When Margaret River Main Break was first surfed in 1958, there were few surfers living in the region.
Margaret River resident Keith McCleod first met surfers when he was 12 years old in 1958 and a year later when he started working at the Prevelly Store. He worked the bowser and met the surfers when they stopped for fuel.
Keith McCleod. “It was pretty rough driving to the beach those days, up until around 1959, the thin little strip of bitumen finished at the cemetery, so it was a bit of a challenge getting down to the beach.”
In 1958 Geoff Kimpton (age 14) used to dive and spearfish at Margs. He stayed at Prevelly Park in the chalets with kangaroos hopping everywhere. Then Geoff bought his mates down from the Swanbourne Surf Life Saving Club and they surfed Main Break on toothpick boards before shorter foam boards were introduced in the early 60s.
Geoff Kimpton. “After we met Keith McCleod’s sister Leonie (McLeod) we stayed in a shed at her parent’s property on the river. They were still using kerosene lamps because there was no electricity. It was nothing flash!”
Geoff Kimpton’s 1964 Prevelly Park pics
1964 Prevelly picscourtesy of Geoff Kimpton.
WA surfboard manufacturer Colin Cordingley and his board shaper Hank the Yank first surfed Margarets Main Break in 1962. They reported back to their mates at Caves House pub Yallingup. After hearing about this new wave, Kevin Merifield and Tony Harbison decided to take a look.
Tony Harbison. “Kevin & I stopped at the Prevelly Store because we didn’t know where the surf was. The owner guided us towards the mouth of the river where some locals went to body surf. As we drove past the point heading to the River Mouth, there were two blokes in the water surfing. They were Margaret River high school teacher Mal Bromley and accountant Warren McKinney who were living in Margaret River at the time. I don’t know how long they had already been surfing there.”
Early 1960s Surfers Point pics
1962 Murray Smith & Jim Keenan surfing Margaret River Main Break. Photo courtesy Jim Keenan.
Mal Bromley. “I used to have a Lambretta scooter and Warren had a motorcycle, and we would strap our boards on the side and to get into Gallows or Lefthanders.”
1963 Marg River High School teacher Mal Bromley surfing Margs Main Break. Photo Bromley family pic.1964 Zac Kochanowitsch surfing Marg River on his Rising Sun design by Hawke Bros surfboards. Photo courtesy the late Ernie Potter
Murray Smith. “The Mini Minor parked in front of Gary’s VW in the next photo may have belonged to Jim Breadsell. The lads were members of the North End Board Club at Scarborough.”
1964 Gary Granary with his VW sedan checking waves from unsealed car park at Surfers Point Margs. Photo courtesy Murray Smith.Early 60s Peter Carter (centre) with unidentified surfers checking waves from unsealed car park at Surfers Point. Photo courtesy Mick Semple.1960s Surfers checking waves Surfers Point car park Margaret River. Darryl McGowan pic Surfers include Ron Waddell on roof, Darryl McGowan on the right, others unidentified.1964 Surf check from Surfers PointMargaret River. Photo courtesy the late Arthur Sherburn. L-R Bruce Brown, Arty Sherburn, Peter Backhouse & John Murphy.1964 Surfers checking the waves Surfers Point Margs. Photo courtesy the late Arthur Sherburn.
Seeds of Change
In 1967 WA surf photographer Tom Collins had a five-page surfing article published in USA’s Surfing Illustrated magazine. Tom’s article was the first report in the USA on the discovery of surf on WA’s coastline.
Then in 1969, rounds of the Australian Surfing Championships were held for the first time at Margaret River Main Break. There were exception waves for the contest and NSW surf film maker Paul Witzig featured footage of the event in his Evolutionmovie (1969) to OZ & international audiences.
This exposure led in part to surfers migrating to the region in the early 70s from within WA, inter-state and overseas. That’s when Margaret River began metamorphosing from a quiet farming town into a surfing/winery tourism hot spot.
When Margaret River Main Break was first surfed in 1958, there were few surfers living in the region.
Margaret River resident Keith McCleod first met surfers when he was 12 years old in 1958 and a year later when he started working at the Prevelly Store. He worked the bowser and met the surfers when they stopped for fuel.
Keith McCleod. “It was pretty rough driving to the beach those days, up until around 1959, the thin little strip of bitumen finished at the cemetery, so it was a bit of a challenge getting down to the beach.”
In 1958 Geoff Kimpton (age 14) used to dive and spearfish at Margs. He stayed at Prevelly Park in the chalets with kangaroos hopping everywhere. Then Geoff bought his mates down from the Swanbourne Surf Life Saving Club and they surfed Main Break on toothpick boards before shorter foam boards were introduced in the early 60s.
Geoff Kimpton. “After we met Keith McCleod’s sister Leonie (McLeod) we stayed in a shed at her parent’s property on the river. They were still using kerosene lamps because there was no electricity. It was nothing flash!”
Geoff Kimpton’s 1964 Prevelly Park pics
1964 Prevelly pics courtesy of Geoff Kimpton.
WA surfboard manufacturer Colin Cordingley and his board shaper Hank the Yank first surfed Margarets Main Break in 1962. They reported back to their mates at Caves House pub Yallingup. After hearing about this new wave, Kevin Merifield and Tony Harbison decided to take a look.
Tony Harbison. “Kevin & I stopped at the Prevelly Store because we didn’t know where the surf was. The owner guided us towards the mouth of the river where some locals went to body surf. As we drove past the point heading to the River Mouth, there were two blokes in the water surfing. They were Margaret River high school teacher Mal Bromley and accountant Warren McKinney who were living in Margaret River at the time. I don’t know how long they had already been surfing there.”
Early 1960s Surfers Point pics
Mal Bromley. “I used to have a Lambretta scooter and Warren had a motorcycle, and we would strap our boards on the side and to get into Gallows or Lefthanders.”
Murray Smith. “The Mini Minor parked in front of Gary’s VW in the next photo may have belonged to Jim Breadsell. The lads were members of the North End Board Club at Scarborough.”
Surfers include Ron Waddell on roof, Darryl McGowan on the right, others unidentified.
L-R Bruce Brown, Arty Sherburn, Peter Backhouse & John Murphy.
Seeds of Change
In 1967 WA surf photographer Tom Collins had a five-page surfing article published in USA’s Surfing Illustrated magazine. Tom’s article was the first report in the USA on the discovery of surf on WA’s coastline.
Then in 1969, rounds of the Australian Surfing Championships were held for the first time at Margaret River Main Break. There were exception waves for the contest and NSW surf film maker Paul Witzig featured footage of the event in his Evolution movie (1969) to OZ & international audiences.
This exposure led in part to surfers migrating to the region in the early 70s from within WA, inter-state and overseas. That’s when Margaret River began metamorphosing from a quiet farming town into a surfing/winery tourism hot spot.
Related content
1967 Australia WEST – Surfing’s New Frontier by Tom Collins posted 3 August 2019
1969 Wayne Lynch surfing Margs Mainbreak in Paul Witzig’s film ‘Evolution’ posted 25 March 2023
Reference Material
Surfing Down South book published 2014 by Margaret River Press. (The book has sold out and is out of print).
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