60s 70s 80s + photographs

1960s-80s The Farm surf break

There is a bit of controversy over who found the surf break at The Farm in Bunker Bay circa 1962.

This is how pioneer SW surfer Tony Harbison heard it. Source Surfing Down South book.

“A young surfer named Barry King (Barry was the Taj Burrow of the 60s) had an uncle in Busselton who owned half of Bunker Bay. So Barry, under instructions from his mother, went to visit his uncle. The bay was working at about 6 foot and the new break was called The Farm”.

At the same time, Murray Smith and his mates in the North End Board Club also found waves at The Farm.

1962 Bob Keenan & Terry Williams surfing at The Farm. Photos Brian Cole
Nov. 1963 The Farm. North End Board Club lads waxing their Malibu’s. Photo Murray D’Arcy pic
1966 Colleen Burke’s Ford Prefect leaving the Farm Bunker Bay with surfing mates. Photo Colleen Burke.
1968 Fred Annesley surfing The Farm Bunker Bay. Photo Greg Woodward
1968 Ron Waddell surfing the Farm. Photo Greg Woodward.
(This image appeared in Greg Woodward’s WA surf article published in Surf International Magazine 1969).
1968 Greg Laurenson surfing the Farm. Photo Greg Woodward
1968 Peter Dyson surfing The Farm Bunker Bay. Photo Greg Woodward

In the early 70s a dirt track run off Bunkers Road and enabled surfers to drive and park near the creek behind The Farm surf break.

1971 The Farm George Simpsons valiant ute collage_photocat
1971 George Simpson’s Valiant Ute bogged on the dirt track to The Farm. Photos Tom Collins.

1970 The Farm Rooster & Lindsay Thompson collage_photocat
1970s surfing celebrities at The Farm. Photos Tom Collins.
(Left) Yalls surfer Paul ‘Rooster’ Woods (dec’d) cover shot West Country Surf mag.
(Right) Marg River surfer Lindsay Thompson (dec’d).

SW locals remember The Farm used to produce good shaped waves even on moderate swells before the creek (which flows out to sea at The Farm surf break) was dammed up. Unfortunately the creek no longer creates favourable sand banks as regularly as it used to. That’s a pity!

1970s The Farm surfing Tom Collins 1 collage_photocat
1970s Unidentified surfers at The Farm. Photos Tom Collins.

1970s The Farm private road & girl collage_photocat
1970s The Farm surf break. Photos Ric Chan.
(Left) former private road to beach. (Right) Beach girl Jenny Davies.

1970s The Farm surfing 5 collage_photocat
1970s unidentified surfers at The Farm (Sheepdog bottom Right). Photos Ric Chan.

1976 Farm & Boneyards surf breaks - Gary Gibbon pic IMG_0030
1976 The Farm & Boneyards surf breaks. Photo Gary Gibbon.

In 1978 Vance & Nancy Burrow were living in a rental cottage in Meelup Valley on Geographe Bay. Vance used to drive his 4WD around Bunker Bay & pull up on the beach in front of Boneyards surf break. Driving on that beach is now banned.

1978-79 Boneyards VanceBurrow & Andy Jones collage_
Late 70s Boneyards at Bunker Bay. Photos Vance Burrow & Gary Gibbon.
(Left) 1978 Vance Burrow. (Right) 1979 Andy Jones
.

1980 The Farm surfing Ric Chan collage_photocat
1980s Steve Hannett surfing at The Farm and Vance & Nancy Burrow’s Landrover driving on the beach at Bunkers (bottom right). Photos Ric Chan.

Like a lot of other SW surf breaks, increased predator sightings and crowds are impacting on surf breaks at Bunker Bay.

———————————-

%d bloggers like this: