'Up in the Eyre'   Two Day Swimming Carnival at the ryan mitchel swim centre in Port Augusta.

Annually, the West Coast Swimming Club in conjunction with the Port Augusta Swimming Club host a two day, Long Course (50m) swimming carnival. The most recent event was held on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th of December 2019 at the Ryan Mitchell Swim Centre, Port Augusta.

This event is staged to support swimmers achieving the qualification standards necessary to allow entry into the following January's South Australian Country Championship event. 

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'Up in the Eyre' attracts plenty of interest from swimmers right across regional and metropolitan SA, as well as from interstate clubs such as Alice Springs.  Through the generous support of  many other Eyre Peninsula sponsors; ribbons, medals and trophies are awarded to swimmers recording top three times according to stroke and distance. 




Gerald Kirkham Memorial Trophy - 800m Freestyle
Winner 2019 - Jamie Ford

In memory of Port Augusta Swimming Club life member Vale Gerald Kirkham 1932-2019 who passed away in November of 2019, the 800m event at their carnival was named in his honour. 
Gerald’s achievements are many, and are never likely to be seen again, including 60 Whyalla and Port Pirie Open Water Swims, 58 Port Augusta Open Water Swims, competing in those well in to his 80s. A plaque to celebrate his achievements sits at the shallow end of lane 1 at the Port Augusta pool. And then there was his other passions such as flying planes, playing mixed netball and his dedication to the Port Augusta Community. Gerald had a generosity of spirit and was willing to share his knowledge and time. He was the first one to jump in the water and was encouraging of the young ones having a go. ​

Jamie has had the pleasure of swimming 10 open water swims with Gerald including Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Pirie events. Gerald embodies the philosophy of swimming for life - enjoying the sport in a competitive manner right through to the end of his life. Jamie, together with Joseph and Sonia swam with Gerald in his final open water event (Whyalla) prior to his passing. Gerald is a true legend of Country SA swimming and Jamie was honoured to have the opportunity to swim with him.

He was a pillar of the Port Augusta Swimming community and his involvement and encouragement of younger swimmers will be sorely missed.

2019/20 Club Sponsors 

The West Coast Swimming Club would like to thank the following businesses and individuals for their generous race sponsorships. We are certainly grateful to the wider community for their support, enabling us to offer this important opportunity for swimmers to chart their progress against their own personal best achievements.   

Calypso star charters

Based in Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula, Calypso Star Charters have operated cage diving tours for the Great White Sharks since 1990. They pride themselves on being Australia’s leading provider of Shark Cage Diving with 27+ year operating history which has established their reputation as an honest, reliable and sustainable provider of Shark Cage Diving. Thankyou to Calypso Star Charters for being our Major Sponsor this year. 
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https://sharkcagediving.com.au/

McDONALDS PORT LINCOLN

Tony Baj and his team at McDonalds Port Lincoln have come on board to sponsor our 'Up in the Eyre' carnival.  As a major sponsor, McDonalds have provided a cash injection of $5​00, PLUS 200 incentive awards for us to give to ALL competitors of the weekend event. These awards can be used in Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta McDonalds stores!
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tony's TUNA INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD

.Tony's Tuna International is committed to the long term sustainability of Southern Bluefin Tuna in our oceans. 
They pride themselves on fishing responsibly, strictly adhering to quotas and providing full traceability of all Southern Blue Fin Tuna to ensure the ongoing supply of this beautiful, magestic and delicious species of fish. Great to have the support of our local fishing industry! Tony's Tuna has provided $500 in sponsorship. 

PORT LINCOLN MECHANICAL

Port Lincoln Mechanical is a locally owned automotive workshop with over 40 years experience across all makes & models. Dedicated to providing Gold Class Service at an affordable price. West Coast Swimming Club is thrilled to annouce a $500 sponsorship to support our carnival. 

Aussie Aluminium

Established in 1989, Aussie Aluminium has always been focused on providing quality service and style. South Australian made and owned, they are known for their knowledgeable staff and expertise in both problem solving and on-time production. Thankyou to Aussie Aluminium for providing $500 towards our carnival. 
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https://www.aussiealuminium.com.au

australian fishing enterprises

Australian Fishing Enterprises is the largest exporter of Southern Bluefin Tuna in Australia, controlling about 45% of the available quota in the fishery. Their premium tuna is caught in the pristine waters off the South Australian coast and exported around the world. Thankyou for your $250 contribution! 

ROEMAHKITA POLL MERINO STUD

Roemahkita Poll Merino stud was first registered in 1991. They are a Collinsville based daughter stud with infusions since the late 1990’s from Wallaloo Park, Victoria, Leahcim and Kamora Park, SA, and more recently Nerstane, NSW, Kamora Netley Park, Gunallo and Collinsville. Thankyou to the Dahlitz family who have been involved in supporting West Coast Swimming Club for decades following their daughter Amelia's journey through to representation on the Australian Swimming Team. We sincerely appreciate your continuted support of our club. 

BOSTON BAY WINES PORT LINCOLN

Imagine a place where you can sample fine Eyre Peninsula wines, surrounded by vineyards with a breathtaking vista of blue seas, cruising yachts and perhaps even a whale. Situated in South Australia on the beautiful Port Lincoln harbour of Boston Bay, Boston Bay Wines produces a premium range of superb red and great white wines. Thankyou to Tony Ford and the family for your donation of $250!

MYERS SEAFOOD

Myers Seafood sources the best seafood from the pristine waters surrounding Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. They also provide logistic services to the seafood industry. Thankyou to Gavin and the team for their donation of $250!

raffle sponsors

West Coast Swimming Club has received enormous support from the local Port Lincoln Business community who have provided the club with numerous raffle prizes. The club would like to acknowledge the generous gifts provided by the following businesses; Manchester Fair, Bridgestone, Double Corner Store and Adventure Bay Charters.