Surf City, Sydney

Gordon Woods taking orders at Brookvale in the movie Ride A White Horse Bob Evans Promotions Productions 1967

Cup of tea and a biscuit with Gordon Woods today and barely scratched the surface on an amazing story of canoe building at Bondi in the 1930s, tom blake hollows in the 40s, contemplating Peter Lawford’s balsa and glass mal in 1951, picking up his Velzy balsa board from Bob Burnside in 56 and the first hollow mals, the arrival of balsa, foam and paradigm shift to Brookvale, fruitful interactions with Californians Dick Metz and Chuck Foss, having kids and running a busy board building operation into the mid 70s, before switching to yachts and other things. Very grateful for Gordon’s time and support.

Gordon mentioned that he drove a taxi for a short while in 1950s, while his board making business caught on. It made me wonder what kind of jobs surfers did to make ends meet and keep them surfing: Jack Bluey Mayes also drove cabs, Magoo McGuigan was a fireman, Nipper Williams was a beach inspector, Max Bowman was an electrician, Bob Pike was a wool classer, Mick McMahon a butcher, Mick Dooley was a garbageman, while others, it appears, were policemen, accountants, labourers, shift workers, dock workers, etc, etc.

Ray “Dags” Greenaway Wanda Beach Easter ’62 photo Jack Eden, grabbed (with big thanks to Chris Stroh) from Cronulla Surf Museum

Check out this post over at CSM for a great glimpse into early days of foam at Cronulla.

Thanks again to Ron Saggers and Kath Perrott for this knockout early 60s Ron Perrott photograph of Scott Dillon (pointing with pen) and Bob Evans (wearing hat) who appear to be judging a contest at North Narrabeen. That’s probably Bob Fell on the left, according to Peter Bowes and fearless ‘Bower Boy’ Robbie Lane in the speedos on the right.

Just in…Phil Jarratt reckons its the autumn 1961 get-together of the South Pacific Board Riders Club, mentioned in Australian Surfer #2, a photo of which turned up in 1962 on Teenagers Weekly cover…thanks Phil.

Two surfers, Mona Vale 1960, photo Gervaise Purcell, courtesy Leigh Purcell

Leigh Purcell, son of well known Sydney commercial fashion photographer Gervaise Purcell, stopped by the other day to drop off a handful of terrific prints taken down at Mona Vale in 1960 of random surfers in action. Leigh recalls that his dad was merely testing equipment and snapped off a roll or two to get used to a new telefoto lens. Gervaise was renowned for his swimwear work, so its no surprise he’s managed to capture the local preference for speedo trunks over white rope-belted board shorts.

Three surfers, Mona Vale 1960, photo Gervaise Purcell, courtesy Leigh Purcell

Thankfully Bruce Usher has nailed a few IDs …Ok, Bob Boot is the blond headed Dewey Webber stylist on LHS of the top pic. Still surfs the same. Looks like one of the Gosden brothers (possibly Dave) middle of the bottom pic. Bob Boot should have all that MV SLSC history in his head…

Great photo by Fiona Murphy of Rhonda Davies, Vic Croawell, Peter Brownhill taken in 1969 at North Narrabeen, with the old clubhouse in the background.

I asked Fiona if the bikers were surfers, along with a few other questions… Yes [according to Fiona] all surfed to some degree. When we weren’t riding bikes or hanging out at the beach, we were probably at the pub!! We were all regulars at all the local pubs, LOL. Workwise, Rhonda worked for an accountant, Vic was a boiler maker, Peter worked for an airline, forget which one. I worked in a shop (that’s me at the beach with Rhonda), Mick Marlin worked at the markets. It was a big mix of people. Lots of the guys were tradies as well.

Photos and notes courtesy of Fiona Murphy.

more great photos from Fiona Murphy, taken around Warriewood in the late 1960s

Cracker collection of photos sent in by Ron Turton, who surfed with the ‘Beachcombers’ at Palm Beach around 1959. Ron’s sister Pearl Turton became a Sydney surfing sensation when she won the national contest at Avalon Beach in 1963 and as Ron writes… became an overnight hit with the media. Brian Henderson’s Bandstand (in a bikini!), The Australian Womens Weekly and Everybody’s magazine. Her uncle in England even saw her on the front page of a Pommie magazine in a barber shop in Surrey . She was only 16 at the time.

Thanks again to Ron for sending these pics my way.

