Annabelle Chapman, holds degrees in both Architecture and Interior Design, and has been a Chartered Architect since 1986. With over 40 years’ experience, having worked on Heritage Buildings, Commercial Interiors, small- and large-scale residential work, along with drawing functional works to meet clients’ requirements list, Annabelle has earned a high reputation in her chosen vocation. There is an element of responding to and framing the landscape these buildings sit in, a celebration of place and immersing a home in the landscape to draw in light, expand space, and honour environment.
Some of these influences are clearly drawn from her love of Palm Beach and Pittwater and decades of being immersed in this place.
There is another reason Annabelle loves Palm Beach though.
The 2026 Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships, the Aussies, commence next Saturday, March 21, with the Masters Divisions Individual events starting from Monday 23rd March and Masters Teams events running Tuesday 24th March 2026.
Palm Beach SLSC has a big contingent heading north to this year’s Aussies, being held on the Gold Coast, Queensland at North Kirra SLSC and Tugun SLSC – Masters, Opens and Surf Boat crews will race against their peers from across Australia, as well as have some good fun catching up with friends they haven’t seen since last year.
Some of the Palm Beach SLSC Masters athletes have been competing as Teams in the events for them for around 20 years, with Annabelle and team mates Di van Oos, Fi Rae, Karen Begg, and at the recent SLS NSW State Championships, Christine McGoldrick joining the girls in these Team events.
Palm Beach SLSC’s 2026 States Results were:
- 1&2KM BEACH RUN : 1st (Tim Gates), 3rd (Tori Mathews)
- SURF RACE : 2nd (Steve Ford), 5th (Tim Gates), 6th (CiCi McGoldrick), 15th (Tom Williams)
- BOARD RACE : 2nd (Tim Gates), 3rd (Fi Rae, Annabelle Chapman), 9th (Tori Mathews, CiCi McGoldrick)
- SKI RACE : 1st (Fi Rae), 3rd (Annabelle Chapman), 15th (Tom Williams)
- IRONMAN : 2nd (Tim Gates), 3rd (Fi Rae)
- BOARD RESCUE : 3rd (Annabelle / Fi), 6th (Steve / Tim), 6th (CiCi / Tori)
- SWIM TEAMS : 4th (CiCi/ Tori./ Fi), 5th ( Tom Williams/ Steve Ford / Tim)
- BOARD RELAY : 4th (Tori / Fi / Annabelle)
- TAPLIN RELAY : 2nd (CiCi / Fi/ Annabelle), 6th (Tom / Steve/ Tim)
- DOUBLE SKI : 1st (Fi /Annabelle), 11th (Tom / Tim)
Palm Beach SLSC had their first female club Captain of Palm Beach SLSC (2009/2010) in Kate McDonald. Kate became first female president in 2014 and was followed by Alex Tyrell in 2016.
However, the first female Member to sign up to serve the community was Annabelle Chapman, currently celebrating her 40th Season with Palm Beach SLSC.
Anabelle is part of strong contingent of Pittwater Surf Lifesaving women who work together to make things better for all girls.
Members of Palm Beach, Avalon Beach and Newport SLSCs at the 2026 Zonta NB Womens Day Breakfast. NB: Jan Proudfoot was also part of this group, but had to leave early
Annabelle Chapman. Photo: Michael Mannington OAM
With so many of the local Surf Lifesaving SNB Branch members heading north, this week a few insights from Palmy’s first female member on why her passion for Palm Beach Surf Club and competing at the Aussies continues.
Annabelle, you joined Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club as is first female member in 1985 – how did that happen?
Yes – I put the application in in August 1985. I did my Bronze Medallion down at Collaroy. There was a massive surf that day and they had me on the reel, I was being pulled in too fast. I literally thought I was going to drown.
How? From the time I was very young our neighbours and family friends were Members at The Pacific Club. So I used to go down with them when they were going, quite a lot.
