Marine Rescue Ballina

09/10/2026

👮A Special Visit to Marine Rescue Ballina 👮
Marine Rescue Ballina was very pleased to welcome the New South Wales Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon. Jihad Dib MP, to our radio base.
This was not a media opportunity, but a genuine visit of concern. The Minister came to check on the welfare of our crew members who were involved in the terrible accident in May. His visit showed a sincere concern for the wellbeing of our frontline volunteers, and we greatly appreciated him taking the time to speak with them.
We also had a surprise visitor from Marine Rescue NSW headquarters, our Commissioner, Todd Andrews, who joined us for the occasion.
During the visit, Minister Dib made a very special presentation to one of Marine Rescue Ballina’s longest-serving volunteers, Norm Lannoy, presenting him with his certificate of nomination for NSW Volunteer of the Year. This is a wonderful recognition of Norm’s dedication and many years of service to the community.
We also took the opportunity to express our appreciation to the Minister, with Geoff Hutchinson presenting him with a copy of SHIPWRECKED: A History of Ballina. The book records the rich maritime history of Ballina and the dangers faced by those who worked and travelled across the Richmond River bar.
We thank Minister Dib and Commissioner Andrews for visiting Marine Rescue Ballina and, in particular, for their concern for the welfare of our volunteers. Their support and recognition mean a great deal to our crew and the wider Marine Rescue Ballina community.
https://www.facebook.com/JihadDibBankstown

30/09/2026

🙋🥪🌊 Come on and join us for a BBQ @ the Beach! 🌊👮👮‍♀️
This Sunday morning 4th October, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, we're hosting a BBQ @ the Beach fundraiser at the Marine Rescue Tower on the north wall.
The ‘SHIPWRECKED’ book will be on sale, and the author Geoff can personally sign it for you.
Your generous donations help us keep fuel in our vessels and continue Saving Lives on the Water.
Come down for a delicious egg and bacon or a sausage sandwich and say hello to our amazing volunteers.
You might even be inspired to join our team and become a Marine Rescue volunteer yourself!
💙 We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

24/09/2026

🌞🐋🌊 It’ SPRING TIME 🌞🙋‍♀️🌊
The weather is fantastic, come on and join us.
BBQ @ the Beach This Sunday morning, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, at the Marine Rescue Tower on the north wall.
Come down for a delicious egg and bacon or a sausage sandwich and say hello to our amazing volunteers.
Your generous donations help us keep fuel in our vessels and continue Saving Lives on the Water.
You might even be inspired to join our team and become a Marine Rescue volunteer yourself!
💙 We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

20/09/2026

12/09/2026

SHIPWRECKED book available @ Fisherman Co-Op West Ballina.

04/09/2026

🌊 It’s FATHER’S DAY @ the BEACH🌊
🌊 It’s a SPRING PARTY 🌊
The weather is fantastic, come on and join us.
BBQ @ the Beach This Sunday morning, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, at the Marine Rescue Tower on the north wall.
Come down for a delicious egg and bacon or a sausage sandwich and say hello to our amazing volunteers.
FATHERS DAY is coming, The ‘SHIPWRECKED’ book will be on sale, and the author Geoff can personally sign it for DAD.
SHIPWRECKED is the history of Ballina and all the shipwrecks at the bar this will keep Dad occupied till next Father’s Day.
Your generous donations help us keep fuel in our vessels and continue Saving Lives on the Water.
You might even be inspired to join our team and become a Marine Rescue volunteer yourself!
💙 We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

02/09/2026

🌞🎪🌊 It’s a SPRING PARTY 🌊🎸🎊🎉
The weather is fantastic, come on and join us.
BBQ @ the Beach this Sunday morning, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, at the Marine Rescue Tower on the north wall.
Come down for a delicious egg and bacon or a sausage sandwich and say hello to our amazing volunteers.
FATHERS DAY is coming, the ‘SHIPWRECKED’ book will be on sale, and the author Geoff can personally sign it for you.
Your generous donations help us keep fuel in our vessels and continue Saving Lives on the Water.
You might even be inspired to join our team and become a Marine Rescue volunteer yourself!
💙 We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

20/08/2026

Ballina RSL Club Ltd
𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲

Ballina RSL Club is incredibly privileged to donate $5,000 to Marine Rescue Ballina, on behalf of the recently dissolved Ballina R***e Club.

While the closing of a long-standing community club marks the end of a chapter, we’re honoured to help ensure its legacy of community spirit and mateship continues through this generous contribution.

Marine Rescue Ballina’s dedicated volunteers give their time, skills and energy to helping keep our local waterways safe and supporting those who need assistance on the water. Their commitment is an invaluable part of our community, and we’re proud to support the important work they do.

A heartfelt thank you to the members of the Ballina R***e Club for choosing to give back to the local community as part of their final chapter, and to the wonderful volunteers at Marine Rescue Ballina for everything you do.

It’s a beautiful reminder that even when one chapter closes, its impact can continue to make a difference.

29/07/2026

🌊 Come on and join us for a BBQ @ the Beach! 🌊
This Sunday morning from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, we're hosting a BBQ @ the Beach fundraiser at the Marine Rescue Tower on the north wall.
The ‘SHIPWRECKED’ book will be on sale, and the author Geoff can personally sign it for you.
Your generous donations help us keep fuel in our vessels and continue Saving Lives on the Water.
Come down for a delicious egg and bacon or a sausage sandwich and say hello to our amazing volunteers.
You might even be inspired to join our team and become a Marine Rescue volunteer yourself!
💙 We look forward to seeing you there! 💙

28/07/2026

St Mary's Anglican Church – Keeping the Memory of the Protector Alive
Few maritime tragedies have left a deeper mark on Ballina's history than the loss of the steam paddlewheel tug Protector in 1901.
Measuring 101 feet (30.93 metres) in length and 158 tons, the Protector was entering the Port of the Richmond River when disaster struck. A powerful sea hit the vessel broadside on the notorious Ballina Bar, causing her to capsize. Within moments, Captain Joseph Lewis and four crew members had lost their lives.
The tragedy deeply affected the Ballina community. Captain Lewis and his crew were members of St Mary's Anglican Church, where their loss was mourned by family, friends and fellow parishioners.
More than a century later, their memory continues to be honoured.
Marine Rescue Ballina was recently invited to visit St Mary's Anglican Church by Kerry, who explained that, during the memorial service for Bill and Frank, the congregation also offered special prayers and a tribute in the church's Mariners Chapel. It was a fitting reminder that the church has long been a place where those lost at sea are remembered.
The Mariners Chapel was created around a beautiful stained-glass window that was carefully preserved from the original church. Installed in 1906, the window is dedicated to Captain Joseph Lewis and stands as a lasting memorial to the master of the ill-fated Protector.
Nearby are two further stained-glass windows dedicated to Captain Thomas Fenwick, owner of the Protector and one of Ballina's most influential maritime pioneers. Although Captain Fenwick died in 1896, five years before the tragedy, the windows were installed in 1906 to recognise his enormous contribution to the development of Ballina's maritime industry and the Richmond River.
To thank Kerry and the congregation for preserving this important part of Ballina's maritime heritage, Marine Rescue Ballina presented the church with a copy of SHIPWRECKED. The book tells the story of the Protector, Captain Joseph Lewis, Captain Thomas Fenwick and many other shipwrecks and maritime events that shaped the history of the Richmond River and the Ballina coastline.
The book is now on display at St Mary's Anglican Church, where visitors can learn more about this remarkable chapter of Ballina's past.
Copies of SHIPWRECKED are available seven days a week from the Ballina Fishermen's Co-op at West Ballina.