The first Australian surf board riding club – the ‘Beachcombers’ of Palm Beach NSW and their boards 1959. Seated – John ‘Olly’ Oliver, John ‘Johnny Mac’ McIlroy,  Ron Turton, Neridah Wright, Joy Gassman, Billy MacTaggart, John ‘Pine Apple’ Prosser. Back ‘Ho Dad’ John Pullenger, John Dunn, Peter Dever, Frank ‘Speedy’ Gonsalves. (info Ron Turton)

Leone Power of Collaroy Beach NSW a great fan of the surf. (info Ron Turton)

Ron Turton Palm Beach NSW Winter 1959. One of the guys had an underwater camera and used to take pics of marine life. I was on this wave near the dressing sheds and up he popped in front of me and took this fuzzy photo! Evasive action required on this 9 footer! (info Ron Turton)

Some original Beachcombers Surfbord Riders Club Palm Beach NSW 1961 near the present day dressing sheds. Note Johnny Hawkes Beach Buffet in the background washed away in king tides. The Beachcomber’s Club was underneath the Beach Buffet. Back row – Ken ‘The Blue Streak’ Mackey, John ‘Pine’ Prosser, Richard Parkinson. Front – John ‘Olly’ Oliver, Ron Turton, Pearl Turton, Glenys Pearson, John ‘Beaver’ Gonsalves, Ronnie Berczelley and Laci ‘Hompus Stompus’ Berczelly. Note the jackets with the initials on them. ‘Cooky’ Burnes style from 77 Sunset Strip! (info Ron Turton)

John ‘Pin’ waxing board, Rodney ‘Rouge’ Harris standing, Sitting – Two Campbell brothers (the Elder is Lee ‘Bombie’ Beacham, Alan Ward, another Campbell and Laci ‘Hompus Stompus’ Berczelly. Pic taken at Palm Beach dressing sheds. South Palm Beach in the background the washed away Beach Buffet and Beachcomber’s club. Check out Col Brown’s famous Ford Twin Spinner it went on many a surfing safari. (info Ron Turton)

A nice take on Little Pattie’s debut single He’s My Blonde-Headed, Stompie-Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy, co-written according to wikipedia by Jay Justin and Joe Halford that surfaced in the final months of Sydney’s surf-music craze at the tail end of 1963, just as Beatlemania was starting to stir.

Sydney surfer Rick Collins sent in this 1968 photo of his MGB with a nifty set of bespoke board racks, on a road trip somewhere out of town, taken by his girlfriend. Photo courtesy Rick Collins

I took the opportunity to ask Rick a few questions about his inspired invention…

Cool pic and great idea – I’m wondering what kind of niche market would there have been for surfers with MGs in those days…?

Carrying a board was a real problem if you wanted to take a passenger.

Can you tell me a few things about them like – where did you make them, or have them made?

The board racks are home made – just needed a tube bender, some welding & some tubing. Looking back on it they were knocked up pretty quickly and were not really that well made however they did the job. They would definitely not have passed a RTA roadworthy inspection. They were fairly secure and could travel at speed however were not quite so secure with the hood up.

The board looks like 66/67 vintage, was it yours and if so what was it…?

It was an older board that I bought secondhand. I did not know how old it was or what type it was. Back in those days as long as it did the job, I would not have asked too many questions.

Where was this pic taken and was it taken for promo purposes or just a random photo…?

Not exactly sure where it was taken however I am pretty sure it was near one of the beaches along the South Coast. It was just a random photo taken at the time.

Who took the photo?

It was taken by my girlfriend Novello (who became my wife – and still is my wife).

It looks like you’ve got a trailer hooked up. Where were you off to…?

Surfing the South Coast. It was an interesting trailer for carrying around all the surf gear etc.. It was fully sheet metal covered all over with no windows and two lockable back doors. It was about 2m long, 1.5m wide & about 1.4m high inside. We could half stand up inside. It used to belong to a baker who used it as a spare on his bread run. He had it custom made. It must have looked really ridiculous being towed by the MGB however back then, at that age, that did not matter.

Where was your surfing base in Sydney…?

The Northern beaches mostly between Mona Vale and Palm Beach depending on the surf, conditions etc..

Would it be OK for us to post your photo on our blog and use it in the exhibition…?

No problem – glad someone can enjoy it. Nobody has looked at it for probably over 40 years. I am just pleased that I was able to find it after reading about your exhibition.

Manly 13 year old John Smythe in 1962 on his Gordon Woods ‘Foley’ six footer, photo courtesy John Smythe

Received a whole pile of great pics over the weekend from Manly veteran John Smythe, who admitted he went …a bit ballistic on the scanner on this bleak Saturday with not much surf.

Here’s what John says about the short foam boards he and his mates were riding in the early 60s… Gordon Woods made mine and another friends 6ft 6″ board and Scotty Dillon made one for another friend. John Otton had a small board made for him around 1960 it was marble painted. Dave Treloar had the (6 foot?) Hobie his brother bought him in the states c1961. So there was, around 1962-63, a small number of (Sydney) grommets riding short boards.

This is Michael McCormack ‘Little Maca’. He is riding a foam board that was so full of holes that he’d have to stand it up against wall after a surf to let it drain out. This would have been 1960 possibly 1959 as it was already (a wreck?) when the photo was taken.

Big thanks to John Smythe for the photos and notes.