Then when I was 14 and 15 there were a lot of surf club people, like Gordon Lang, that I got to know. I’d go to the parties and fundraisers – so I already had a strong connection to Palm Beach surf club.
At the 30th birthday of one of the previous surf club Captains in the May of 1985, with a lot of other surf club members there. They were all talking about an Extraordinary General Meeting they’d had a couple of weeks before at the Surf Club and as a result would be allowing female Members. Everyone thought this was amazing. One of the members said to me ‘why don’t you join Annabelle?’. I thought about it because my husband at the time was a First-Grade cricketer and he used to play cricket every Saturday, every second Sunday and every Public Holiday throughout Summer. I thought it would be something really good for me – I’ve always loved Palm Beach, I have a great connection with the Members already, had friends there and it would give me something to do.
I knew it would be a good way to get fit, have lifesaving skills but I didn’t know much about lifesaving as a movement itself as women weren’t included until then, so it’s not on your radar.
Once I got into it I really loved it. You get to know your Patrol members really well and that becomes your group. The funny thing now is, when I do a Patrol and wear the uniform (the red and yellow shirt) you forget you’ve got it on. People come up to you all the time and ask you questions. You realise then that you’re a part of something that is there looking after others and that what you are doing is important. People ask you questions to find out about the surf or bluebottles or whatever it may be, and you realise ‘wow’ I’m doing something here that’s of benefit to others, people I may never have had any contact with otherwise.
What you’re doing evolves of course, once you have done so many years on the same beach, you acquire knowledge about that beach itself and the Season changes, so to be able to share that to help others is definitely worthwhile.
This Season, 2025-2026, marks your 40th Season as a Palm Beach SLSC Volunteer Lifesaver – were there any challenges through the decades, from a woman’s perspective?
No, the members were all very helpful and supportive from the get-go for me. The other girls that joined were all straight out of school and around age 18. I think they may have had a tougher time than I did – I was 28, I was married, and was an Architect by that stage working in my profession, so I was pretty set-up to already had connections with the club as well. The President at that time was a friend so I’d sit and talk with him. The Bronze Trainer was also a very old friend and he was around a lot too- he was the IRB Captain and was around the club every weekend as well. There was another girl who was in our Bronze group who was his friend as well and he would sit with us for Barbecues on the back lawn and just looked after us. If anyone gave us flak he would speak up.
When did you get your Architecture degree?
I graduated in 1981.
Were there gender specific challenges you had to overcome in that field?
Well, initially of course there was an attitude that women attending universities were ‘taking the spot a man should have’, that it was a waste as the attitude was we’d simply get married and have children and become housewives, invisible. Then once I was working I found a lot of Builders just didn’t take any notice of what you said, even when it was your job, your plans and drawings they were working from. This continued for around 20 years, really up to the early 2000’s. Those jobs I was doing in the late 1980’s and 1990’s I’d encounter Builders who didn’t seem to think anything I said was valid and didn’t take any notice and would go and do what they want. I’d have to say ‘no, no, no, no, - this is what we want.’ But even though it was a challenge, you fumble through anyway because you don’t know any differently.
Your work in Architecture is quite distinct; although the elements are practical and clearly responding to clients lists, there’s also an element of sympathetic design which responds to the environment and setting and frames that beautifully – is that a ‘women’s touch’ in this field do you think – what was your approach, what values were key to you?
When I look back I think subliminally I’ve always had a great interest in architecture, it was part of me while growing up and has always been part of what I love. And I loved the course from the day I started - I realised I was in the right place from, day one. I went ‘yep, I’m in my happy place’. So, it’s all about a building’s aspect and how people want to live, and creating a planning flow so they have uplifting spaces around them. And of course, each job is a bit different and about responding to what the clients want and how to achieve that.
Being a Volunteer Patrol Member – what were your first roles there?
Initially you’re just a Patrol Member doing what you’re told. As I went on I became the First Aid person as I was a lot older than a lot of the Patrol Members I worked with.
