THE Wauchope-Bonny Hills SLSC is well known as the ‘family club’. The current club membership boasts many grandchildren of the original bronze medallion squads from the late 1950s & 60s - some are listed on the club Honour Roll.

Some of the family groups who have been associated with the club include:
The Smith family
Fowler and Clark families
The Garrett family
The Ninness family
The Woodger family
The Shrubb family
Jill Trotter
Monkley/Steel/McGovern
The Buckley family
The Monaghan family
The Stokes family

The Smith family
Chalkie Bob Smith OAM and wife Lyn with their children, Peter, Leanne and Megan hold a special place within the club. With Lyn as supporter and mainstay, the remaining family members have been Branch, NSW Country, NSW State Championship, and Australian Champion finalists and/or medal winners. Chalkie has also won medals at World events. Chalkie has coached the successful R&R teams and also competed and officiated at every level of the sport. Siblings, Peter, Leanne and Megan were also in the thick of competition winning numerous events at all levels. Currently, Leanne and husband Dave Goggin maintain a strong link with the club, particularly the nippers movement and their children, Jedd and Kyanah are also keen competitors.
Beau Bob Smith
The late Beau Bob Smith won virtually everything from senior R&R team medals in the 1960s to a gold medal at the World Championships in 2006. Beau has held the positions in our club as club captain, vice-president, craft captain and club delegate to branch. Son Chris was a member of the club's first ever Australian medal-winning team - the cadet four-person rescue and resuscitation team that won a bronze medal at Clifton Beach in Tasmania and also a NSW State silver medal at Mollymook (1982-83). He was also a NSW Country and Mid-North Coast Branch medallist in single racing, double racing, wave ski and ski relay events.

Fowler and Clark families
George Fowler was a foundation member of WBHSLSC in 1958 and gained his bronze medallion in 1966. George Fowler has two world championship bronze medals (Manly 2000) for beach flags and beach sprints in 55-59 years division. In the Australian Masters Championship George (Harold George or "HG" as he is better known) has won three silver medals, two for beach flags and one in the double ski (with Chalkie Bob) and also a bronze in the beach sprint in the 60-64 or 65 and over age divisions. He married Bev Clark who was the daughter of the late Rex Clark (after whom the Rex Clark Memorial Patrol Competition Shield is named). Their daughter Allyson was also a member of the famous first ever Australian medal winning R&R teams and also won medals at various Australian, state and branch levels. Son Jeffrey was a member of WBHSLSC first ever NSW State Championship medal-winning efforts taking a bronze in the Australian Championships at Wanda in 1981. Rex Clark was one of the members of one of the oldest bronze squads to pass their award in 1965. He was 56 years of age when he gained his bronze to be in the club with two of his sons Bob and Peter. As a cadet and junior Bob was highly successful and he won Mid-North Coast Branch and NSW Country (as Combined North Coast Branches) Championships in surf race and junior six-person R&R and senior surf teams championships.

The Garrett family
Allan Garrett was a foundation member of the club in 1958 and gained his bronze medallion and was awarded life membership in 1993. He has a long career as a major supporter of the club in fundraising and competition. Son Graeme was a member of the club's cadet four-person R&R team that won our first Australian Championship medal (Tas) 1982-83 and the silver medal in the same team at NSW State the same season. In all Graeme won six NSW Country R&R championships, one Australian silver and two Australian bronze medals and made it into five Australian Championship finals. Younger brother David also was a member of two Australian Championship medal teams in R&R events (silver and bronze at Moana in the same team as Graeme) and also made it into four Australian finals for R&R.

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The Ninness family
The Ninness family also has played a significant part in the club's history. Father Allan (Gaynut) was an early member gaining his bronze medallion in 1959 and competing well as a beach competitor as a march past standard bearer and as an R&R coach. Children, Paul, Joanne (now married to Graeme Garrett), Cath, Mark and Louise have followed in his footsteps. Paul has made a wonderful contribution to surf life saving at numerous executive levels and was named NSW and Australian Lifesaver of the Year. In 1985 Paul and Anne-Marie Coombes won a bronze medal in the first aid competition at the NSW State Championships. Cath participated in three Australian finals for two medals and also won numerous Mid-North Coast and NSW Country Championships in R&R and march past teams. Mark won Mid-North Coast, NSW Country and NSW State medals in R&R teams and then went on to be NSW Country open beach flags champion and dual medallist in beach flags.

The Woodger family
Three of the Woodger family (Bob, Lynne and Stephen) all made significant contributions to WBHSLSC in fundraising, coaching, managing and in competition. Bob was the mainstay of the club’s R&R outfits for many years while Lynne won gold at the NSW Country Championships in the under 15 beach sprint and annexed a swag of beach sprint and beach flags championship medals at Mid-North Coast Branch titles. Stephen was a member of our first Australian Championship medal-winning team in the cadet four-person R&R team (Tas). The team won gold at Branch, bronze at NSW Country, silver at NSW State and bronze in the Australian in 1982-83.

