The introduction of lighter more manoeuvrable Malibu surfboards in 1956 by visiting American & Hawaiian surfers opened the door for WA women to embrace surfboard riding.
WA’s pioneer women surfed through the longboard to shortboard era of the 60s surfboard evolution.
They inspired a wave of young girls to take up the sport, fostering a growing community of women surfers in WA.
Today women receive equal pay on the WSL Pro circuit and over 50% of students in Surf Classes are women. See list of WA female pro surfers at the end of this post.
60s State Womens Champions
The inaugural State Surfing Championships were run by WASRA and sponsored by Ampol Petroleum on the 1964 March long weekend.
1964 Jenny Shackley (Scarborough).
1965-67 Teena Christion (Mandurah)
1968-70` Maureen Farrell (Yallingup).
60s Surfing Girls pics
1962 Jennie Cordingley with her first fibreglass/foam Cordingley Bros surfboard made in Mosman Park. Image courtesy Mike Singleton.1963 unidentified girls board riding Scarborough. Image ex City Beach Super 8 footage.
1963 Cottesloe surfers Tina Daly, Jeanne Abbott & Stef Meyers. Media image
1964 Inaugural State Womens Champion Jenny Shackley with other finalists Barry King (Jnr) & Zac Kochanowitsch (Open) heading to World and OZ Titles in Manly NSW. Media image.1964 Jenny Shackley (WA Womens Champion) with other contestants on surf trip to Angourie after the World & Aust Titles held Manly NSW. Photo Carol Charlton. Standing. Phyllis O’Donnell AUS (first Womens World Champion), Jenny Shackley WA Champion with Linda Benson USA. Sitting. Carol Charlton Qld Champ lower left. Other woman unidentified.1965 WA State Champion Teena Christon article in Woman’s Day Magazine April 51965.1966 Colleen Burke with Malibu surfboard Cape Naturaliste. Photo Colleen Burke.1966 Marina with Malibu surfboard Cape Naturaliste. Photo Colleen Burke.1966 Pat Monoghan with Malibu surfboard Cape Naturaliste. Photo Colleen Burke.
1966 Gayle Franks with her surfboard and her brother Dennis’s surfboard backyard Floreat. Photo Franks family.
1967 Unidentified surfer girls Scarborough Beach. Photo Tom Collins1967 Cottesloe surfer Eleanor Proud on the cover of Weekend MagazineNovember 25 1967.1967 State Titles Isolated reef Cottesloe. Contestants Kaye Hocking, Maureen Farrell & Carol McDonald. Media image.1968 State Womens Champion Maureen Farrell. Media article by Janice Burton.
The 60’s girls paved the way for the following WA female surfers to achieve professional success on the international stage: –
Jodie Cooper – ASP Pro 1983 to 2002.
Melanie Redman-Carr – ASP Pro 1999 to 2009.
Claire Bevilacqua – WCT Pro 2003 to 2020.
Bronte Macaulay – WSL Pro 2017 to 2024.
Felicity Palmateer – WSL big wave surfer 2007 to present.
And WA’s next crop of top female surfers, the Hardy sister’s Willow & Olive and other juniors.
Apologies, if I inadvertently left out any names or got Pro timelines incorrect.
The introduction of lighter more manoeuvrable Malibu surfboards in 1956 by visiting American & Hawaiian surfers opened the door for WA women to embrace surfboard riding.
WA’s pioneer women surfed through the longboard to shortboard era of the 60s surfboard evolution.
They inspired a wave of young girls to take up the sport, fostering a growing community of women surfers in WA.
Today women receive equal pay on the WSL Pro circuit and over 50% of students in Surf Classes are women. See list of WA female pro surfers at the end of this post.
60s State Womens Champions
The inaugural State Surfing Championships were run by WASRA and sponsored by Ampol Petroleum on the 1964 March long weekend.
1964 Jenny Shackley (Scarborough).
1965-67 Teena Christion (Mandurah)
1968-70` Maureen Farrell (Yallingup).
60s Surfing Girls pics
1963 Cottesloe surfers Tina Daly, Jeanne Abbott & Stef Meyers. Media image
Standing. Phyllis O’Donnell AUS (first Womens World Champion), Jenny Shackley WA Champion with Linda Benson USA.
Sitting. Carol Charlton Qld Champ lower left. Other woman unidentified.
1966 Gayle Franks with her surfboard and her brother Dennis’s surfboard backyard Floreat. Photo Franks family.
The 60’s girls paved the way for the following WA female surfers to achieve professional success on the international stage: –
Jodie Cooper – ASP Pro 1983 to 2002.
Melanie Redman-Carr – ASP Pro 1999 to 2009.
Claire Bevilacqua – WCT Pro 2003 to 2020.
Bronte Macaulay – WSL Pro 2017 to 2024.
Felicity Palmateer – WSL big wave surfer 2007 to present.
And WA’s next crop of top female surfers, the Hardy sister’s Willow & Olive and other juniors.
Apologies, if I inadvertently left out any names or got Pro timelines incorrect.
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