Guillotines is a popular surf break north of Gracetown in the Southwest. The surf break was discovered and named by the late Dave Williams, Terry ‘Horse’ Williams & Kevin ‘Legs’ Merifield circa 1961. They named it the Guillotine because they regarded it as a cut-throat wave.
Dave Williams.“Then there was the time down at Gallows surf break when we’d get a bit bored of the wave out there. So, we’re sittin’ out there on the sand, stripped off our terylene boardies, cookin’ ourselves red. Anyway, I saw a bit of whitewater down to the south and I said to Horse and Legs, “Maybe we ought to go and check that out”. So off we went and got there to find this perfect little peak rolling through. We surfed that spot for the firs time for a couple of hours. It was great!
Anyway, we are walking back swearin’ to each other that we would keep a lid on it to keep away the ‘Wood Ducks’ and not breath a word of it to the other boys. Of course, that was a bit unlikely. But we decided that day to call the place ‘The Guillotine’ and it seems to have stuck ever since. Source: Surfing Down South Book published 2014.
Dave Williams bio courtesy Surfing Down South book.1962 Dave Williams surfing Gallows. Photo Brian Cole.
1970 Guillotine surf break. Murray Smith with short single fin Hawke Surfboard. Image courtesy Murray Smith.1972 Guillotine line-up(pre-wooden steps). Photo Jim King.
Jo Felton. “In the early days, Alan Minty had the only 4wd and we’d all park our cars at the top of Guillotine track and put all our beach and surf gear in the 4WD. Most of the men hung onto the side or wherever they could, and all the women and kids walked or jogged up and down the track. It was horrible most of the time, either hot and dusty or wet and muddy, but always bIack and very long! Quite often we would catch up to the men bogged somewhere en route.”
1973 Boggy dirt track to Guillotine surf break. Kerry and Kay Kimber. Image courtesy Felton family.1973 dirt track to Guillotine surf break. Image courtesy Felton family. L-R. Val Fussell, Kay Kimber, Rod Baker, Jenny Felton, Vicky and Kerry Kimber.1973 Guillotine track. Image courtesy Felton family. L-R. Al Minty, Jenny & Peter Felton, Ernst, Val Fussell, Ron Baker, Harry Kimber & Vicky.1974 The late Russell Quinlivan surfing Guillotine. Photo Ric Chan1974 Barry Day surfing Guillotine, State Titles. Photo Tom Collins. Signed image by Barry Day in Surfing Down South book.1975 Unidentified surfer Guillotine left. Photo Ric Chan.1976 Randall Owens checking early morning line-up at Guillotine surf break. Photo Ric Chan
Guillotines is a popular surf break north of Gracetown in the Southwest. The surf break was discovered and named by the late Dave Williams, Terry ‘Horse’ Williams & Kevin ‘Legs’ Merifield circa 1961. They named it the Guillotine because they regarded it as a cut-throat wave.
Dave Williams. “Then there was the time down at Gallows surf break when we’d get a bit bored of the wave out there. So, we’re sittin’ out there on the sand, stripped off our terylene boardies, cookin’ ourselves red. Anyway, I saw a bit of whitewater down to the south and I said to Horse and Legs, “Maybe we ought to go and check that out”. So off we went and got there to find this perfect little peak rolling through. We surfed that spot for the firs time for a couple of hours. It was great!
Anyway, we are walking back swearin’ to each other that we would keep a lid on it to keep away the ‘Wood Ducks’ and not breath a word of it to the other boys. Of course, that was a bit unlikely. But we decided that day to call the place ‘The Guillotine’ and it seems to have stuck ever since. Source: Surfing Down South Book published 2014.
1970s Guillotine images (1960s images unavailable).
Jo Felton. “In the early days, Alan Minty had the only 4wd and we’d all park our cars at the top of Guillotine track and put all our beach and surf gear in the 4WD. Most of the men hung onto the side or wherever they could, and all the women and kids walked or jogged up and down the track. It was horrible most of the time, either hot and dusty or wet and muddy, but always bIack and very long! Quite often we would catch up to the men bogged somewhere en route.”
L-R. Val Fussell, Kay Kimber, Rod Baker, Jenny Felton, Vicky and Kerry Kimber.
L-R. Al Minty, Jenny & Peter Felton, Ernst, Val Fussell, Ron Baker, Harry Kimber & Vicky.
Signed image by Barry Day in Surfing Down South book.
Thanks to contributors.
Related Content
1970s Guillotine Surf Break posted 16 September 2015.
1974 State Surfing Titles held at Guillotine Surf Break posted 29 June 2016.
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