This article broadly covers land development on Yallingup Hill in the 60s and 70s.
1960s Yallingup Hill Land Development
In the early 60s real estate sales were slow on Yallingup Hill and blocks could be purchased from £400.
The Hammond’s started sub dividing and selling their properties on the hill during the 60s.
Jack Savage purchased a block on Hammond Road, built a house and moved in. He was a pioneer settler on Yallingup Hill.
Visiting surfers started purchasing property on Yallingup Hill in the ‘60s. Brian Cole purchased a property on Hammond Road pre ’68 and Tony Harbison returned from working up north and purchased five blocks on Elsegood Ave in 1968.
Peter Dyson– In the mid 60s I rented a former Hammond beach shack on Elsegood Avenue Yallingup from the Bonser family. In Feb 1966 they sold me the property.
Photo: Mid 1960s Peter Dysons historic cottage on Yallingup hill. Peter Dyson pic.
Development continued to be slow in the 60s until circa 1967 entrepreneur Alan Bond sub-divided Yallingup Hill and bituminised the roads. The subsequent land Sale offered 23 Superb Blocks at Yallingup Beach Estate from $3,500.
Image: Late 60s Yalls land sale brochure by Bond Corporation. Image courtesy of WASRA Surf Championship booklet.
Peter Dyson – During this time, Bondy used to come to Caves pub on a Friday night when the boys were playing darts to mingle and sell his blocks at Yallingup.
The Surfside complex was expanded to include a general store, petrol bowser, holiday shacks and accommodation units.
Photo: 1967 Surfside Tea Rooms/General Store on Yallingup Beach front with petrol bowser out the front and Bond Corporation Land Sale sign on the left. Sharon McDonald pic.
Peter ‘Spook’ Bothwell – In 1969 my Yallingup neighbour & friend Peter Dyson convinced me and my partner Robin Jebb to purchase a historic Hammond cottage from the Ferguson family.
Robin and I went to the R&I bank to borrow money for the purchase, but the bank had a ‘Moral Policy’ and wouldn’t lend us the money because we were unmarried. We sourced funds elsewhere.
It was different living in Yallingup back then. I used to be able to see Three Bears surf break from my front bedroom, but now the view is blocked by vegetation & development. Winds from winter storms were furious and the house used to shake. We had no trees and only coastal shrub to protect our house from the elements…we used to wonder when the house will take-off.
Solicitor Ron Schlam and his wife Nola owned the Hammond Cottage between us and Peter Dyson.
Photo: 1971 Peter and Robin Bothwell’s historic Cottage on Yallingup Hill. Peter Bothwell pic.
1970s Surfers move to Yallingup Hill
Development picked up during the 70s. Tony & Coral Harbison started constructing Hideaway Holiday Homes in 72’, a Beach Caravan Park was created and a sprinkling of owner/builder dwellings appeared. Surfers were starting to move into the area.
Photo: 1978 Yallingup Hideaway Homes units with Tony and Carol Harbison’s house in the background. Jim King pic.
Peter Dyson purchased two more Hammond Road properties on Yallingup Hill. He sub-divided the land and on-sold properties to Len Fode, Rod Phillips and Steve Russo.
Brian & Jenny Felton purchased the former Hammond ‘Big House’ in the mid 70s and renovated the building.
Photos: The renovated Felton house on Yallingup Hill (former Hammond Big House). Images courtesy of Hammond and Felton families.
Top: (Left) 1940s Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond with cottage builders in front of the Hammond’s Big House on Yallingup Hill. (Right) 1980s renovated Felton house on Yallingup Hill.
Middle: 1980s Jenny Felton gardening on the Felton property.
Bottom: 1980s Rear and north side of Felton house.
Brian Cole – In the early 70s Rhonda and I sold our Hammond Road block purchased pre 68 to Jim & Margaret McFarlane and lost $200 on the deal. We purchased another block on Dawson Drive and built a residence on the site in 1975.
Photo: 1975 Brian & Rhonda Cole’s residence under construction on Dawson drive. Brian Cole pic.
Peter ‘Mac’ McDonald – I worked up north on a mine to get money and then returned to Yallingup and purchased blocks on Elsegood Ave and Wardanup Cres. I built my first house on Elsegood Ave.
Photo: 1977 Yalls workers building Peter Mac’s new home on Elsegood Ave. Peter Mac pic.
L-R John ‘Tex’ Branch, Richie Rigg, Peter Doyle, Ron ‘Butch’ Vidler, Loz Smith and Peter Mac.
