The first surfing beach for the Gladstone District was at Southend, and the Gladstone Lifesaving Club was formed with the Clubhouse at Southend in 1936. When war was declared many of the locals enlisted, forcing the club to close over the war years. Although it resumed in 1948 it was again forced to close by 1950, when they faced a transport problem, as the hiring of boats became too expensive for just weekend entertainment.
Meanwhile the road to Tannum had been established and although not suited to buses in the early days, this was soon overcome with an upgrade on the road, so the Club activities were transferred to Tannum. Later the name of the Club became the Tannum Sands Surf Lifesaving Club and Tannum became the beach resort for the Gladstone area. This was when the Miss Tannum Sands Contest was born and held on New Years Day for many years.
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