***Update 21 Dec 2025. Added Rock Bands – surfing front men***
In the 1960s, surfing became a popular trend, and companies used surfer imagery to market their products in magazines and advertisements.
Some WA surfers were lucky enough to exploit their good looks on the meat market and supplement their meagre incomes through fashion photo-shoots and by strutting their stuff on the catwalk. Other surfers were front men for popular Rock Bands.
In 1959 WA surfboard rider Brian Cole and a group of WA surfers headed to the East Coast chasing waves and adventure.
Brian Cole. “’Word of mouth’ stories of well-shaped point surf on the East Coast had filtered back to WA (there were no OZ surf mags back then) so in 1959, I followed my dream and hitched a ride on a semi-trailer to Sydney.
In 1961 worked on a milk run at Manly Beach NSW, so I had time to surf during the day. Unfortunately, the local kids kept stealing my milk cart and leaving it at the beach. I had to retrieve it from there some mornings to start milk deliveries.
While there I met big wave rider Bob Pike who was a fireman, surf promoter Bob Evans and other East Coast surfing pioneers.
Bob Pike & I (and others) did a modelling job for Flair fashion magazine.”
1961 WA’s Brian Cole & NSW big wave rider Bob Pike modelling for Flair Fashion Magazine at North Narrabeen NSW. Photo Ray Leighton.
In 1965 Womans Day magazine published a story on State Womens Surfing Champion Teena Christion (age 15) a member of the Miami Surfinks Board Club.
1965 Womans Day article on Miami’s Teena Christon (15).
In 1966 City Beach surfboard rider Gayle ‘Copper’ Franks modelled for a ‘Clean up our Beaches Campaign’ on City beach in front of the former Tea Rooms.
1966 City Beach surfboard rider Gayle Franks modelling on City Beach. Photo Trevor Burslem.
In 1967, Daily News journalist Alan McIntosh wrote about female surfing in WA, highlighting Cottesloe surfers Eleanor Proud & Stefanie Meyer and Scarborough surfer Jenney Shackley.
1967 Eleanor Proud (17) on the front cover of Weekend Magazine. Image courtesy of WA Newspapers.
1967 Alan McIntosh’s ‘The big waves are for girls’ article in Weekend Magazine. #1
1967 Alan McIntosh’s ‘The big waves are for girls’ article in Weekend Magazine. #1
Stefanie Meyer was Miss West Coast Beach Girl in 1966 and the runner up in the inaugural Western Australia State Surfboard Championships (Women’s division) held at Yallingup in 1964.
1963 Cottesloe beach girls Tina Daly, Jeanne Abbott & Stef Meyer. Image courtesy of WA Newspapers.
In 1968 WA Surf Photographer Greg Woodward captured this photo of Cottesloe surfboard rider Eleanor Proud for Surf International Magazine.
1968 Eleanor Proud of Cottesloe for Surf International Magazine. Photo Greg Woodward.
In 1969 NZ surf photographer Ric Chan modelled O’Neill wetsuits for John Arnold Surfboards in South Australia. The image appeared in Surf International magazine.
1969 Ric Chan modelling O’Neill wetsuit for JA Surfboards. Image courtesy Ric Chan.
Rock Bands – Surfing front men
Back in the 60s the front men for popular Perth bands ‘The Banned’ and ‘The Young Blaydes’ were surfer/singers Peter Dyson and Dave Aylett & Greg Wynne respectively.
In the mid-60s Peter ‘Dyso’ Dyson of Dalkeith was a member of the Yallingup Board Club and lead singer in popular Perth band The Banned.
The Banned band formed in 1965/66 and played at Perth’s top night clubs including Pinocchio’s, Top of Town, Whisky a Go Go and the Top Hat in Northbridge.
In the 70s The Banned wound up and Peter worked in the family business.
1967 Peter ‘style master’ Dyson lead vocalist in The Banned decked out in eye catching striped pants. Photo courtesy of Peter Dyson.
Dave ‘Davo’ Aylett was a Cottesloe surfer in the late 50s and early 60s. He was also a talented vocalist and song writer in the popular Perth band, the Young Blaydes.