Rob Malcolm, John ‘Dandaragan’ Robertson, Laurie ‘Pup’ Nesbitt, Ross’Mahdu’Anderson and Jim & Mandy Farrell bought blocks at Yallingup, built houses and moved in. Alan & Jan Pierce purchased a block in Elsegood Ave.
Photo: 1975 Jim & Margaret McFarlane’s (left) and Rob Malcolm’s (right) houses on Hammond Rd Yallingup. Andy Jones pic.
Photo: 1973 Yalls Beach car park with Surfside buildings and a sparsely developed Yallingup Hill in the background. Jim McFarlane pic.
Photo: 1970s aerial view of Yallingup town site with surfers at Main Break in the foreground and Caves House in the background. Photo courtesy of Brearley family.
Photo: 1979 the late John ‘Dandaragan’ Robertson’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Barry and Judy Young purchased a block on Wardanup Crescent at Yallingup in 1975.
Barry ‘Baz’ Young – We bought our block off a guy who wanted some cash to build a pool in his Perth home. At the time the real estate agent told us there were no other blocks on the market and I better get in quick. I found out just after buying it there were 2 other blocks listed with another agent that were on Hammond for a bit less and remember thinking I’d been stooged. I remember not wanting to tell friends what we had paid. The main reason we bought a block was because we had a great arrangement with Mr. and Mrs Schlam who owned one of the 5 asbestos shacks (ex Hammond Cottages) which were the first dwellings at the bottom of the hill where Pete Dyson’s place was. The deal was we could use their asbestos shack any time through the year except school holidays and Christmas week for $300 per year. The arrangement was great for about 3 years, but eventually they wanted to start using it more. Judy was pregnant, so we had to get something else organised there or sleep in our car (again) on weekends.
Photo: 1979 Barry and Judy Young’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Photo: 1979 view of Yalls waves from Laurie ‘Pup’ Nesbitt’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Photo: Late 70s Yallingup Surfside complex and Bali Hai surf hut on the beach front and an increasing number of houses on the Hill. Felton family pic.
Yallingup is now a tourist mecca and if you purchase a block on Yallingup Hill you won’t get much change from $1.5mill.
The pre 1960s history of land development on Yallingup Hill has been documented in Hammond family farm (Yallingup Hill) early history published 23 August 2017.
This article broadly covers land development on Yallingup Hill in the 60s and 70s.
1960s Yallingup Hill Land Development
In the early 60s real estate sales were slow on Yallingup Hill and blocks could be purchased from £400.
The Hammond’s started sub dividing and selling their properties on the hill during the 60s.
Jack Savage purchased a block on Hammond Road, built a house and moved in. He was a pioneer settler on Yallingup Hill.
Visiting surfers started purchasing property on Yallingup Hill in the ‘60s. Brian Cole purchased a property on Hammond Road pre ’68 and Tony Harbison returned from working up north and purchased five blocks on Elsegood Ave in 1968.
Peter Dyson – In the mid 60s I rented a former Hammond beach shack on Elsegood Avenue Yallingup from the Bonser family. In Feb 1966 they sold me the property.
Photo: Mid 1960s Peter Dysons historic cottage on Yallingup hill. Peter Dyson pic.
Development continued to be slow in the 60s until circa 1967 entrepreneur Alan Bond sub-divided Yallingup Hill and bituminised the roads. The subsequent land Sale offered 23 Superb Blocks at Yallingup Beach Estate from $3,500.
Image: Late 60s Yalls land sale brochure by Bond Corporation. Image courtesy of WASRA Surf Championship booklet.
Peter Dyson – During this time, Bondy used to come to Caves pub on a Friday night when the boys were playing darts to mingle and sell his blocks at Yallingup.
The Surfside complex was expanded to include a general store, petrol bowser, holiday shacks and accommodation units.
Photo: 1967 Surfside Tea Rooms/General Store on Yallingup Beach front with petrol bowser out the front and Bond Corporation Land Sale sign on the left. Sharon McDonald pic.
Peter ‘Spook’ Bothwell – In 1969 my Yallingup neighbour & friend Peter Dyson convinced me and my partner Robin Jebb to purchase a historic Hammond cottage from the Ferguson family.
Robin and I went to the R&I bank to borrow money for the purchase, but the bank had a ‘Moral Policy’ and wouldn’t lend us the money because we were unmarried. We sourced funds elsewhere.
