409 Dive Log Australasia December 24

dives locally on a regular basis and is highly organised. The early 1980s saw the birth of diving tourism and VSAG’s first overseas trip was to Truk Lagoon in 1980. That has since been followed over the last 40 years by trips all over the world, as they are usually organised for twice or three times per year. Communications is surely the area where the biggest changes have occurred in club operations at VSAG. In the early days before computers, Secretarial notes were all hand-written and filed away, phone calls with members were made from phone-booths. With the rise of today’s technology, email and Facebook are THE popular conduits for club communications. That also applies to the production of VSAG’s Fathoms

A return visit in May of that year resulted in an unsuccessful penetration using oxygen units. Then in August 1959, VSAGer John Driscoll using air on a 60m line, passed the sump for the first time and entered a very large chamber before returning. Christmas 1959-60 saw the preliminary exploration of the cave, which was then followed by a major effort over Easter 1960 to push into what was then became known as ‘ Sub Aqua Cave ’ at Murrindal. By June 1960, the VSAG members realised that this type of cave diving exploration had opened a whole new world for them, caving with a diving aspect, and so they formed the Sub Aqua Speleological Society (SASS), whose focus was on cave diving. Other caves they explored included Hells Hole, Ewans Ponds and Picaninny Blue Lake (now known as Picaninny Ponds) near Mt. Gambier in South Australia. SASS later merged with the Victo rian Cave Exploration Society to form today's Victorian Speleological Association . Over the years the VSAG has also been creative, supplying the drive and “seed funding” for the birth of both the Scuba Divers Federation of Victoria and the Maritime Archaeology Association of Victoria . From the very early years, the VSAG Committee has continually consisted of talented and motivated members, with many professional skills. They produced VSAG’s biggest asset, its robust, democratic Constitution, and rules of conduct, always with Safety in Diving in mind. And that continues today, the club is vibrant and very active under the current talented and devoted Committee, which is the secret to the club’s strength after 70 years. Long may it continue. VSAG became Incorporated during the mid 1970s. Today, monthly Club meetings are preceded with discussion sessions on diving safety procedures and equipment evaluation and always with monthly guest speakers. The club

magazine, which was first published back in 1956. (right) Production was a very complicated affair indeed. The text was typed onto wax stencils, then printed on VSAG’s hand-operated Gestetner copying machine, collated, and posted out to members, every month! Fathoms magazine is now distributed to members electronically.

Today, VSAG committee still has access to fascinating speakers, some from interstate and directly overseas via Zoom links. Technology like Zoom would have astonished the club’s founders who have since passed, it certainly helped VSAG to thrive through the COVID pandemic. Throughout the changes of the last 70 years, there is one thing that has never changed at VSAG, and that is the camaraderie and collegiate spirit within the club, which still leads to the enjoyment and appreciation of the underwater world, shared with fellow diving pals. (pg 72) Whether one was wearing a latex-coated woollen jumper and home-made scuba back in the early days, or a top of the range modern drysuit and scuba today, sharing laughter and diving adventure with fellow diving enthusiasts is still the greatest

joy of being a VSAG member. Happy 70th Birthday VSAG ! (Old images courtesy of Peter Matthews)

For more on VSAG, or membership enquiries go to website: vsag.org.au

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DIVE LOG Australasia #409 - December ‘24

www.divelog.net.au