The main hall at Bondi Surf Club displays framed photographs of Australian Champions both individual and teams.
There is only one example of father and son winners, that being Cedric and David Emanuel. Both father and son were in Champion R&R Teams, Cedric in the 1930s and David in the 1950s.
Cedric, Ted to his mates, was a talented sportsman who became one of Australia’s great artists. His pen and ink drawings and watercolours captured old Sydney and helped save The Rocks and Paddington for future generations.
A young Cedric attended Boarding School at Wahroonga. He was a fine cricketer and rugby player but also showed early talent drawing with charcoal and pencil. He moved to Bondi Public School on Wellington Street, where the Headmaster, aware of his talent, gave him time off school to attend art classes.
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| Cedric with son David at Bondi. |
Ted was fortunate to study under some great teachers and he attended the famous Julian Ashton Art College at the Rocks.
Young Cedric needed an income from his art, so this need and his particular skills in drawing steered him into commercial art. In a pre- television and computer era, advertising appeared mainly in newspapers and magazines. Photographic printing was of poor quality, so advertisements for cars, fashion etc. were drawn by hand then printed, gen erally in black and white. Cedric worked in art studios drawing ads then went out on his own aged 20.
Cedric was taking lessons in French from Vic Bulteau’s family on the expectation that he may go and study in Paris. Vic steered him into the Bondi Club where his sporting abilities flourished.Always an affable bloke he became friends with Charlie Gale, a Bondi member who coached wrestling at the Club. Ted was good enough to win a State wrestling title at the old Sydney Stadium in 1929. Sadly Ted retired from contact sports as an injury to his hands would have ended his career and his livelihood as an artist but continued to compete in swimming events.
Cedric’s freelance business prospered to the point where he married Bella and bought a block of land at Portland St. Dover Heights. He commissioned a builder mate from the Surf Club to build him a house which became the family home for the rest of his life.T ed moved from advertising art to his own work. He began to travel, first around Australia then later overseas, always accompanied by Bella who managed the trips enabling Ted to concentrate on his work. They were travelling home, by ship from Europe when Ted became friends with a Military man, General Sir Robert Drewe who convinced Ted that there was a need for a record of Sydney. Drewe said ” Now listen son, you’ve got to do a book on Sydney, before it’s too late. They’ll pull Sydney down and you’ll have a record of it.” Cedric was to illustrate 50 books of his home city.
There was a time when old Sydney was in danger of being pulled down and redeveloped, The Rocks being top of the wish list. A huge public campaign stopped the developers proceeding. Cedric’s art had helped Sydneysiders see the beauty of its past.
Cedric’s policy was always to sell his work directly to the public which became a business that needed to be managed. At that point his son David came in and took over the merchandising of the Emanuel brand.
David was a fine surfer and Rugby player and keen Bondi Lifesaver. He went to Sydney Grammar School in College Street. The headmaster at the time was a Pom and not fan of sports. Now Dave had been selected to compete in the Aussie Champs in Perth, but would need to take a couple of days off school to travel with the team. The Headmaster said no, adding that Australians place too much emphasis on sport. Dad, Cedric confronted the headmaster the outcome being that Dave got the time off. Dave’s team won gold in Perth however the headmaster sacked Dave from his prefecture at Grammar.
In addition to his surfing, Dave was more than a handy rugby player. He played first grade at Easts. A second rower, David played with half back and Bondi Surfer, John Vandenberg, a cheeky half who said that he would start the “Biffo” but could always count on David to end it.
David went on two Wallaby Tours, New Zealand in 55, and a full tour of the British Isles in 57. The U.K. Tour went by ship and players were away for seven months. Being amateurs, they got only ten bob a day expenses. Players had a manager, but no coach, the ARU couldn’t afford one. The team was filled with quality players, John Thornett, Nick Shehadie, Arthur Summons, Kevin Ryan, Jim Lenehan, Terry Curley etc. Dave had to knock back the offer of another tour of New Zealand as he couldn’t afford the time off.
David retired from playing and began to coach at Easts. He helped start up Easts’s junior team, the ” Wallaroos”
Dave continued to run the family business.
Cedric, now a Life Member, continued to swim with Dave at Bondi whenever they could until Ted died in 1995.
David continues to swim, each morning at the Club with the early morning swimmers.
Al Scott.
thebondiblogger 