Mona Vale SLSC is bringing back its Winter Solstice Swim, as the Janice Mason Memorial Swim, a 1km ocean swim in celebration of the United Nations World Oceans Day.
In partnership with Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay, this event supports their mission to establish a marine sanctuary zone for the bay by 2027 and will include family-friendly activities and the FoBBB sharing insights into Bongin Bongin Bay's environment.
The Mona Vale SLSC's Winter Solstice swim is named to honour the memory of Janice Mason, a much-loved P.E teacher, clubbie and a Dawnbuster swimmer, known as a phenomenal athlete by her peers, who succeeded at whatever sport she turned her hand to.
A legend of Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club, where she had been a member since 1989, moving through the ranks from nippers to senior club, taking on the roles of chief instructor and race secretary, Janice won multiple medals at branch, state and Aussies level.
Sadly, in May of 2020, Janice passed away during her daily morning swim ritual with the Dawnbusters across the Mona Vale basin.
Ms Mason’s husband Alan, a past Mona Vale SLSC president and life member, said “it is truly lovely that they have named the event after her.”
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for her memory to live on and remember all the things she did at the surf club.”
The Mona Vale Dawnbusters swim at Mona Vale Basin at 6.30am weekdays and 7.30 on weekends.
The 'Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay’ evolved in February 2023 from a group of swimmers who traverse the bay each morning taking in the wonders of nature. The group is currently seeking to mobilise the community, seeking its support in having the area declared by the NSW Government as a ‘no take’ aquatic reserve. The primary objective of aquatic reserves in NSW is to conserve the biodiversity of fish and marine vegetation.
The FoBBB state they are not anti-fishing, explaining;
''Marine sanctuaries provide a refuge for fish from being caught, allowing them to aggregate freely, grow large, and reproduce. Sanctuaries are an important tool not just to halt biodiversity loss and to create climate resilience, but to ensure food security. As fish and invertebrates grow larger they produce exponentially more eggs; the bigger the fish, the more babies they produce.
We believe that establishing areas where larger fish can proliferate free from extractive pressures is of great value to areas adjacent that are open to fishing.''
Their logo is 'Ned the Octopus', created by Jo Bell of Ocean Love Art & Design and donated to the group, her drawing seeks to incorporate, in her words;
“...as many of our marine friends as possible that we see and swim with into the drawing, as well as the sea grasses, seaweed and shells”.
The logo now features on reusable mugs, t-shirts and hoodies, for that after-swim warm up. The limited edition mug is also available at present at the Brightside Cafe, located in the Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club building on the beachfront.
You can find out more about the Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay at: www.bonginbonginbay.org.au
The 2025 edition of the Janice Mason Memorial Swim features four race divisions with prizes:
- Male and Female categories
- Regular and ‘Skins & Fins’ divisions
The famous post-swim soup is back too! This year, your $40 entry includes a souvenir FoBBB 'Ned the Octopus' ceramic mug—a keepsake for a great cause. Online entries close Saturday June 7 at 3pm, sign up here: oceanswims.com/event/the-janice-mason-memorial-swim
The race starts at 10 AM, but the fun begins early.
The WOD festival includes the Bongin Bongin Ukulele Band, the Department of Primary Industries ’Bluey’ kids activities trailer, and Aboriginal displays and activities.
As an insight into what may be available, on Thursday May 29 Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby tabled a Written Community Recognition Statements about the Custodians of the Ocean Program in Hansard - for the Parliament of New South Wales records.
Pittwater's MP statement reads:
''I would like to recognise a wonderful new program in Pittwater called the Custodians of the Ocean. The program was developed by the Department of Primary Industries in collaboration with the Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay and Studio Oi. This wonderful program is currently being trialled with 110 students at St Luke's Grammar Bayview across years One, Three and Five. The program blends marine science, Indigenous knowledge, storytelling and hands-on learning across four sessions throughout the year. This includes both in the classroom activities and sessions out on our local beaches where children can connect directly with the marine environment.
