In the late 60s Bernie and Eve Young took over management of Surfside Tearooms at Yallingup from Jock Henderson. The Young’s previously managed the Caves Park Store near Caves House at Yallingup. They provided hearty meals, holiday accommodation and petrol to surfers, tourists and the Yallingup community until the mid 70s, when the Surfside leased expired and they moved on.
Bernie and Eve lived and worked on the premises with their daughter Angie and Gran.
Photo: 1970 Bernie Young with daughter Angie, Gran, wife Eve and unidentified outside Surfside Tearooms. Photo credit Peter McDonald.
Bernie Young’s daughter Angie Cannon (nee Young) has contacted Surfing Down South and shared her memories of Surfside.
Angie: “I was fortunate enough to spend my early teenage years in Yallingup and my parents Bernie and Eve Young would have fed most of you at Surfside in the late 60’s and early 70’s. My fondest memories are of my extended family, always looking out for me painful as I could be sometimes. George Simpson was my surrogate big brother and used to, on occasion, let me tag along generally to carry his board to some of the greatest surf spots on the coast. My daughter Sarah now sends me this info as it comes through and it always brings back memories, including the SDS Blogs on Three Bears. I remember when the boys found the break and for a while it was MGM. It was right up there with discovering gold in the pub and the stories only grew in proportion to the amount of beer consumed at the Caves House. It was the hidden secret that few could reach. Lost a lot of humour when I returned in later years with my kids and a 4WD. I have lots of pictures taken in those early years, most are of parties we had at Surfside and some, I feel sure, would rather be forgotten!! I’ll dig out some of my photos and scan them for you (see pics below).
I now live in Townsville in Queensland and both Mum and Dad have passed on, Mum at a ripe old age of 91 only four months back”.
Photos: 1971 Peter Mac’s Falcon panel van parked in front of Surfside. Photo credit Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith.
Angie: “Your SDS articles have stirred up so many memories and stories, I only wish that I had had the opportunity to share them with Mum before she passed on.
If you are still in touch with Ronnie “Ratshit” Jeffrey, ask him about the “tomato” plant he left in my Grans care whilst he went to, Indonesia, I think. My Gran would make homemade wine out of anything animal or vegetable and as inevitably would happen once a month there would be an explosion from her bedroom that meant a bottle had slightly over fermented. Gran probably holds dibs for the first wine maker of the region!! I went to help with the clean-up mission only to find Ronnie’s “tomato” plant flourishing in her wardrobe. Bless her she had no idea, but tended it lovingly for Ronnie until he returned.
Gran would sit on the back steps of the kitchen peeling spuds faster than anyone alive. Hans Kopp finally retired her for a more sanitary mode of spud bashing in the kitchen of the Cray Pot.
Hans did the best Crayfish Thermidor in the world as we knew it. Brandy was his friend in the kitchen.
Hans was an enigma, a soft and gentle man who would turn into some kind of manic chef as soon as he donned his whites. Many a waitress was bought to tears from one of his legendary tirades in the kitchen. He wasn’t adverse to the occasional upending of a pot or the throwing of a knife. I was 14 and copped my fare share. He would wake up the next morning, go for a surf and get on with his day as if nothing happened.
My folks did a great job at Surfside and their trusting nature bought them unstuck eventually. My Dad very much believed in the honour of the handshake, and unfortunately having put in years of hard work at Surfside, he was bought undone as the lease was sold out from under him. He established the caravan park and worked tirelessly, doing battle with the council, hand sewing grass seed, digging trenches and overseeing the work as it became a reality. As with all things, it was time to move on. Mum and Dad only went back a couple of times and were always amazed at the changes. Dad often spoke of being offered 3 blocks on the top road by Kevin Merifield for $800 each. Dad was no fool, why would he buy something with no water or services for that sort of money!!!
They both spoke of their time in Yallingup with great humour and love. The old man could be a bit of a lunatic, but he was an incredibly hard worker and meant well. Mum worked tirelessly in the kitchen from six in the morning till late at night in the tourist season. She would share a grill with George, which meant walking around the immoveable object, serving good basic food for a never ending stream of hungry surfers.
All of this whilst being ostracised by the then civilised locals who were sure that we were a family of drug barons living and mixing with the great unwashed, long haired dole bludgers of the 70’s. They even had a mention in the Melbourne Truth once, with questionable comments as to their REAL motives for being involved with those bludgers on society. The truth be known, they were incredibly naïve and just enjoyed the lifestyle and peace that Yallingup bought to them for 8 months of the year.
Thanks for the memories. Please keep the stories coming”.
This is a collection of Angie’s Surfside social images from her scrapbook.
Angie: “the images are a little worse for wear after all those years!”.
Image: 1971 Eve Young, unidentified and Helen ‘Spotty’ Smith outside Surfside . Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1970s Vicki Jago working in the Surfside kitchen. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1970s Sam the surf dog on the rocks. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1970s George Simpson and others at the back of Surfside. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1970s George Simpson in kids play pen entertaining Gran at Surfside. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Angie: ‘Enough said!”
Image: 1970s Safety conscience trio enjoying a smoke near the fuel pump outside Surfside. L-R unidentified, George Simpson and Glynn Lance. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Angie: “Always safety aware!”
Image: 1971 Bruce King and unidentified girl at Surfside party. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1971 George Simpson’s 21st party at Surfside’s Lobster Pot Restaurant. L-R Barry Day, Amber, Lulu & Spotty. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1973 Sally Gunter’s 21st Birthday Party at Surfside’s Lobster Pot Restaurant. L-R Grant Robinson, George Simpson & Bernie Young. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Image: 1976 Angie’s wedding in Perth. Image courtesy of Angie Cannon (nee Young).
Angie: “The Yallingup crew came up to Perth for the occasion. It was the last time we were all together!”
Angie: “It’s quite bazaar as I can’t imagine anyone or anything changing but its 40 odd years ago!!! An old photo of ‘Jingles’ (a long haired surfie dude) made me smile. When he left Yallingup and returned to the East Coast, he gave me a bell that I wore around my neck until I got married, mum made me take it off as it didn’t go with my dress. It’s been on my key ring ever since.
Oddest thing about Yallingup, I’ve never quite felt at home since I left and I have lived all over Australia. Many years ago I bought a block on the 2nd road down in the middle of the hill. Sold it in the 1980 for $16k thought I’d done really well. Makes me a property genius huh!”
Thank you for sharing your photos and memories Angie.
Click on the following web links for more history of Surfside.
Surfside at Yallingup – History (Part 1 The early years)
Surfside at Yallingup – History (Part 2 The later years)
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