This is a wonderful trip down memory lane thanks to WA surfer/surfing industry pioneer the late Brian ‘Coley’ Cole 1940-2021.
In 2015 Brian documented his surf travels in an article titled Life of Brian in White Horses Magazine Issue 12.
2015 Header ‘Life of Brian’ story White Horses magazine Issue 12.
This is an extract of Brian’s White Horses article relating to his Oz East Coast surf trip 1959-61.
There were no Oz surf magazines in the 50s, so it was purely “word of mouth” stories of East Coast point surf that filtered back to WA and saw me hitch a ride on a semi-trailer to Sydney in 1959.
First stop Sydney, I surfed and worked in Bondi, purchased a balsa pig board from Wallace Surfboards and headed off to Queensland in a Hillman Minx sedan with another WA guy. My surfboard was too big to fit on the car so I had to fly it to Coolangatta with TAA.
When I arrived in Coolangatta, I told the local Surf Club I was a clubbie and they let us stay there free. I surfed good waves at Greenmount for three months and met Bondi’s legendary Barry ‘Magoo’ McGuigan.
1959 Qld Coolangatta. Brian Cole with his Wallace balsa pig board. Photo Brian Cole.
Then I headed back to Sydney and moved in with some other WA surfing guys at Queenscliff. There were many great parties and shenanigans. I took over a milk run in Manly where some of the local Groms would “borrow” the milk truck to transport their boards to the beach. I’d have to recover it from the beachfront early in the morning.
It was an interesting period to witness and be part of. Only a small group of surfers surfed through winter on Sydney’s North Shore. While there I met big-wave rider Bob Pike, surf promoter Bob Evans and other surfing pioneers. Bob Pike & I (and others) did a modelling job for Flair fashion magazine. A bunch of us witnessed Freshwater surfer Dave Jackman tackle huge waves at the Queenscliff Bombie for the first time. Joe Larkin (board maker and beach inspector) was there taking photos.
1960 Manly NSW. L-R Joe Larkin, Batman, Moose, Brian Cole & Jim Keenan. Photo Jim Keenan.
My WA mates and I purchased a 1934 Studebaker with Straight 8 engine, for £30 to get us around the NSW beaches. It had an 18-gallon petrol tank and chewed up fuel. We could only get as far as Avoca Beach on the central coast on a tank of petrol. The rear seats were like large lounge chairs and could carry up to 14 foam boards on the roof rack.
We used to go to North Narrabeen in the mornings for a surf and we used to overtake sports cars at 75mph in the Studebaker. The car did up to 100mph on the speedo.
My mates Badhead, Speedy & Cocko and Joe Larkin (NSW) had MG Model TC sports cars with board racks attached on the side of their cars.
Outside our Queenscliff flat we had a 1936 Willys four door sedan that we filled up with beer bottles. The local council came and removed our old cars.
1961 NSW Brian Cole & mates heading towards to Dobroyd Point in the Sydney Harbour National Park searching for waves in their 1934 Studebaker Straight 8 sedan.. Photo Brian Cole.1961 NSW Manly surfer Brian Cole. Photo courtesy Brian Cole1961 NSW North Steyne. L-R John Sprigs & Brian Cole surfing. Photo courtesy surf photographer Ron Perrott (NSW).
1961 NSW Queenscliff. Surfers enjoying Xmas Day keg on the beach. Surfers include Bernie Huddle, Bob Pike, Joe Larkins & others. Photo Brian Cole.
My WA mates also acquired a 1938 Chevy 6-cyclinder sedan to tour around NSW beaches. Bernie Huddle snapped the crank handle on the 1938 Chevy trying to start the car.
1961 NSW North Narrabeen. WA boys with a 1938 Chevy 6 cyclinder sedan. L-R Speedy, Bernie Huddle, Arty Taylor, Phil Mostyn & Cocko Killen. Photo Brian Cole.1961 NSW Dave Jackman paddling out Queenscliff Bombora on a surfboard for the first time. Photo courtesy of surfboard manufacturer Joe Larkin (NSW).1961 NSW Dave Jackman surfing Queenscliff Bombora on a surfboard for the first time. Photo courtesy of surfboard manufacturer Joe Larkin (NSW).1961 NSW North Narrabeen. L-R Brian Cole & big wave rider Bob Pike modelling for Flair Magazine. Image courtesy of Flair Magazine & Brian Cole.1961 NSW North Narrabeen Midget Farrelly Quasimoto. Photo courtesy surf photographer Ron Perrott.1961 NSW North Narrabeen surfer Ron Perrott. Photo courtesy Ron Perrott.
1961 NSW Dee Why Point ‘mayhem’. Brian Cole is on the right. Photo courtesy Ron Perrott.1961 NSW Dee Why Point Kevin ‘The Rat’ on 6ft balsa belly board. Photo courtesy Ron Perrott.
In Sydney I purchased No.6 foam surfboard in Oz from Barry Bennett Surfboards in Brookvale.