The Shrubb family
Rex Shrubb was awarded life membership in 1993 after a strong contribution as treasurer, fundraiser, team manager and chairman at presentation nights. David was one of the first NSW State medal winners ever in the cadet four-person R&R (Evans Head 1980-81). They had previously won gold at Branch and silver at NSW Country. They were the first team from the club to represent NSW in an Australian final. John was a member of our cadet five-person R&R team that won a silver at NSW Country, bronze at NSW State and placed fifth in the Aussies at Point Leo (Vic) in 1984-85.


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Jill Trotter
Jill Trotter is an icon in our club. Jill is one of only two lady life members at this stage and awarded in 1982. She was a foundation member of WBH ladies auxiliary and a member of the ladies march past team for many years winning a number of unofficial branch titles. Jill was our club secretary for many years and was a great motivator and organiser. She has been one of the main fundraisers in the club over the years and is still running our 300 Club each year. Jill organised our silver anniversary ball (1983-84).

Monkley/Steel/McGovern
The Monkley/Steel and McGovern family group. It would appear that almost everyone around Wauchope is related in some way to the Monkley family and these three families are very closely associated. The Monkleys: Don (Dos) Monkley was foundation treasurer of the club in 1958 and was a member of the first bronze squad. He was awarded as the second life member (1967). Dos was the treasurer of the club until he and wife Kaye (nee Clarke) left the district in the 70s. He was a member of the senior R&R team from its inception and won a number of Mid-North Coast Branch titles as well as being in the senior R&R team and march past team that won the first Combined North Coast Branch (now NSW Country) titles at Port Macquarie in 1962. Dos, also for many years, coached the ladies march past team to win the Branch Championship on a number of occasions. He married one of the young ladies from one of these teams. Ted Monkley (Don's twin) and Eric both joined Don as recipients of club honour pennants. From the Steel clan came Rud, Bill, Athol and Terry. All were very handy beach competitors with Rud and Albie Pead starting our first nippers group in 1964. The McGovern part of the family (Allan, Richard, Tracey) all made significant and continuing contributions to our club. Allan (father) served as club president for a few years and worked very hard with very successful AMP Challenge crews and IRB champion crews with Alan Barlin, Paul Hoole, Manfred Sonntag, Roland Murcott, Jane and Andrew Hoskings and the Felstead brothers (Mark and Adam). Son Richard was club captain, patrol captain and Mid-North Coast Branch champion and a NSW Country beach flags medallist. Tracey (who left our club prior to being selected in the Australian women's soccer squad for the 2000 Olympics) won Branch Championship and NSW Country medals in beach events.

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The Buckley family
The Buckley family including Grahame, Denise, Corinne, Rachael and Natalie all have played a big part in our JACs and also our senior club. Grahame as coach of our beach competitors deserves much praise for advancing the club to one of the best beach clubs in NSW Country. Corinne, Rachael and Natalie have all won medals at NSW Country and also at NSW State level. Obviously they have won numerous Branch championships in flags, beach sprints and relays. Corinne and Rachael made up half of our gold medal open beach relay team that won three NSW Country open beach relays in succession defeating Australian champions (Mollymook) in those years.

The Monaghan family
The Monaghan family (starting with grandfather Pat – a foundation bronze squad member in 1958 – followed by sons Michael, Steve and Peter and grandchildren Nathan, Kayla, Ben, Sam, Grace and Lucy). Steve was a member of our first serious junior boat crew started in 1981 by Manfred Sonntag in the old "Chalkie Bob" and the new "Dick Smith" in which they won a Branch Championship. Crews didn't reform until about 1997 and Steve came back to the club and is one of the mainstays of a highly successful boat section of our club. Peter was our JACs chairman and recipient of Clubperson of the Year in 2003. Grandchildren Sam and Ben (sons of Steve) have both won Branch and Country medals in JACs and along with Nathan have moved into the senior ranks. Steve's daughters Grace and Lucy are now enthusiastic members of our nippers group.

The Stokes family
The Stokes family has been so important for our club for over 25 years. Parents Reg and Yvonne were selected as life patrons because of their support. Narelle, one of the club's hardest workers in the history of the club (SLSC 1984, bronze 1985), was awarded life membership in 2002. She was club secretary, chief instructor and patrol captain for a number of years. She has an examiner's certificate for bronze and ARC. Narelle was a member of cadet and junior R&R teams that won Branch, NSW Country Championships and represented NSW in R&R events at Point Leo (1985) and Moana (1986). Philip was an excellent beach competitor and a great member of our branch champion IRB crews. Anthony was a member of our under 16 years five-person R&R team that won Branch, NSW Country (gold), NSW State (bronze) and Australian Championship (bronze) 1995. David Stokes and Sue Stokes are among our hardest working clubbies at present as JAC president and club registrar. David is a patrol captain and was our 2004 Clubperson of the Year. Zac and Mitchell (David and Sue's boys) have made excellent contributions in the JACs and will become great senior club members in the future.