Williamstown Swimming & Life Saving Club Inc

Vale Dr Manu Gilani 💙💛

Today we honour and remember Dr Manu Gilani, a much-loved member of the Williamstown Swimming & Life Saving Club community.

A member since 1989, Manu spent many years finding solace, friendship and perspective in the waters of Williamstown Beach. A daily swimmer, he became a familiar and cherished presence on the beach and in the bay.

Manu seemed to possess an unrivalled knowledge of local conditions and the swimming zone. Whether it was the water temperature, the distance between the poles, or the number and type of jellyfish or stingrays in the bay, members would seek out Manu’s advice—and take it as fact. If Manu said the water was 16 degrees, then it was 16 degrees!

As Club Doctor for the annual 2km Swim and WOW Swims, Manu played a vital role in keeping participants safe, attending more than 15 events over the years. In true Manu fashion, he would always swim the course beforehand, personally assessing conditions before others took to the water.

For Manu, the attraction of WSLSC was never just the swimming itself. It was the people, the stories and the sense of belonging. He loved seeing generations of swimmers enjoy the beach and often spoke proudly of the hundreds of nippers lining up on Sunday mornings, developing confidence, skills and a lifelong connection to the water.

Above all, Manu was a true gentleman—warm, generous, knowledgeable and quietly dedicated. He embodied the spirit of our club and will be remembered not only for what he did, but for the way he made people feel: welcomed, connected and part of something special.

Vale Dr Manu Gilani.

Thank you for your contribution to our club and for reminding us of the beauty, perspective and community that can be found in a morning swim.

Our thoughts are with Manu’s family, friends and all who knew him. 💙💛

The W***y Lit Fest Swimming Salon returns to the Williamstown Swimming & Lifesaving Club on the morning of Sunday, June 14 📚 🏖 🌊

Wrap your hands around a mug of hot chocolate and cosy up to the fire while listening to readings from writers Romy Ash, Luke Johnson and Thuy On on the theme of swimming and water. Then, if you’re feeling brave, join us for a wintry dip in the ocean (totally optional, of course 😎). Presented by Emily Westmoreland.

To book tickets, head to: events.humanitix.com/swimming-salon-202dtseg

This week is National Volunteer Week — and quite frankly, Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club would not be the incredible club it is without its volunteers.

We see you flipping sausages, selling merchandise, age managing our Nippers, donning high-vis rashies and braving the cold Willi waters with a tube, a board or in an IRB. We see you in your yellow t-shirts each Sunday morning, setting up flags and sprint tracks and lining up foamies, a coffee in one hand and a toddler in the other.

We see you looking intently out into the bay through binoculars & see you fighting strong winds to set up marquees and patrol tents. We see you handing out a Zooper Dooper after placing a Band-Aid on a scratched little toe.

We see you ticking off names and processing fobs from the tower. We see you making salad rolls and slicing fruit, your joyous laughter and chatter audible from the kitchen.

We see you coaching our teams and officiating carnivals. We see you hosing down the IRBs and Nippers boards, tinkering with motors, and tidying and sweeping sand from sheds and storerooms. We see you standing beside the pool on a calm summer morning, carefully watching over a single lap swimmer.

And of course, to our incredible team of volunteer lifesavers who tirelessly devote their weekends over summer to keeping our wonderful community safe — in and out of the water — we see you.

The 2026 theme is “Your Year to Volunteer” — highlighting how volunteering creates connections, brings purpose, and strengthens communities. And we couldn’t agree more.

Every one of you, our valued volunteers, strengthens our community with each contribution you make, big or small. 💙

We see and appreciate you all.
Happy National Volunteer Week.

Williamstown S&LSC will be taking part in the ANZAC Day Dawn Service wreath-laying ceremony at Williamstown this Saturday morning.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 & 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝.

We would love as many members as possible to attend and represent the club. If you’re able to join us, please meet outside the Strand Restaurant at 5:45am, where we will gather as a group.

