Cordingley Surfboards are the longest running surfboard manufacturers in WA. They can be traced back to the Cordingley Bros Rex and Colin Cordingley building boards in their parents back yard in Mosman Park in the mid-50s to 1960. The Bros opened Cordingley’s Surf Shop in Subiaco in 1962 and the business progressed from there.
1962 Cordingley’s surf shop 329 Hay St Subiaco. Photo Dave Ellis1960s Jennie Cordingley (right) serving a customer in Cordingley’s Surf Shop showroom Hay St Subiaco. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton.1964 Rex Cordingley (RIP) hand shaping surfboards Cordingley’s surf factory Hay St Subiaco. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton.1966 Colin Cordingley (RIP) glassing single fin surfboards at Cordingley’s surf factory Hay St Subiaco. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton
In the early 1970s a spate of fires struck Cordingley’s factory in Subiaco and retail shops in Scarborough & Perth city.
This history of the Cordingley’s fires was sourced from Jennie Cordingley (Colin’s wife) with assistance from Helen Backshell nee Cordingley (Rex & Colin’s sister) and Mike Singleton (Helen’s son).
In the early 1970s the business was expanding, and the Cordingley name was well known when fires damaged Bill Oddy’s ‘In Store for Men’ in the city and Cordingley’s Scarborough Surforium. Both stores had rubbish pushed up against the back doors and set alight. There was not much to save at the Perth store, but Scarborough was not too bad, so they started again.
Then on Feb 20, 1971, Cordingley’s Factory and Surf Shop in Hay St Subiaco was gutted in a mystery early morning fire. With the resins and acetone in the building it just exploded. Police informed the Cordingley boys at 2am, but there was nothing much to save. The factory was insured but they had downgraded their insurance only a month or two before Hay St was destroyed.
Cordingleys started again, moving into a property in York Street, Subiaco. They had many surfboard orders to fill when another fire happened on March 30, 1973. It was peak summer season and couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
It was hard starting over again and again. But the Cordingley boys then moved to 24 Jersey Street, Jolimont and got the business up and running as a going concern, before selling it to long time employees Bill Oddy and Charlie Campbell in 1973.
Bill Oddy and Charlie Campbell worked with Cordingley’s for many years (Bill as a shop Manager and Charlie as a Glasser). In April 1979 they sold the business to Colin Earle’ s family.
Jennie Cordingley. “The York St factory fire in 1973 was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the Cordingley boys left the surf industry business for good!”
David Hawke (Len Hawke’s son). “Such a tragedy, Dad said after the York St fire, the insurance doubled in the industry.It wasn’t long after, Hawke’s moved to Frobisher st, concentrating on Industrial Fibreglass, canoes, and of course Surfcats.”
1971 Factory Fire Hay St Subiaco
1971 Media article by John Altham Weekend News February 20 1971.1971 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire Hay St Subiaco. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton1971 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire Hay St Subiaco. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton1971 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire Hay St Subiaco. Rex & Colin Cordingley checking the devastation after the fire with firemen. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton.
1971 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire Hay St Subiaco. Colin Cordingley searching through debrisafter the fire. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton.
1973 Factory Fire York St Subiaco
1973 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York Street Subiaco. Photo Tom Collins.1973 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York St Subiaco. Photo Tom Collins1973 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York St Subiaco. Photo Tom Collins.1973 Young lad checking damage Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York St Subiaco. Photo Mike Singleton.1973 Cordingley shaper Steve ‘Blue’ Nicholson looking through debris Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York St Subiaco. Photo Mike Singleton.1973 Cordingley Manager Bill Oddy looking through debris Cordingley Surfboards factory fire York St Subiaco. Photo Tom Collins.
Pioneer surfer the late Brian Cole was a fireman and attended both the Hay St and York St Factory fires in Subiaco.
Cordingley Surfboards has had several owners since the mid-70s and the shop has been in Scarborough for many years.
Bonus images
1971-73 Cordingley Surfboards possibly the last Hay St (right) and first York St (left) boards. Photos Mike Singleton
A big thank you to the Cordingley family for sharing this surf history material.
Cordingley Surfboards are the longest running surfboard manufacturers in WA. They can be traced back to the Cordingley Bros Rex and Colin Cordingley building boards in their parents back yard in Mosman Park in the mid-50s to 1960. The Bros opened Cordingley’s Surf Shop in Subiaco in 1962 and the business progressed from there.
In the early 1970s a spate of fires struck Cordingley’s factory in Subiaco and retail shops in Scarborough & Perth city.
This history of the Cordingley’s fires was sourced from Jennie Cordingley (Colin’s wife) with assistance from Helen Backshell nee Cordingley (Rex & Colin’s sister) and Mike Singleton (Helen’s son).
In the early 1970s the business was expanding, and the Cordingley name was well known when fires damaged Bill Oddy’s ‘In Store for Men’ in the city and Cordingley’s Scarborough Surforium. Both stores had rubbish pushed up against the back doors and set alight. There was not much to save at the Perth store, but Scarborough was not too bad, so they started again.
Then on Feb 20, 1971, Cordingley’s Factory and Surf Shop in Hay St Subiaco was gutted in a mystery early morning fire. With the resins and acetone in the building it just exploded. Police informed the Cordingley boys at 2am, but there was nothing much to save. The factory was insured but they had downgraded their insurance only a month or two before Hay St was destroyed.
Cordingleys started again, moving into a property in York Street, Subiaco. They had many surfboard orders to fill when another fire happened on March 30, 1973. It was peak summer season and couldn’t have happened at a worse time.
It was hard starting over again and again. But the Cordingley boys then moved to 24 Jersey Street, Jolimont and got the business up and running as a going concern, before selling it to long time employees Bill Oddy and Charlie Campbell in 1973.
Bill Oddy and Charlie Campbell worked with Cordingley’s for many years (Bill as a shop Manager and Charlie as a Glasser). In April 1979 they sold the business to Colin Earle’ s family.
Jennie Cordingley. “The York St factory fire in 1973 was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the Cordingley boys left the surf industry business for good!”
David Hawke (Len Hawke’s son). “Such a tragedy, Dad said after the York St fire, the insurance doubled in the industry. It wasn’t long after, Hawke’s moved to Frobisher st, concentrating on Industrial Fibreglass, canoes, and of course Surfcats.”
1971 Factory Fire Hay St Subiaco
1971 Cordingley Surfboards factory fire Hay St Subiaco. Colin Cordingley searching through debris after the fire. Photo courtesy Mike Singleton.
1973 Factory Fire York St Subiaco
Pioneer surfer the late Brian Cole was a fireman and attended both the Hay St and York St Factory fires in Subiaco.
Cordingley Surfboards has had several owners since the mid-70s and the shop has been in Scarborough for many years.
Bonus images
A big thank you to the Cordingley family for sharing this surf history material.
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