1961 NSW Dee Why Point Brian Cole surfing Barry Bennett surfboard. Photo courtesy Brian Cole.1961 NSW Brookvale Barry Bennett surfboards business card. Image courtesy Brian Cole.1961 NSW Manly waterspout on a flat day. Photo Brian Cole.1961 NSW Bondi big swell closing out the bay. Photo Brian Cole.
At the end of 1961, I returned to Perth with WA surfer Laurie Burke. We drove straight to Yallingup in the South West. On arrival we had a beer with Bill Copley the proprietor of Caves House Hotel and he offered me a job. I was a barman at the pub for three months and surfed Yallingup on my own mid-week while waiting for mates to drive down from Perth on weekends.
In 1962 Barry “Joe” King and I started King and Cole Surfboards on cnr Station St and Salvado Rd, Wembley, then in an old dairy in Harborne St Glendalough. We purchased blanks from Bennett Surfboards and were the first to produce foam surfboards in WA.
1962 Artie Shaw & Brian Cole at King & Cole Surfboards Wembley. Photo courtesy Brian Cole.
Many of the lads mentioned in this story have since passed way including Brian Cole. Brian passed away Friday 28 May 2021, age 81.
A big thank you to the Cole family for sharing Brian’s surfing memories.
This is a wonderful trip down memory lane thanks to WA surfer/surfing industry pioneer the late Brian ‘Coley’ Cole 1940-2021.
In 2015 Brian documented his surf travels in an article titled Life of Brian in White Horses Magazine Issue 12.
This is an extract of Brian’s White Horses article relating to his Oz East Coast surf trip 1959-61.
There were no Oz surf magazines in the 50s, so it was purely “word of mouth” stories of East Coast point surf that filtered back to WA and saw me hitch a ride on a semi-trailer to Sydney in 1959.
First stop Sydney, I surfed and worked in Bondi, purchased a balsa pig board from Wallace Surfboards and headed off to Queensland in a Hillman Minx sedan with another WA guy. My surfboard was too big to fit on the car so I had to fly it to Coolangatta with TAA.
When I arrived in Coolangatta, I told the local Surf Club I was a clubbie and they let us stay there free. I surfed good waves at Greenmount for three months and met Bondi’s legendary Barry ‘Magoo’ McGuigan.
Then I headed back to Sydney and moved in with some other WA surfing guys at Queenscliff. There were many great parties and shenanigans. I took over a milk run in Manly where some of the local Groms would “borrow” the milk truck to transport their boards to the beach. I’d have to recover it from the beachfront early in the morning.
It was an interesting period to witness and be part of. Only a small group of surfers surfed through winter on Sydney’s North Shore. While there I met big-wave rider Bob Pike, surf promoter Bob Evans and other surfing pioneers. Bob Pike & I (and others) did a modelling job for Flair fashion magazine. A bunch of us witnessed Freshwater surfer Dave Jackman tackle huge waves at the Queenscliff Bombie for the first time. Joe Larkin (board maker and beach inspector) was there taking photos.
My WA mates and I purchased a 1934 Studebaker with Straight 8 engine, for £30 to get us around the NSW beaches. It had an 18-gallon petrol tank and chewed up fuel. We could only get as far as Avoca Beach on the central coast on a tank of petrol. The rear seats were like large lounge chairs and could carry up to 14 foam boards on the roof rack.
We used to go to North Narrabeen in the mornings for a surf and we used to overtake sports cars at 75mph in the Studebaker. The car did up to 100mph on the speedo.
My mates Badhead, Speedy & Cocko and Joe Larkin (NSW) had MG Model TC sports cars with board racks attached on the side of their cars.
Outside our Queenscliff flat we had a 1936 Willys four door sedan that we filled up with beer bottles. The local council came and removed our old cars.
My WA mates also acquired a 1938 Chevy 6-cyclinder sedan to tour around NSW beaches. Bernie Huddle snapped the crank handle on the 1938 Chevy trying to start the car.
In Sydney I purchased No.6 foam surfboard in Oz from Barry Bennett Surfboards in Brookvale.
At the end of 1961, I returned to Perth with WA surfer Laurie Burke. We drove straight to Yallingup in the South West. On arrival we had a beer with Bill Copley the proprietor of Caves House Hotel and he offered me a job. I was a barman at the pub for three months and surfed Yallingup on my own mid-week while waiting for mates to drive down from Perth on weekends.
In 1962 Barry “Joe” King and I started King and Cole Surfboards on cnr Station St and Salvado Rd, Wembley, then in an old dairy in Harborne St Glendalough. We purchased blanks from Bennett Surfboards and were the first to produce foam surfboards in WA.
Many of the lads mentioned in this story have since passed way including Brian Cole. Brian passed away Friday 28 May 2021, age 81.
A big thank you to the Cole family for sharing Brian’s surfing memories.
Coming soon
Life of Brian – Overseas Surf Trip 1963
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