This is a glimpse of the changing face of Yallingup beach car park over the decades 1950s-2020s.
Yallingup beach car park has been a focal point for surfers since the mid-1950s.
Surfers have camped, kicked the footy and done the odd burnouts in the open car park. There has also been skirmishes with country lads (unhappy with surfers taking their girls) and bikies (looking for trouble with surfers) while camping in the car park.
Before technology (surf reports/web sites etc) surfers used to check waves conditions from the car park before heading off to the best surf destination for the day.
Things have certainly changed since those days, camping is now banned on the beach front, the public toilets have been relocated and the car park curbed and landscaped.
1950s
In the 1950s there were wooden steps to the beach and wooden his-n-hers change rooms on the sandy beach front.
Yallingup pioneers the Hammond family built Surfside Tea Rooms on north side of the unsealed beach car park and Holiday shacks on Yallingup hill. Besides the Hammond shacks there was little holiday home accommodation available to visiting surfers or holiday makers.
Visiting surfers slept in cars and hammocks hung strung up under the melaleuca trees on the beach front.
1956 John Budge’s Morris Minor sedan & plywood boards in unsealed Yalls beach car park outside Surfside Tea Rooms. John Budge pic
1960s
The car park was sealed in the 1960s.
The old wooden steps and beach change rooms were demolished for safety reasons and replaced with concrete steps to the beach in 1967.
In the early 1960s surfing pioneer/builder Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison constructed brick toilets/change rooms, a brick retaining wall and lawn was laid in front of Yallingup car park.
Change room facilities were basic and surfers placed bricks in the toilet cisterns to get fresh water showers under the over flowing cisterns.
During periods of inclement weather, surfers moved their sleeping bags off the lawn to overnight accommodation in the public toilets/change rooms. The women’s ablution block was dryer and cleaner and favoured by surfers.
1966 Yalls sealed car park (Easter LWE) outside Surfside Tea Rooms. Colleen Burke pic
1970s
In the mid-70s surfing legend Tony Harbison built and ran Hideaway Holiday Homes on Yallingup hill. And migrating surfers were moving into vacant farmhouses in the Yallingup region. These changes and a concerted non-camping campaign by National Park Rangers helped alleviate camping issues in the car park.
In 1975 John Malloy built Bali Hai surf hut between the Surfside Store and Duplex building. The surf hut was located on the car park in front of two other Surfside holiday shacks.
In 1977 surfboard shaper Al Bean was the manager of Surfside and the Yallingup Beach caravan park (age 20). Both sites were located on the perimeter of the car park.
1978 Yalligup car park pre-curbing. Surfside shop, Bali Hai surf hut & duplex buildings with a sparsely developed Yallingup Hill in the background. Vance Burrow pic.
1980s
Concrete curbing, steel railings and a public telephone box were added to the beach car park.
In the late 1980s the brick toilet & change rooms in front of car park were demolished and Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison built replacement stone toilets/change rooms north of the car park (in front of former Surfside complex).
In 1981 John Malloy handed the Bali-Hai Surf Hut to Tom Hoye. Tom ran his retail surfboard business at the shop until Drew Brent-White took over circa 1985.
In 1988 Tania Hills and her son Mark took over Bali Hai Surf Hut and changed the shop name to Hillzeez Yallingup Beach Surf Shop. They ran Hillzeez Surf Shop from 1988-92.
In 1989 a limestone wall was built around the Surfside complex.
1980s Yalls open car park with some curbing. Old brick toilets/change rooms, steel rails & beach shower in the background with public telephone box in the foreground. Felton family pic.
1990s
In the early 1990s there were Fashion Parades and parties held at Hillzeez’s Yallingup Beach Surf Shop. After Hillzeez left the premises, the shop name changed to Treasures on The Beach, Yallingup Surf Shop and Surfside Beach Shack.
In the 1990s Peter Dyson and the King of Kuta (Bali) were partners in the Surfside tenancy. Peter in his snakeskin boots added a karaoke machine to Surfside’s amenities. Peter picked-up turn-over and turned Surfside into a strong music scene with local musicians Vance Burrows, Gina Panone, Leon Thomasian & others playing at the venue. It was a vibrant night spot and reveller’s cars filled the beach car park after dark.
In 1990 Surfside additions next to Hillzeez surf shop were converted into a Kiosk.
1990 Yalls Hillzeez Beach Surf Shop on north side of car park (former Bali Hai surf hut). Tania Hills pic
2000s
In 2006 Surfboard shaped showers replaced a stand alone shower at top of steps. The new showers were installed in front of the change rooms/toilets at Yallingup Beach. And the beach front brick retaining wall was upgraded with viewing platforms added for beach goers.
Surfside served the Yallingup surfing community as Tearooms, Store, Petrol outlet, Restaurant, Café, Kiosk, Accommodation, Surf Shop & Art Gallery until 2006, when developers demolished the complex and built luxury holiday accommodation on the site.
2006 Yalls car park with Surfside Cafe in the background. Wombat’s fruit & vegetable stall (seller from Bridgetown) is on the left. Peter Mac pic
2010s
The car park was upgraded with curbing, defined parking spaces and flora.
In 2018 the City of Busselton added vintage surf images to beach front rubbish bins in the car park.
From 2013 to 2020 hospitality supremo Alfonzo Puzzarini, his wife Chiara & daughter Shanti ran the popular Shaana Café on the beach front at Yallingup.