1963 Davo singing with Perth Band ‘The Times’ in a demo music video. Snapshot image from music video.
Mike Wynne. “My brother Greg Wynne started out singing at the Snake Pit at Scarborough when he was 15. He met Geoff Gibson at Scarborough and they formed a band when they were about 17. They played a lot of stomps back then and all the surfers had a ball. Greg lived with the Gibson’s for over 2 years when he was young, he had parental issues.
Greg played in all the top bands. Ray Hoff and The Offbeats in Melbourne, Russ Kennedy and the Littlewheels, The Clan, The Profile (John Eddy, Greg Wynne, Cliff Toll and Peter Anderson from The Troupadores) and many others.
From 67-68 he played in a local band called The Young Blaydes managed by Victor Kailis. Everyone said they were amazing. Everywhere they played, it was a full house. Sometimes the liquor squad would come in and make the night club owners tell people to leave, as the number of patrons outnumbered the allowable attendees for their liquor license. It was Perth’s most popular band at that time. They were in the era of The Times and Johnny Young and the Strangers. I remember one night at the Top of the Town night club, it was a sell-out and teenagers were out of control; girls crying, guys drinking excess etc. the atmosphere was electric. The Blaydes’ had the night of their lives.
Victor Kailis was a great manager. He dressed them in suits and ties like the Beatles. They had hair to match, with exception of Greg, he grew an afro…..Curley hair can’t be a Beatle! “
1965 Greg & Mike Wynne with Greg’s blue VW Kombi & surfboards at Beachton St North Beach. Photo courtesy of Wynne family.
At the same time in New Zealand, young surfer/singer Ric Chan was the front man for popular North Island pop band The Morguemen.
Ric Chan “I was the lead singer/guitarist in the Morguemen Band. The band was based out of Masterton and did gigs in Wellington and dance halls throughout the North Island.
We toured the countryside in a vintage 1935 Chrysler convertible with a dicky seat. We purchased the Chrysler for 10 pounds NZ.
I left the band at age 18, then headed to the East Coast of Australia and started photographing my surf travels.”
Mid 60s Ric Chan front man for the Morguemen Band in NZ. Photo Ric Chan.
***Update 21 Dec 2025. Added Rock Bands – surfing front men***
In the 1960s, surfing became a popular trend, and companies used surfer imagery to market their products in magazines and advertisements.
Some WA surfers were lucky enough to exploit their good looks on the meat market and supplement their meagre incomes through fashion photo-shoots and by strutting their stuff on the catwalk. Other surfers were front men for popular Rock Bands.
In 1959 WA surfboard rider Brian Cole and a group of WA surfers headed to the East Coast chasing waves and adventure.
Brian Cole. “’Word of mouth’ stories of well-shaped point surf on the East Coast had filtered back to WA (there were no OZ surf mags back then) so in 1959, I followed my dream and hitched a ride on a semi-trailer to Sydney.
In 1961 worked on a milk run at Manly Beach NSW, so I had time to surf during the day. Unfortunately, the local kids kept stealing my milk cart and leaving it at the beach. I had to retrieve it from there some mornings to start milk deliveries.
While there I met big wave rider Bob Pike who was a fireman, surf promoter Bob Evans and other East Coast surfing pioneers.
Bob Pike & I (and others) did a modelling job for Flair fashion magazine.”
1961 WA’s Brian Cole & NSW big wave rider Bob Pike modelling for Flair Fashion Magazine at North Narrabeen NSW. Photo Ray Leighton.
In 1965 Womans Day magazine published a story on State Womens Surfing Champion Teena Christion (age 15) a member of the Miami Surfinks Board Club.
1965 Womans Day article on Miami’s Teena Christon (15).
In 1966 City Beach surfboard rider Gayle ‘Copper’ Franks modelled for a ‘Clean up our Beaches Campaign’ on City beach in front of the former Tea Rooms.
1966 City Beach surfboard rider Gayle Franks modelling on City Beach. Photo Trevor Burslem.
In 1967, Daily News journalist Alan McIntosh wrote about female surfing in WA, highlighting Cottesloe surfers Eleanor Proud & Stefanie Meyer and Scarborough surfer Jenney Shackley.
