Over the years the club has merged with several clubs that existed at nearby Beaconsfield Parade beaches.  The last merger was in 2002 when Middle Park LSC closed due to deteriorating club rooms and a disappearing beach.

For over 110 years we have been keeping Port Melbourne beaches safe.  The club has seen its ups and downs over the years but today it is a vibrant club offering a popular Nipper Program for local families and a safe beach environment for the public to use and enjoy.

A lot of club history was lost over the years in fires, theft and mis-placement when the club was closed and rebuilt in the 1990's. If you're a past member with some memorabilia we would love to hear from you.

Run entirely by volunteers the club is affiliated with Life Saving Victoria and Surf Life Saving Australia.

Port Melbourne Historical Society

The first life saving club in Port Melbourne was established in 1913 and later named the Southport Life Saving Club.  The original club house sat next to the old wooden dressing shed and was later developed into the kiosk.

The former club members were exceptionally strong swimmers, who religiously swam from Port Melbourne to Williamstown and back, every Sunday morning.

In 1923 our clubs first abode was erected.  A picture of a tin shack in the foyer of the existing Port Melbourne Life Saving club’s foyer depicts the original beach shack.  Also displayed are pictures of South-Ports first group of “clubbies”.  These pictures, housed on the clubs walls were taken in 1913, 1923, 1930 and later around the 1940’s war years.

Doc, has been a Port Melbourne local all his life, hailing from Little Bay Street, he has been coming down to Port Melbourne beach and club for over 75 years.

Doc has many fond memories since around 1930, of his time at the Port Melbourne Life Saving Club. One such memory was of the days when the local distillery, now across the road to our present day club, used to run it’s excess wine down to the old drain pier near what is now Pickles Street.  

The surrounding water in Port Melbourne bay was hot, to swim in.  Doc speaks fondly of the times when he recalled the locals that would swim in and enjoy a relaxing warm sea bath in the local bay.  Naturally, times have changed much since the good old days, this distillery and corresponding warm sea baths closed down, some 20 years ago.

Doc, who also holds the honourable title of being Port Melbourne Life Saving Club’s longest serving member, spanning a period of over 60 years, also speaks of his time as a wharfie on the docks and his activities engaged while meandering around Port Melbourne as a youngster. 

Life in the early and mid of last century was carefree, without much to do for the local youth.  Doc spent his time at the local Port Melbourne Youth club, were wrestling and boxing were popular activities.  Doc has always been very active in the Port Melbourne community.  From running both the former Port Melbourne Peddle (Cycling) Club, in addition to coaching his beloved local youth football team, Graham United.  A footy club aptly named after the lad’s meeting place for training on the corner of Graham and Bay Street. 

During his time at the footy club, Doc developed a reputation and in many ways took after the Footy clubs doctor, Dr Lafanyu, with his unkempt appearance, scraggy hair and pulled down socks, hence the name with the boys at the club and beach crew “Doc” stuck.

The Port Melbourne “Sportsman’s Club” was formed around the 1970’s running into the 1980’s, consisting of local businessman and travellers, many of whom were ex- footy players, jockey’s and cricketers who would congregate at Port Melbourne (formerly Southport Life Saving Club) every lunch break, from midday to two pm to play beach cricket.  Freddy Farrad, a former time keeper for St Kilda and another well known local made the men swim in the bay and exercise in both summer and winter. 

Port Melbourne had always previously been a quiet and relaxing beach, never with any major incidents, other than a recent sting ray attack on an innocent footballer! Doc has seen many changes during his days at the beach, however one thing that remained the same is the many footy players that come down to Port Melbourne beach to relax and recover, these days generally after their weekly gruelling training schedules.

Doc’s beach loving days have always been shared with his family members, all 9 brother and 3 sisters, all who have been members of the club.  Doc’s brother Lorry also can be seen with his brother, relaxing around the club.  

Another long serving club member and former Club Secretary was Doc’s daughter Leanne Wood.  Leanne married local Mayor, Councillor C. W. Raeburn, who officially opened the new Port Melbourne Life Saving Club house on December 7, 1991.

Another of Doc’s family members, his sister Violet Johnstone was a former serving Club President.  Violet shared this position with many other fine Club Presidents such as Tom Buckingham, as well as Ernie and Charlie Hall, two fine men who happened to both run the life saving club and beach kiosk before the great war.

The second longest long serving Port Melbourne LSC member of over 50 years and good friend of Doc’s is Percy White.  Percy can be seen pottering around the club and also has many amazing stories to share about the past.

One such story may include the day that the former club’s beach shack and kiosk were demolished, to make way for the existing life saving club.  The beach consisted of many sand dunes and scrub and on one evening around this time council tractors mysteriously came through and bulldozed all the scrub away, leaving us with our present day beach scape.

Doc, aka Leo Wood, is a Life Member of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS).  Many members and visitors to the club can see Doc’s certificate of gratitude for his life time of service to Life Saving, posted on the Port Melbourne club’s walls, on the way upstairs to the patrol room.