We encourage everyone to wear club merchandise and colours if you have it.

The wreath-laying ceremony is scheduled for approximately 6:45am.

We look forward to seeing you there to mark this important occasion.

🚩 Flags Down

On Sunday, we marked the final patrol of the 2025–2026 season with our official Flags Down.

A heartfelt thank you to every one of our volunteer lifesavers for your time, dedication, and commitment to keeping visitors safe at Williamstown Beach throughout the summer. Your efforts make a real difference, and our community is safer because of you.

This season brought a wide range of challenges—numerous rescues, critical incident response, and demanding weather conditions. Our teams met each one with professionalism, skill, and a willingness to step up wherever needed—on the sand, in the water, aboard the IRB, and even WSLSC members in the air in the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. A special mention to our pool lifeguards, who cared for our members in the club pool—from early morning lap swimmers to warm summer afternoons filled with play and laughter. Your supervision ensured a safe environment where the joy of swimming could be enjoyed all season long.

As we move into winter, the club will take time to reflect on the season and review key insights, continuing to strengthen our approach to drowning prevention for the season ahead.

Thank you again for everything you do.
We look forward to seeing you next season.

And the winter competition season begins!! (Yes, it’s autumn, but today’s weather made it clear that winter is hiding just behind those grey coastal clouds!) 🌨️💨🌊

Today was Carnival No. 1 for our IRB team, who have patiently been waiting for their time on the waves — and what a start to the season it was! Despite the challenging conditions, many of our teams powered through and made it into the finals!

Congratulations to everyone who braved the cold, the wind, and the super-tough conditions today — especially our newest team members competing in their first carnival, who all did an amazing job! A fantastic effort from all involved, and we look forward to seeing you continue to tough it out and shine throughout the season ahead.

Huge congratulations to Veronica Treloar on being named a finalist for Volunteer of the Year at the VicSports Awards! 👏

Presented by the State Government of Victoria and Vicsport, the awards will take place on Wednesday 13 May 2026 in the Members Dining Room at the MCG.

Wishing you the very best of luck, V — well deserved! 💫

Perfect conditions set the stage for this year’s annual Point to Point, with the club’s oldest trophy once again up for grabs.

The handicapped swim delivered an excitingly close finish, with Sally Leung taking the win and all competitors finishing within just 45 seconds of each other—an incredible effort across the board!

A big shoutout to our two W***y Nippers, Hamish and Patrick, whose strong performances pushed the entire field to swim faster. Well done to everyone who took part!

Huge congratulations to the Williamstown Windbreakers on an incredible silver medal performance this morning at the 2026 Australian Surf Life Saving Surf Boat Championships in Queensland! 🥈🌊

Our club couldn’t be prouder of the dedication, teamwork, and grit our crews continue to show representing Williamstown on the national stage.

Well done to Chris Rossow, Simon Gurr, Stu Taylor, Isaac Doyle, and Sweep Marcus Stacey — a phenomenal effort by all.

Enjoy the celebrations, guys!

💛 Thank You to Our 2025/2026 Nippers Sponsors 💛

As our 2025/26 Nippers season officially comes to a close.. we’d like to say a huge thank you to our incredible season sponsors —
Port of Melbourne, Jim’s Storage, Jellis Craig Real Estate, and Atlantic Finance Mortgage Brokers.

Your support plays a vital role in helping Williamstown Swimming & Life Saving Club continue its mission of keeping our children safe on our beaches and waterways. Through Nippers, our kids learn essential water safety skills, confidence in and around the ocean, teamwork, and respect for the marine environment — skills that truly last a lifetime 🌊

With your backing, we’re not only teaching vital lifesaving skills today, but also growing the next generation of mini lifesavers and future guardians of our beaches and waterways.

We are so grateful for your commitment to our club, our community, and the safety of our youngest members. Thank you for helping us build a safer future, one Nipper at a time ❤️

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