Against the Tide: New Work on Australasian Aquatic Cultures

Research on Australasian aquatic cultures has been driven by the widespread popularity of activities such as surfing, boating and swimming. However, the focus of academic scrutiny during the last two decades has largely been directed towards investigations of surfing and surf lifesaving in particular, and beach culture more generally. In this paper, the current research paradigm within which swimming research in Australia and New Zealand operates is described and discussed. It is concluded that aquatic cultures are much broader and more diverse than existing trends in literature would indicate.

Notes

[1] For succinct summaries and further literature on the important role of sport in each nation, see Hess and Nicholson, ‘Australia’, 123–128, and Thomson, ‘New Zealand’, 1071–78. For extended overviews, see Adair, ‘Australian Sports History’, 405–36, and Booth, ‘Searching for the Past’, 1–28.

[2] See, for example, Nauright, Sport, Power and Society in New Zealand; Mangan and Nauright, Sport in Australasian Society: Past and Present; Cashman, O'Hara and Honey, Sport, Federation, Nation; and Cashman, Sport in the National Imagination.

[3] Some of the relevant literature, ordered by year of publication, includes: Pearson, Surfing Subcultures of Australia and New Zealand; Galton, Gladiators of the Surf; Dutton, Sun, Sea, Sand and Surf; Booth, ‘War off Water’, 131–62; Booth, ‘Swimming, Surfing and Life–Saving’, 231–54; Booth, ‘Healthy, Economic, Disciplined Bodies’, 43–58; Booth, ‘Surf Lifesaving’, 167–87; Jaggard, ‘Tempering the Testosterone’, 16–36; Booth, Australian Beach Cultures; Brawley, ‘“Our Life–Savers”’, 139–64; Huntsman, Sand in Our Souls; Best, 50 Years and More; Phillips, Booth and Jaggard, ‘Analyzing Disputes in Sport History’, 1–5; Booth, ‘The Dark Side of Surf Lifesaving’, 7–13; Jaggard, ‘Writing Australian Surf Lifesaving's History’, 15–23; Phillips, ‘A Critical Appraisal of Narrative in Sport History’, 25–40; Booth, ‘A Tragic Plot?’, 41–6; Skinner, Gilbert and Edwards, Some Like it Hot; Booth, ‘Surf Lifesavers and Surfers’, 115–30; Jaggard, Between the Flags; Brawley, The Bondi Lifesaver; Joyce, ‘“Fraternal Greetings to Kindred Clubs in Australia and New Zealand”’, 57–76.

[4] Relevant literature includes Bennett, The Clarence Comet; Brown, ‘Edward Hanlan’, 1–44; Jacobsen, Australia in World Rowing; Adair, ‘Two Dots in the Distance’, 52–83; Adair, ‘Rowing and Sculling’, 172–92; Crotty, ‘“Separate and Distinct”’, 152–63; Ripley, ‘The Golden Age of Australian Professional Sculling or Skullduggery?’, 867–82; Poke, Peter Antonie; Ripley, Sculling and Skulduggery.

[5] See D'Alpuget, Yachting in Australia; Bricknell, ‘Fickle Winds and Treacherous Feelings’, 16–30; Thompson, ‘Boats, Bondy and the Boxing Kangaroo’, 59–130.

[6] Phillips, ‘Public Sports History’, 93–102. The review essay by Phillips covers Clarkson, Lanes of Gold, McDonald, The First 100, and Daly, The Splendid Journey, which deal with swimming associations in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia respectively. The centenary history of the Queensland Swimming Association has also been published. See Barrett, The First 100 Years.

[7] Atkinson, Australian and New Zealand Olympians; Howell and Howell, Aussie Gold; Gordon, Australia and the Olympic Games.

[8] Lomas, The Will to Win; Fraser with Gordon, Gold Medal Girl; Fraser, Dawn; Fraser and Murdoch, Our Dawn; Fenton, They Called Him Boy; Gould, Tumbleturns. For a review essay dealing with swimming autobiographies and social memory, see Osmond, ‘Shimmering Waters’, 63–71.

[9] Fromholtz, The Sobraon Wonder; Winterton, ‘The Kieran Legacy’, 23–35; Ramsland, ‘Barney Kieran’, 241–59.

[10] Much of the material on Kellermann is discussed in Lucas, ‘Making a Statement’, 25–35.

[11] Respectively: Daley, Leisure and Pleasure, 124–25, 251, 254; Daley, ‘Women Endurance Swimmers’, 29–55.

[12] Osmond and Phillips, ‘“The Bloke with a Stroke”’, 309–24; Osmond and Phillips, ‘“Look at That Kid Crawling”’, 43–62; Osmond and McDermott, ‘Mixing Race’, 338–55.

[13] Raszeja, A Decent and Proper Exertion; Light and Rockwell, ‘The Cultural Origins of Competitive Swimming in Australia’, 21–37; McDermott, ‘Changing Visions of Baths and Bathers’, 1–19.

[14] Allan, ‘The Natatorial Art’; Winterton, ‘For “Duty and Pleasure”’; Richardson, ‘An Aquatic Divide and Conquer’; Osmond, ‘Nimble Savages’.

[15] Rockwell, Water Warriors.

[16] Sides, ‘Making a Splash in 2000’, 143–52.

[17] Phillips, Swimming Australia.