1967 Eleanor Proud (17) on the front cover of Weekend Magazine. Image courtesy of WA Newspapers.
1967 Alan McIntosh’s ‘The big waves are for girls’ article in Weekend Magazine. #1
1967 Alan McIntosh’s ‘The big waves are for girls’ article in Weekend Magazine. #1
Stefanie Meyer was Miss West Coast Beach Girl in 1966 and the runner up in the inaugural Western Australia State Surfboard Championships (Women’s division) held at Yallingup in 1964.
1963 Cottesloe beach girls Tina Daly, Jeanne Abbott & Stef Meyer. Image courtesy of WA Newspapers.
In 1968 WA Surf Photographer Greg Woodward captured this photo of Cottesloe surfboard rider Eleanor Proud for Surf International Magazine.
1968 Eleanor Proud of Cottesloe for Surf International Magazine. Photo Greg Woodward.
In 1969 NZ surf photographer Ric Chan modelled O’Neill wetsuits for John Arnold Surfboards in South Australia. The image appeared in Surf International magazine.
1969 Ric Chan modelling O’Neill wetsuit for JA Surfboards. Image courtesy Ric Chan.
Rock Bands – Surfing front men
Back in the 60s the front men for popular Perth bands ‘The Banned’ and ‘The Young Blaydes’ were surfer/singers Peter Dyson and Dave Aylett & Greg Wynne respectively.
In the mid-60s Peter ‘Dyso’ Dyson of Dalkeith was a member of the Yallingup Board Club and lead singer in popular Perth band The Banned.
The Banned band formed in 1965/66 and played at Perth’s top night clubs including Pinocchio’s, Top of Town, Whisky a Go Go and the Top Hat in Northbridge.
In the 70s The Banned wound up and Peter worked in the family business.
1967 Peter ‘style master’ Dyson lead vocalist in The Banned decked out in eye catching striped pants. Photo courtesy of Peter Dyson.
Dave ‘Davo’ Aylett was a Cottesloe surfer in the late 50s and early 60s. He was also a talented vocalist and song writer in the popular Perth band, the Young Blaydes.
1963 Davo singing with Perth Band ‘The Times’ in a demo music video. Snapshot image from music video.
Mike Wynne. “My brother Greg Wynne started out singing at the Snake Pit at Scarborough when he was 15. He met Geoff Gibson at Scarborough and they formed a band when they were about 17. They played a lot of stomps back then and all the surfers had a ball. Greg lived with the Gibson’s for over 2 years when he was young, he had parental issues.
Greg played in all the top bands. Ray Hoff and The Offbeats in Melbourne, Russ Kennedy and the Littlewheels, The Clan, The Profile (John Eddy, Greg Wynne, Cliff Toll and Peter Anderson from The Troupadores) and many others.
From 67-68 he played in a local band called The Young Blaydes managed by Victor Kailis. Everyone said they were amazing. Everywhere they played, it was a full house. Sometimes the liquor squad would come in and make the night club owners tell people to leave, as the number of patrons outnumbered the allowable attendees for their liquor license. It was Perth’s most popular band at that time. They were in the era of The Times and Johnny Young and the Strangers. I remember one night at the Top of the Town night club, it was a sell-out and teenagers were out of control; girls crying, guys drinking excess etc. the atmosphere was electric. The Blaydes’ had the night of their lives.
Victor Kailis was a great manager. He dressed them in suits and ties like the Beatles. They had hair to match, with exception of Greg, he grew an afro…..Curley hair can’t be a Beatle! “
1965 Greg & Mike Wynne with Greg’s blue VW Kombi & surfboards at Beachton St North Beach. Photo courtesy of Wynne family.
At the same time in New Zealand, young surfer/singer Ric Chan was the front man for popular North Island pop band The Morguemen.
Ric Chan “I was the lead singer/guitarist in the Morguemen Band. The band was based out of Masterton and did gigs in Wellington and dance halls throughout the North Island.
We toured the countryside in a vintage 1935 Chrysler convertible with a dicky seat. We purchased the Chrysler for 10 pounds NZ.
I left the band at age 18, then headed to the East Coast of Australia and started photographing my surf travels.”
Mid 60s Ric Chan front man for the Morguemen Band in NZ. Photo Ric Chan.
Thanks to all the contributors.
Coming soon – 1970s Eye Candy
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