It was different living in Yallingup back then. I used to be able to see Three Bears surf break from my front bedroom, but now the view is blocked by vegetation & development. Winds from winter storms were furious and the house used to shake. We had no trees and only coastal shrub to protect our house from the elements…we used to wonder when the house will take-off.
Solicitor Ron Schlam and his wife Nola owned the Hammond Cottage between us and Peter Dyson.
Photo: 1971 Peter and Robin Bothwell’s historic Cottage on Yallingup Hill. Peter Bothwell pic.
1970s Surfers move to Yallingup Hill
Development picked up during the 70s. Tony & Coral Harbison started constructing Hideaway Holiday Homes in 72’, a Beach Caravan Park was created and a sprinkling of owner/builder dwellings appeared. Surfers were starting to move into the area.
Photo: 1978 Yallingup Hideaway Homes units with Tony and Carol Harbison’s house in the background. Jim King pic.
Peter Dyson purchased two more Hammond Road properties on Yallingup Hill. He sub-divided the land and on-sold properties to Len Fode, Rod Phillips and Steve Russo.
Brian & Jenny Felton purchased the former Hammond ‘Big House’ in the mid 70s and renovated the building.
Photos: The renovated Felton house on Yallingup Hill (former Hammond Big House). Images courtesy of Hammond and Felton families.
Top: (Left) 1940s Thomas ‘Ting’ Hammond with cottage builders in front of the Hammond’s Big House on Yallingup Hill. (Right) 1980s renovated Felton house on Yallingup Hill.
Middle: 1980s Jenny Felton gardening on the Felton property.
Bottom: 1980s Rear and north side of Felton house.
Photo: 1975 Brian & Rhonda Cole’s residence under construction on Dawson drive. Brian Cole pic.
Peter ‘Mac’ McDonald – I worked up north on a mine to get money and then returned to Yallingup and purchased blocks on Elsegood Ave and Wardanup Cres. I built my first house on Elsegood Ave.
Photo: 1977 Yalls workers building Peter Mac’s new home on Elsegood Ave. Peter Mac pic.
L-R John ‘Tex’ Branch, Richie Rigg, Peter Doyle, Ron ‘Butch’ Vidler, Loz Smith and Peter Mac.
Rob Malcolm, John ‘Dandaragan’ Robertson, Laurie ‘Pup’ Nesbitt, Ross’Mahdu’Anderson and Jim & Mandy Farrell bought blocks at Yallingup, built houses and moved in. Alan & Jan Pierce purchased a block in Elsegood Ave.
Photo: 1975 Jim & Margaret McFarlane’s (left) and Rob Malcolm’s (right) houses on Hammond Rd Yallingup. Andy Jones pic.
Photo: 1973 Yalls Beach car park with Surfside buildings and a sparsely developed Yallingup Hill in the background. Jim McFarlane pic.
Photo: 1970s aerial view of Yallingup town site with surfers at Main Break in the foreground and Caves House in the background. Photo courtesy of Brearley family.
Photo: 1979 the late John ‘Dandaragan’ Robertson’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Barry and Judy Young purchased a block on Wardanup Crescent at Yallingup in 1975.
Barry ‘Baz’ Young – We bought our block off a guy who wanted some cash to build a pool in his Perth home. At the time the real estate agent told us there were no other blocks on the market and I better get in quick. I found out just after buying it there were 2 other blocks listed with another agent that were on Hammond for a bit less and remember thinking I’d been stooged. I remember not wanting to tell friends what we had paid. The main reason we bought a block was because we had a great arrangement with Mr. and Mrs Schlam who owned one of the 5 asbestos shacks (ex Hammond Cottages) which were the first dwellings at the bottom of the hill where Pete Dyson’s place was. The deal was we could use their asbestos shack any time through the year except school holidays and Christmas week for $300 per year. The arrangement was great for about 3 years, but eventually they wanted to start using it more. Judy was pregnant, so we had to get something else organised there or sleep in our car (again) on weekends.
Photo: 1979 Barry and Judy Young’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Photo: 1979 view of Yalls waves from Laurie ‘Pup’ Nesbitt’s place on Yallingup Hill. Gary Gibbon pic.
Photo: Late 70s Yallingup Surfside complex and Bali Hai surf hut on the beach front and an increasing number of houses on the Hill. Felton family pic.
Yallingup is now a tourist mecca and if you purchase a block on Yallingup Hill you won’t get much change from $1.5mill.
—————————————-
Share this:
Like this: