The DHL 2024 Club of the Year is continuing to go from strength to strength for a small club on the east coast of Tasmania. 

With Bicheno’s population of only 952 people, Bicheno Surf Life Saving Club president Rhys Evans says the club does well with their small yet passionate group of members. 

“We have roughly 140 members which is not bad for a small town,” he said. “Of course, many of our members travel long distances from all over the state to be a part of our very special and unique club.”

Evans has been a very active member of the Bicheno SLSC since 2007 and has seen the growth of the club firsthand from a young age.

“I was a nipper when we first started the club, well before we even had a clubhouse,” he recalls.

Nippers and patrols were a key focus of the recent summer period for the Bicheno SLSC. “This is when Bicheno is at its busiest,” says Evans. “Our beaches get fairly inundated with our tourist and shack owners population.”

But the work doesn’t stop here for the club. During the off season, there will be surf sports training, Emergency Response Teams (ERT) callouts, water safety and events such as the ‘Devil of a Swim’. 

The ‘Devil of a Swim’ is an iconic event in the area, initiated by Olympic swimmer Shane Gould. It’s an annual ocean swim event that covers 1km, 2km and 5km events that goes along the coastline and around Diamond Island. 

There are more exciting plans in place for 2025 for the Bicheno SLSC. They are currently updating their five-year strategic plan to help guide their development into the future and continue to build off their momentum. 

“We have been fortunate to receive some federal election promises in relation to our proposed clubhouse infrastructure development so there’s certainly some exciting things happening for us and the community!” Evans said. 

The club is always looking for new members and volunteers to join and help continue to grow and sustain their movement. If you’re interested in learning more about the Bicheno SLSC, click here.