Lifesavers re-enact Black Sunday 80 years on

Eighty years on from the deadliest day at Sydney’s renowned Bondi beach, local lifesavers today re-enacted Australia’s largest mass surf rescue.

On this day in 1938, hundreds of swimmers were swept out to sea and put in life-threatening danger. Today, stories of incredible courage were heard.

It was not your usual beach rescue as lifesavers traded in their iconic red and yellow to pay tribute to Bondi's darkest day.

"We were trying to use the same period costumes and the same equipment,” Bondi Surf Life Saving Club Jacob Wacks told 9NEWS.

It was early afternoon on February 4, 1938, and the beach was packed.

“There was probably about 35,000 people on the beach,” Mr Wacks said.

A large swell off the coast was causing rough surf conditions and while extra life savers were on the beach, nothing could prepare them for what was about to happen.

Shortly after 3pm, three enormous waves came crashing in.

Within minutes, the backwash had sucked 200 swimmers out to sea.

"At that point there was absolute panic, there was absolute chaos,” he said.

Now aged 96, Norma Aderling recounts the moment she was swept away.

"Well it was a day I'll never forget,” she said.

“I was down at the beach with my father and brother and all of a sudden this huge wave came and we were tossed around.”

As they struggled to keep afloat, local lifesavers ran into the unforgiving ocean.

"Father called one of the boys over with the board and put me on and I went in round and round and round and round," she said.

Leading the rescue was Colin Jepersen's dad, Carl. 

“Dad just gave the orders and they went about it like professionals,” he said. 

"They supported each other and they supported people."

While five people drowned that day, 180 were also rescued including 35 swimmers who were pulled unconscious onto the sand.

"We'd be lucky to get those stats today and we have defibrillators, ambulances ready to go, oxygen, better training, better rescue techniques,” North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club Brendan Krone said.

To view more photos and footage from Black Sydney, visit nfsa.gov.au.