This term, students will visit Mona Vale beach to learn about the issue of plastic pollution and microplastics in our oceans. As part of this visit, they will scour the beach for rubbish to collect and help to reduce the amount of plastic in our ocean. I would like to thank Pia Dorer from Studio Oi and Beata Edling from Friends of Bongin Bongin Bay for their work bringing the project to life. I hope to see it expanded across the northern beaches soon.''
Although the Winter Solstice will not officially be celebrated until June 25 2025, this is a great way to celebrate World Oceans Day 2025 - which has a theme of "Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us" to emphasise the ocean's importance as a source of life and its role in supporting all life on Earth - and the first full week of Winter in the best place in Sydney; Pittwater.
Oceans Day was first declared as 8 June, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro at the Global Forum, a parallel event at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) which provided an opportunity for non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society to express their views on environmental issues.
The Declaration was inspired by an event organised on that day by the Oceans Institute of Canada and supported by the Canadian Government: “OCEANS DAY AT GLOBAL FORUM – THE BLUE PLANET”. The programme featured international experts, opinion leaders and those in a position to speak for the oceans’ contributions to sustaining the Blue Planet.
In 2008, led by Canada, the General Assembly resolved that 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day” (General Assembly resolution 63/111).
In the interim, observation of Oceans Day had broadened and deepened. The need and scope for this was reflected in the broad range of concerns expressed in 2008 by the UN Secretary-General, including implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, maritime space, international shipping, maritime security, marine science and technology, marine biological diversity, the marine environment and sustainable development, climate change and regional and international cooperation. The awareness and action spurred by observation of World Oceans Day would be crucial in all these areas.
The theme of the inaugural observance of World Oceans Day by the United Nations in 2009 was ‘Our Oceans, Our Responsibility’.
“The first observance of World Oceans Day allows us to highlight the many ways in which oceans contribute to society. It is also an opportunity to recognise the considerable challenges we face in maintaining their capacity to regulate the global climate, supply essential ecosystem services and provide sustainable livelihoods and safe recreation.” – then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon
In the spirit of the ocean, bring your favourite swim cap! Join MVSLSC and FoBBB for a morning of ocean swimming, community spirit, and environmental immersion to celebrate World Oceans Day.
To inspire you, a poem by Viva Brock, daughter of George Brock, the gentleman who built 'The Oaks'. Mr. Brock owned a yacht called the 'Dolphin', and had been a member of the Royal Prince Alfred Club from the 1890's, so certainly would have visited Pittwater prior to his grand dreaming of realising 'The Oaks'.
Viva had written of the Mona Vale Basin a few times, only she called it 'Mermaid's Basin' but she too knew of the sea life that lives there, in this aquatic nursery:
The Jester:
A Sea-egg and an Octopus were walking hand In hand;
They wept like anything to see a girl upon the sand.
"If she were only swept away," they said, "it would be grand."
"If seven whales and seven sharks hung round for half a day,
Do you suppose," the Sea-egg said, "that still she'd want to stay?"
"I fear so," said the Octopus and brushed a tear away.
"If I were only old enough," it added, with a sigh,
"I'd squeeze her up to jolly In the winking of an eye."
"Still, why not throw your ink at her?" the Sea-egg did reply.
"Oh, come now," said the Octopus, "I'll own it is a bore
To find a tiresome girl like this thus littering up our shore,
But a revenge so horrible was never planned before."
' For don't you see," he added, "she's already fond of ink.
And like a thirsty blotting pad would simply lie and drink,
With a consequence so awful that I shudder as I think."
"I understand," the Sea-egg said, "I quite com prenez-vous,
There'd be sonnets on the ocean, and on each wave a few,
While odes unto the billows continually she'd do.
"And goodness gracious, gracious me, too horrible 'twould be,
If she should make a poem upon you, dear friend, or me,
An 'Ode Unto an Octopus,' or 'Lines to Egg of-Sea.' "
"Oh, Viva," wept the Octopus "you've had a pleasant swim,
Won't you be trotting home again; it's high time you went in?
I dare not angry grow with you, I find 'twould be a sin."
Peeps in Four States. (1906, March 21). Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907), p. 38. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71528448
Swimmers at The Basin or Bongin Bongin Bay (Mona Vale Beach) just after dawn. Photo: Joe Mills (Turimetta Moods)