In 2019 the Yallingup school beach bus stop was painted by local artist Nathan Moody.
2019 Shaana Café & school bus stop art on north side of car park. Jim King pic
2020s
The Yallingup beach car park is struggling to meet demand during peak periods ☹
2021 Holiday traffic Yallingup car park. Jim King pic
Today’s surfers still meet in the car park to check the waves & ‘chew the fat’ on surfing, footy, women, pets, grand kids and more recently ailment issues.
This is a glimpse of the changing face of Yallingup beach car park over the decades 1950s-2020s.
Yallingup beach car park has been a focal point for surfers since the mid-1950s.
Surfers have camped, kicked the footy and done the odd burnouts in the open car park. There has also been skirmishes with country lads (unhappy with surfers taking their girls) and bikies (looking for trouble with surfers) while camping in the car park.
Before technology (surf reports/web sites etc) surfers used to check waves conditions from the car park before heading off to the best surf destination for the day.
Things have certainly changed since those days, camping is now banned on the beach front, the public toilets have been relocated and the car park curbed and landscaped.
1950s
In the 1950s there were wooden steps to the beach and wooden his-n-hers change rooms on the sandy beach front.
Yallingup pioneers the Hammond family built Surfside Tea Rooms on north side of the unsealed beach car park and Holiday shacks on Yallingup hill. Besides the Hammond shacks there was little holiday home accommodation available to visiting surfers or holiday makers.
Visiting surfers slept in cars and hammocks hung strung up under the melaleuca trees on the beach front.
1960s
The car park was sealed in the 1960s.
The old wooden steps and beach change rooms were demolished for safety reasons and replaced with concrete steps to the beach in 1967.
In the early 1960s surfing pioneer/builder Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison constructed brick toilets/change rooms, a brick retaining wall and lawn was laid in front of Yallingup car park.
Change room facilities were basic and surfers placed bricks in the toilet cisterns to get fresh water showers under the over flowing cisterns.
During periods of inclement weather, surfers moved their sleeping bags off the lawn to overnight accommodation in the public toilets/change rooms. The women’s ablution block was dryer and cleaner and favoured by surfers.
1970s
In the mid-70s surfing legend Tony Harbison built and ran Hideaway Holiday Homes on Yallingup hill. And migrating surfers were moving into vacant farmhouses in the Yallingup region. These changes and a concerted non-camping campaign by National Park Rangers helped alleviate camping issues in the car park.
In 1975 John Malloy built Bali Hai surf hut between the Surfside Store and Duplex building. The surf hut was located on the car park in front of two other Surfside holiday shacks.
In 1977 surfboard shaper Al Bean was the manager of Surfside and the Yallingup Beach caravan park (age 20). Both sites were located on the perimeter of the car park.
1980s
Concrete curbing, steel railings and a public telephone box were added to the beach car park.
In the late 1980s the brick toilet & change rooms in front of car park were demolished and Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison built replacement stone toilets/change rooms north of the car park (in front of former Surfside complex).
In 1981 John Malloy handed the Bali-Hai Surf Hut to Tom Hoye. Tom ran his retail surfboard business at the shop until Drew Brent-White took over circa 1985.
In 1988 Tania Hills and her son Mark took over Bali Hai Surf Hut and changed the shop name to Hillzeez Yallingup Beach Surf Shop. They ran Hillzeez Surf Shop from 1988-92.
In 1989 a limestone wall was built around the Surfside complex.
1990s
In the early 1990s there were Fashion Parades and parties held at Hillzeez’s Yallingup Beach Surf Shop. After Hillzeez left the premises, the shop name changed to Treasures on The Beach, Yallingup Surf Shop and Surfside Beach Shack.
In the 1990s Peter Dyson and the King of Kuta (Bali) were partners in the Surfside tenancy. Peter in his snakeskin boots added a karaoke machine to Surfside’s amenities. Peter picked-up turn-over and turned Surfside into a strong music scene with local musicians Vance Burrows, Gina Panone, Leon Thomasian & others playing at the venue. It was a vibrant night spot and reveller’s cars filled the beach car park after dark.
In 1990 Surfside additions next to Hillzeez surf shop were converted into a Kiosk.
2000s
In 2006 Surfboard shaped showers replaced a stand alone shower at top of steps. The new showers were installed in front of the change rooms/toilets at Yallingup Beach. And the beach front brick retaining wall was upgraded with viewing platforms added for beach goers.
Surfside served the Yallingup surfing community as Tearooms, Store, Petrol outlet, Restaurant, Café, Kiosk, Accommodation, Surf Shop & Art Gallery until 2006, when developers demolished the complex and built luxury holiday accommodation on the site.
2010s
The car park was upgraded with curbing, defined parking spaces and flora.
In 2018 the City of Busselton added vintage surf images to beach front rubbish bins in the car park.
From 2013 to 2020 hospitality supremo Alfonzo Puzzarini, his wife Chiara & daughter Shanti ran the popular Shaana Café on the beach front at Yallingup.
In 2019 the Yallingup school beach bus stop was painted by local artist Nathan Moody.
2020s
The Yallingup beach car park is struggling to meet demand during peak periods ☹
Today’s surfers still meet in the car park to check the waves & ‘chew the fat’ on surfing, footy, women, pets, grand kids and more recently ailment issues.
Related Content.
1970-80 Yallingup Beach car park published 15 Mar 2017
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