50s 60s photographs

Brian Cole’s East Coast Surf Trip 1959-1961

**Update 8 June 2021** Added pic of WA surfers Brian Cole & Jim Keenan with NSW surfboard builder Joe Larkin and others at Manly Beach NSW in 1960.

WA surf pioneer Brian Cole toured the East Coast of OZ from 1959-61.

Earlier this year Brian documented his surf travels in White Horses Magazine Issue 12 – Life of Brian.

This is an extract of Brian’s article in White Horses Magazine plus some additional holiday snaps.

‘Word of mouth’ stories of well-shaped point surf on the East Coast had filtered back to WA (there were no OZ surf mags back then) so in 1959, I followed my dream and hitched a ride on a semi-trailer to Sydney.

I surfed & worked in Bondi, purchased a balsa pig board from Wallace Surfboards and headed off to Queensland in a Hillman Minx sedan with a WA guy. My surf board was too big to fit on the car and I had to fly it to Coolangatta. When I arrived I told the local Surf Club I was a clubbie and they let us stay there free. I surfed good waves at Greenmount for 3 months and met Bondi surfer Barry ‘Magoo’ McGuigan.

Then I headed back to Sydney & moved in with other WA surfing guys at Queenscliff. There were many great parties and a lot of shenanigans took place. I took over a milk run in Manly where some of the local Grems used to borrow the milk truck to carry their boards to the beach. When this happened I had to recover it from the beach front early in the morning. Back then, there was only a small group of surfers who surfed through winter on Sydney’s north shore. While there I met big wave rider Bob Pike, surf promoter Bob Evans and other surfing pioneers. Bob Pike & I (and others) did a modelling job for Flair fashion magazine. A bunch of us guys witnessed Freshwater surfer Dave Jackman tackle huge waves at the Queenscliff Bombora for the first time on a surfboard. Joe Larkin (board maker and beach inspector) was there taking photos.

Photo: 1960 Manly NSW. L-R Joe Larkin, Batman, Moose, Brian Cole & Jim Keenan. Jim Keenan pic

1960s MANLY, L-R JOE LARKIN, BATMAN, MOOSE, BRIAN, JIM KEENAN. keenan pic

At the end of 1961, I returned to Perth with WA surfer Laurie Burke. We drove straight to Yallingup in the South West. On arrival we had a beer with Bill Copley the proprietor of Caves House Hotel and he offered me a job. I was a barman at the pub for 3 months and surfed Yallingup on my own mid-week while waiting for mates to drive down from Perth on weekends.

In 1962 Barry ‘Joe’ King and I started King and Cole Surfboards in Wembley. We purchased blanks from Bennett Surfboards and were the first to produce foam surfboards in WA.

Brian’s East Coast holiday snaps.

Photo: 1959 Qld Coolangatta. Brian Cole with his Wallace balsa pig board. Photo credit Brian Cole.

1959 Qld Coolangatta Brian Cole balsa pig board - Brian Cole img662

Photo: 1960 NSW North Narrabeen. WA boys with a 1934 straight 1939 Chevy sedan. L-R Speedy, Bernie Huddle, Arty Taylor, Phil Mostyn & Cocko Killen. Photo credit Brian Cole.

1960 NSW Nth Narabeen 1934 straight 8 Studybaker Speedy, Bernie, Arty Taylor, Phil Mostyn & Cocko Killen - Brian Cole Pic img156

Photo: 1961 NSW North Steyne. L-R John Sprigs & Brian Cole surfing. Photo courtesy of surf photographer Ron Perrott (NSW).

1961 NSW North Steyne John Sprigs & Brian Cole - Ron Perrott picimg697

Photo: 1961 NSW North Narrabeen. L-R Brian Cole & big wave rider Bob Pike modelling for Flair Magazine. Image courtesy of Flair Magazine & Brian Cole.

1961 Models Brian Cole & Bob Pike Nth Narrabeen NSW

Photos: 1961 NSW Dave Jackman surfing Queenscliff Bombora on a surfboard for the first time. Photos courtesy of surfboard manufacturer Joe Larkin (NSW).

1961 Dave Jackman Queenscliff Bombora NSW - Joe Larkin pics IMG_001

Photo: 1961 NSW Queenscliff. Surfers enjoying Xmas Day keg on the beach. Surfers include Bernie Huddle, Bob Pike, Joe Larkins & others. Photo Brian Cole.

1961 NSW Queenscliff Xmas Day keg Bernie Huddle, Bob Pike, Joe Larkins & others - B Cole pic img686

Photo: 1961 NSW Dee Why Point ‘mayhem’. Brian Cole is on the right. Photo courtesy of surf photographer Ron Perrott (NSW).

1961 NSW Dee Why Pt 'mayhem' Brian Cole on right - Ron Perrott pic - B Cole img695

Photo: 1961 NSW Brian Cole & mates heading towards a surf break inside Sydney Harbour in a 1934 Studebaker sedan. Photo credit Brian Cole.

1963 NSW Brian Cole & mates heading towards Sydney harbour surf break in 1934 Studybaker - B Cole pic img690

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