Gert Sellheim is considered one of the most significant graphic artists working during the ‘golden era’ of Australian poster design in the 1930s. Beach and surf culture have long been part of our national identity and provided inspiration for many artists. Australia surf club depicts a rescue exercise in which a lifesaver is reeled into the sea. His composition incorporates multiple perspectives. The figures are shown frontally, while the shoreline is seen from an aerial perspective. 

Images such as these were dispatched overseas though a network of agencies and representatives and were displayed in railway carriages and on station platforms. The ANTA symbol is integrated into the poster image in the bottom-right corner. (Sourced: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/OnlineDeco_POSTER.pdf) 

Year: c.1936

Dimensions: 110cm x 72cm 

Materials/Media: Original lithographic poster, linen backed