Rivers, beaches, pools, and rules: attempts to control bodies in water

The enjoyment of water in leisure, recreation or sporting pursuits is well recognised. Water can be appreciated as a landscape for leisure, envelop recreational bodies, or provide a stage for sport. Despite the joy that can emerge from these experiences, in settler-colonised so-called Queensland, discussions of bodies enjoying water are historically framed by language of control. At times, this is a local control led by municipal decision-makers, with dry bodies in boardrooms. At other times, attempts at control present as concern for elements like decency and safety, spearheaded by self-organised community groups such as surf lifesaving clubs and the Country Women’s Association (CWA). This research examines bodies in water across three regional/rural areas, including Rockhampton (Darumbal land), the Sunshine Coast (Kabi Kabi and Jinibara land), and Dalby (Baranggum land). Focusing on the period 1890 to 1945, the research interrogates primary sources available in the Queensland State Archives, the State Library of Queensland, and the National Library of Australia. The approach intends to centre shifting ideas about bodies in water, observing modifiers such as time, place, and shape. Therefore, language choices relating to water experiences in rivers, beaches, and pools are of interest. The research approach is informed by the work of Anna Temby on the construction, contestation, and control of public spaces, and Rebecca Olive on sport and recreation in ocean ecologies.