting encouragement and support. From Victoria University, I would like to thank the School of Sport and Exercise Science and the Office for Postgraduate Research for their administrative and pastoral aid, as well as Pam Thomas from the Footscray Park campus library for her ongoing assistance with resources. Thanks also go to my Room L206 colleagues, Chelsea Litchfield and Jackey Osborne, for their friendship and debriefing sessions. Colleagues associated with the Australian Society for Sports History (ASSH) and the Sport History Unit at Victoria University have also provided a great deal of feedback in regard to my research, and my appreciation is extended to them. Gratitude is also expressed to the staff at Swimming Victoria, the State Library of Victoria and the Public Records Office of Victoria for assisting me in locating much valued primary source material. A project of this magnitude requires a great deal of personal encouragement, and I have been lucky enough to have the unflinching support of many. I would like to thank my parents, Mandy and Colin, for living the dream with me, and also my extended family for their continued support. Finally, to everybody who has inspired, encouraged or made allowances for me over the past four years – I extend my sincere thanks. vii List of Acronyms ASU Amateur Swimming Union of Australia FINA Fédération Internationale de Natation NSS National Swimming Society (England) NSWAAA New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association NSWASA New South Wales Amateur Swimming Association NZASA New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association QASA Queensland Amateur Swimming Association RHS Royal Humane Society SAASA South Australian Amateur Swimming Association SAGB Swimming Association of Great Britain SSSA State Schools Swimming Association (Victoria) SSSC State Schools Swimming Committee (Victoria) TASA Tasmanian Amateur Swimming Association VAAA Victorian Amateur Athletic Association VASA Victorian Amateur Swimming Association VSA Victorian Swimming Association 1 Chapter One Historical Perspectives on Swimming: An Overview 1.1 Introduction Douglas Booth has noted in his seminal work on Australian beach culture that, ‘No other country is so beach-bound’. 1 In light of this revelation, it is therefore unsurprising that sporting and recreational activities of an aquatic nature have always been popular in Australian society. Swimming is but one example, and its iconic position in Australian culture has resulted in a great deal of research on the activity in a variety of locations, across a number of different time periods and from a number of perspectives. However, the lengthy history of the sport and the diversity of locations in which it was conducted have ensured that the historical documentation of swimming in Australia is not, nor will ever be, complete. Therefore, there is a need for a sustained contribution to the national history of the sport by exploring neglected areas of enquiry, and by examining the sport from alternate perspectives. In line with such an observation, this thesis examines the development and characteristics of swimming in Melbourne, Victoria, by means of a systematic analysis of press coverage on swimming between 1893 and 1900. 2 The starting point for this research denotes the inauguration of the colonial governing body for competitive swimming, the Victorian Swimming Association (VSA), 3 which precipitated an era of growth and change for the sport. Therefore, this thesis seeks to identify factors that influenced the continued development of the competitive sport in Melbourne, and in Victoria more generally. 4 Furthermore, it will also explore the role of the press in promoting swimming, the representation of swimming in nineteenth 1 Douglas Booth, Australian Beach Cultures: The History of Sun, Sand and Surf , Frank Cass, London, 2001, p. 3. 2 In nineteenth century Australia, Melbourne was the major city of the colony of Victoria. 3 John McDonald, The First 100: A Century of Swimming in Victoria , Swimming Victoria, Melbourne, 1993, p.