I had a few years off around year 2 of joining up as we lived in Brisbane for a few years and we had three children. So I was like the mother when I came back. So if anyone came to us with bluebottle sting I’d help them and help the parents. If parents had lost their child I’d be the one who took that role on during Patrols.
Have you had any challenging Patrols?
I have been patrolling for many years but haven’t as yet been involved in a rescue. I’ve never done anything other than whistle people back into the flagged area, where we can see them. In a way I feel I’ve been lucky, as I’ve never been under too much stress when on Patrol at all. Of course, my fellow Patrol groups have met numerous challenges each Season at Palm Beach – it is a very popular beach which can attract thousands of visitors daily during the Season, and then the teamwork right along the beach proves why we renew our qualifications annually – so you can save lives.
Palm Beach SLSC’s Masters Athletes group has been growing and going from strength to strength for years now. Masters SLS Athletes had 5 year Age Divisions for individual events, that commence from age 30, but team events were all in together – we were competing with bunches of 30 year olds when we were all in our 40’s! In 2010 the Aussies (Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships) introduced team age groups – why was it important for this to change, to be racing against your peers?
Our team of 4 Masters girls (Fiona Rae, Di van Ooi and Karen Begg) have been competing together for over 20 years. We’d competed at Aussies in Perth in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and had only achieved a Bronze or a Silver in individual events but when we did Team events we’d get thrashed by all the younger athletes. Because we had just started competing in Masters events, we loved the whole experience, but after a while you become ‘look, we’re doing this but not getting anywhere – what’s the point’?
So when they introduced the Teams Age categories in 2010 we did really well! It suddenly gave us a bit more excitement and, atop of that, it is an incentive to stay fit and to be able to compete with people in your age groups – which in turn has been of benefit to lifesaving itself. All that experience from older members continues as part of what lifesaving does while the movement is geared to including them rather than being geared solely towards younger members. It keeps it relevant because you’re competing against your same age group and you’re on a level playing field. We’re now trying to get that extended as, as we age, the top Teams event is now 170+ age combines when as at present there’s enough competitors to add a 190+ age group for teams. They are introducing it this year but it’s Mixed, which is still unfair for the females as again, females competing against men is not the same as women racing against other women.
Left to right: Fi Rae, Di van Ooi, Nugget Meares, Annabelle Chapman, and Karen Begg ( Nugget became Team Manager since their Perth Aussies)
The wild waves made the board relay a test of endurance for all teams but there was ecstasy for the Palm Beach combination when they realised they had won.“We do this simply because we can,” Annabelle, who years ago was the first female member at Palm Beach, said.“We train together all through the year and this is just terrific. The conditions were hard but they were easier than yesterday.”Fiona also found success in the 40-44 years Ironwoman race yesterday, taking the silver medal behind Anna Ballara of Northcliffe.While they were happy to finally be able to wear Masters gold medals, the ladies have other priorities when they compete at the annual carnival.“It’s not about winning, it’s about how many events we can go in,” Di said.Photo: PALMY ARMY: Golden girls from Palm Beach (L-R) Karen Begg, Fiona Rae, Annabelle Chapman and Di van Ooi.
In 2015. See previous Profile: Fiona Rae, Annabelle Chapman, Diane van Ooi, Karen Begg: Palm Beach SLSC – Ladies Masters
At November 2016 at Blanc de Blanc Pacific Club Fundraiser
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On the beach during the 2026 PBSLSC's BBB's carnival
Surf Lifesaving itself is evolving – just last week Surf Lifesaving New South Wales announced their first ever lady president, in Elissa Hancock. What changes have you seen for women over the last 40 years in the movement?
I think now there’s almost more females than men involved. In our club we’ve had 2 female Captains and the first female President in Kate MacDonald and then a few years later Alexandra Tyrrell. We’ve had a lot of female Office Bearers doing great work. It’s now just so much part of the everyday part of lifesaving that I don’t think people could even contemplate what it was like before. I think women being Members has given surf lifesaving a huge boost that it really needed – it’s been a resurgence for the movement and allowed it to more truly reflect what Australia itself is as well.
