When tragedy struck the close-knit community of Homebush West Public School, the ripple effects were profound. Last Christmas Eve, the father of a student tragically drowned while rescuing his niece and nephew from a rip on the NSW south coast.
“It shook us to our core,” recalled principal Estelle Southall.
“I was on a beach myself when I found out. My heart broke for the family involved, but I also thought, ‘We have to do everything we can so nothing like this happens again to our families.’”
Determined to turn grief into action, the school launched a surf safety program for parents, aiming to prevent such a loss from happening again. With 95% of its students coming from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds—groups overrepresented in Australia’s drowning statistics—the initiative has already started making waves.
Southall added:
“In Australia, we grow up on the beaches. Beach culture is common, but our families at Homebush West generally don’t grow up around the water and many have a great fear of it.”
The program’s first practical session was held at Manly Beach, where parents swapped trepidation for newfound confidence in the surf.
Manash Sudhea, whose son is in Year 3, was among the participants. “In my country, Nepal, we have lots of rivers but no beaches, so I have no idea what to do. This will help me survive in the surf,” he said.
“I learned many things today. I’ve got ideas I can now share with my children to keep them safe. My sons love going to the beach, so this is a great thing to do.”
Joyce Kong, whose daughter just finished Year 6, echoed the sentiment. “I never went in the surf before coming to Australia, so I have a lot to learn,” she said.
“We learned how to look for rips, how to be safe in the water, how to stay on the board, how to float. With some more practice, I will feel much more confident going in the water this summer.”
For Southall, the smiles on the parents’ faces said it all. “They’re having the loveliest time, but they’re also doing something brave,” she said.
“We call them our change-makers, these parents, because next year we expect to have double the number of parents out here on the water.”
As the summer holidays approach, the surf safety program at Homebush West Public School is more than a response to a tragedy—it’s a lifesaving lesson in courage and community resilience.
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