In the late 1950s and early 1960s, surfers camping at Yallingup listened to traditional Dixieland jazz under the melaleuca trees. Surfers played jazz records on wind up 78rpm gramophone players and were entertained by live music played by some talented jazz musicians among their group.
Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the original Dixieland Jazz Band fostered awareness of this new style of music. Source: Wikipedia
1956 Unknown surfer & John Budge listening to traditional jazz records on wind-up 78rpm gramophone player among the melaleucas at Yallingup Beach. Photo John Budge.
1958 Colin Taylor, Dave Williams, Keith Kino & Bruce Hill flaked out a Yallingup listening to traditional jazz records on wind-up 78rpm gramophone player. Brian Cole’s hollow plywood Malibu on the left. Photo Brian Cole.
Surfers visiting the Yallingup region in the 50s & 60s were lucky to have talented jazz musician Don Bancroft from Cottesloe in their ranks. Don would play his trumpet from a former World War II RAN hammock set up between melaleuca trees in the bush overlooking Yallingup’s main break and lead the surfers pied piper fashion along the ghost track to Caves Hotel Yallingup. He also performed with jazz bands playing at dances in Busselton and at Southwest pubs.
Don continues to perform regular gigs with The Corner House Jazz Band in the city.
Don made his own balsa surfboards and experimented with different board shapes in his back shed at Cottesloe during this period.
1958 Don Bancroft with his homemade balsa surfboard on Yallingup Beach. Photo John Budge.
The late Brian Cole’s memories of Dixieland jazz and musician Don Bancroft follow. Extract from the Surfing Down South book (2014, Margaret River Press).
Extract Brian Cole’s Dixieland recollections Surfing Down South book 2014. Part #1Extract Brian Cole’s Dixieland recollections Surfing Down South book 2014. Part #2.Extract Brian Cole’s Dixieland recollections Surfing Down South book 2014. Part #3.1958 Xmas at Yallingup. Jazz musician Don Bancroft entertaining the boys on the hill. Photo Brian Cole.1959 Don Bancroft & Jim Lik MacKenzie returning to camp site after a surf at Yallingup. Photo Steve Mailey.
Jim Keenan. “The bunny population was high on Rabbit Hill (Yallingup) in the 50’s. Most of us had shooting arms of various makes and sizes. We would lay in line along the sand dune awaiting the arrival of the bunnies from the bushland and let fly when they did appear. Don Bancroft had a home-made rifle or cannon would be a more suitable name! . Whenever he fired the shot, pellets would spray the hillside over a large area and thus dinner for the troops. Fun days indeed😁”
1960 Don Bancroft leading West Coast Board Club members up Yallingup Hill in his Holden FC panel van with non-standard rear side windows. Photo courtesy The West Australian.
2023 Don Bancroft (centre) with the Surfing Down South book, talking story with Chris Fullston and Bill Gibson at the Surfing the Western Suburbs exhibition, held at Grove Library, Cottesloe (February–March 2023). Photograph by Jim King.
1948 Surfing on plywood surfboards with paddles at Cable Station South Cottesloe. Water photo by Don Bancroft. This image was displayed at the Surfing the Western Suburbs exhibition held at Grove Library Cottesloe(Feb-Mar 2023).
There were other talented musicians amongst the early surfing crew at Yallingup.
Kevin Merifield. “On the return trip home, we would often stop at the Highway Hotel in Bunbury for the Sunday afternoon session. With Bernie Huddle (piano), Don Bancroft (trumpet), Bruce ‘Moonshine’ Hill (clarinet), Artie Taylor (trombone), and Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison (tea chest slap bass), we had the makings of a really good trad jazz band. The band and the rest of us would get free grog, making it all worthwhile. How we got home to Perth in one piece I’ll never know.”
1958 Yallingup camp site with Artie Taylor on trombone behind hammock. Photo Brian Cole.
1956-57 Yallingup surfers camping under the melaleuca trees. Photo John Budge. L-R Tony Burgess, unknown, John ‘Red’ Abbott (in hammock), Bernie Huddle, Alan Hamer, unknown (3).
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, surfers camping at Yallingup listened to traditional Dixieland jazz under the melaleuca trees. Surfers played jazz records on wind up 78rpm gramophone players and were entertained by live music played by some talented jazz musicians among their group.
Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the original Dixieland Jazz Band fostered awareness of this new style of music. Source: Wikipedia
1956 Unknown surfer & John Budge listening to traditional jazz records on wind-up 78rpm gramophone player among the melaleucas at Yallingup Beach. Photo John Budge.
1958 Colin Taylor, Dave Williams, Keith Kino & Bruce Hill flaked out a Yallingup listening to traditional jazz records on wind-up 78rpm gramophone player. Brian Cole’s hollow plywood Malibu on the left. Photo Brian Cole.
Surfers visiting the Yallingup region in the 50s & 60s were lucky to have talented jazz musician Don Bancroft from Cottesloe in their ranks. Don would play his trumpet from a former World War II RAN hammock set up between melaleuca trees in the bush overlooking Yallingup’s main break and lead the surfers pied piper fashion along the ghost track to Caves Hotel Yallingup. He also performed with jazz bands playing at dances in Busselton and at Southwest pubs.
Don continues to perform regular gigs with The Corner House Jazz Band in the city.
Don made his own balsa surfboards and experimented with different board shapes in his back shed at Cottesloe during this period.
1958 Don Bancroft with his homemade balsa surfboard on Yallingup Beach. Photo John Budge.
The late Brian Cole’s memories of Dixieland jazz and musician Don Bancroft follow. Extract from the Surfing Down South book (2014, Margaret River Press).
Jim Keenan. “The bunny population was high on Rabbit Hill (Yallingup) in the 50’s. Most of us had shooting arms of various makes and sizes. We would lay in line along the sand dune awaiting the arrival of the bunnies from the bushland and let fly when they did appear. Don Bancroft had a home-made rifle or cannon would be a more suitable name! . Whenever he fired the shot, pellets would spray the hillside over a large area and thus dinner for the troops. Fun days indeed😁”
1960 Don Bancroft leading West Coast Board Club members up Yallingup Hill in his Holden FC panel van with non-standard rear side windows. Photo courtesy The West Australian.
2023 Don Bancroft (centre) with the Surfing Down South book, talking story with Chris Fullston and Bill Gibson at the Surfing the Western Suburbs exhibition, held at Grove Library, Cottesloe (February–March 2023). Photograph by Jim King.
1948 Surfing on plywood surfboards with paddles at Cable Station South Cottesloe. Water photo by Don Bancroft. This image was displayed at the Surfing the Western Suburbs exhibition held at Grove Library Cottesloe (Feb-Mar 2023).
There were other talented musicians amongst the early surfing crew at Yallingup.
Kevin Merifield. “On the return trip home, we would often stop at the Highway Hotel in Bunbury for the Sunday afternoon session. With Bernie Huddle (piano), Don Bancroft (trumpet), Bruce ‘Moonshine’ Hill (clarinet), Artie Taylor (trombone), and Tony ‘Harbo’ Harbison (tea chest slap bass), we had the makings of a really good trad jazz band. The band and the rest of us would get free grog, making it all worthwhile. How we got home to Perth in one piece I’ll never know.”
1956-57 Yallingup surfers camping under the melaleuca trees. Photo John Budge.
L-R Tony Burgess, unknown, John ‘Red’ Abbott (in hammock), Bernie Huddle, Alan Hamer, unknown (3).
A big thank you to all the contributors.
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