Alex Tyrell, Captain of Palm Beach SLSC (2015/2016) and President (2023/24) Kate MacDonald, Captain of Palm Beach SLSC (2009/2010), also first female President (2013 to 2016)
As the 2025-2026 Season is your 40th , time to reflect – what are 3 great things that surf lifesaving has given to you?
It’s the best thing I ever did was join the surf club, it’s a huge part of my life. Palm Beach SLSC has White Horse cup races every Sunday at 10 o’clock in the summer season – swim, board, ski, run and flags races, every Sunday I’m down there. Early on my kids would come down with me for patrol and races, then when they left school, they themselves joined PBSLSC and had many years competing in Surfboat carnivals. Now I meet a group at 8am on Sundays to do ski training and then stay on for the races at 10. Every other Sunday there’s a barbecue afterwards – wonderful camaraderie!
So there’s the camaraderie, the connection, then doing the States and the Nationals together, and again we’ve been doing that together for over 20 years.
Are the girls going to Aussies this year?
Yes. As Di Van Ooi said ‘we’ll just keep doing it until they tap us on the shoulder’. (laughs) So, until they tell us it’s time to give it away we’ll be having a go in the Team events and the individual ones – in our Palmy Team caps.
What are your favourite events?
My favourites are the Board and the Ski. The Team events are always great fun
You’re also now a very good looking grandmother now – are family members involved in surf lifesaving too?
Yes – I had two daughters who became surf boat rowers at Palm Beach. They did around four Seasons at State and Aussies. So I would then stay on after the Masters events and watch them compete. And then through them I had that connection through getting to know their friends of the next generation and all the other rowers in their age group was a lot of fun. The fact that they’re now connected to the club as much as I am is pretty special for us.
What are your favourite places in Pittwater and why?
Well, Palm Beach of course – because it’s home. Our house is on the hill looking down over the beach and Pittwater, so we can see the Hawkesbury as well – it’s just a beautiful place. This is also where the surf club is as well, so that connection is a big part of our lives.
Avalon Beach as well – as I swim with a group called the ‘Rockies’. They swim every morning diving off the rocks and swimming across the bay. It’s very special, a great group and a beautiful place.
What is your ‘motto for life’ or a favourite phrase that you try to live by?
Number one would be ‘keep moving’.
I do something every day – whether it’s a swim or paddling or the board or swimming with the group. I don’t train for anything but I make sure I do something every day and keep my body moving as I figure if I keep doing it then I’ll be able to keep doing it for a long time.
When I’m in the office all day I find if I’ve done that swim or paddle or whatever it is beforehand, I feel really invigorated.
Winners at 2026 SLS NSW State Championships - Annabelle, Fi, CiCi (Christine McGoldrick)
Winners at 2025 SLS NSW State Championships. At the 2025 Aussies - GOLD in 65-69 yrs Female Board Rescue Final: Palm Beach (NSW) - 1; Karen Begg, 2; Annabelle Chapman and SILVER in the 65-69 yrs Ironwoman Final: Annabelle Chapman Palm Beach (NSW)
Fiona Rae, Annabelle Chapman and Diane Van Ooi - winners! Photo: Surf Life Saving NSW - Winners at 2024 Aussies too: Bronze in the Taplin, Annabelle won Bronze in the 64+ Female Board Race and Silver in the 65+ Female Ski
Palm Beach SLSC's Fiona Rae, Karen Begg and Annabelle Chapman, with Mona Vale SLSC's Jan Proudfoot, Christine Hopton OAM and Lisa Critoph - Australian Champions! at 2019 Aussies - photo by Joanne Nelson.
Palm Beach SLSC gained 7 Gold Medals by Fi Rae, Annabelle Chapman, Di van Ooi, Karen Begg, Tim Gates, Doug Ferris and Sarah Webster. - Picture SLSNSW at 2015 State Championships
