Dunsborough town was proclaimed in 1877, but it was little more than a few shacks until the first general store in Dunsborough opened for business in 1925 and the first bakery appeared in 1930.
1963 Dunsborough townsite. Our Caltex Service Station is on the left with the General Store, Butcher and Bakery on the right and the original Bakery building is in the centre. Photo Eric Guy.
1966 Dunsborough townsite surfers enjoying lunch across the road from the Bakery before the hardware and other retail shops were built. Photo Colleen Burke.
The parents of renowned SW surf photographer Jamie Scott ran The Dunsborough Store in the 70s. Jamie took the following photo of his dad’s store in 1977 when he was age 7.
1977 Dunsborough Store and shops with Bakery on the left. Photo Jamie Scott Images
1978 Dunsborough shops with the Bakery in the background L-R Bianca & Kath King. View from front of former Hardware Store in Naturaliste Terrace. Photo Jim King.
1981 Dunsborough Sail & Surf Supply with the Bakery on the left.. Photo courtesy Mark Hills
Gary Gibbon. “In the late 70s Yallingup surfers Mark Favell and Andy Jones were working shifts together at Dunsborough Bakery and possibly Lindsay Whittle too. So being good friends and shift workers, they did quite a lot of surfing together. This was around the time I kicked off my stint working at Caves House.”
Andy Jones was employed at the Dunsborough Bakery between 1974 and 1983. Interestingly, his future spouse, Sally Gunter, also worked there during this period.
During the 1970s, the bakery became the favourite place for surfers to refuel after a surf in the Cape Naturaliste region.
In the 70s The bakery became the favourite place for surfers to refuel after a surf in the Cape Naturaliste region.
Favourite snacks at the Bakery
Stewart Bettenay. “When we came back from walking in and out along the cliffs to surf 3 Bears when it was first discovered we would go to the Bakery and they would make a salad roll out of half a loaf of unsliced bread which would be good for the rest of the day.”
Mark ‘Hillsy’ Hills. “Match stix and apple turnovers Obviously pies.”
Brian Bell. “Vanilla slice all the way”.
Bruce King. “For me, it was a meat pie washed down with a small bottle of Coke and maybe a vanilla slice to finish off.”
Michael Bibby.” I wasn’t around in the 70’s, we binged on bacon and egg sandwiches at Surfside, cooked by Jock Henderson, in the mid 60’s. There are some photos around of Surfside and guys hanging around. Joe Wilson and others were part time “chefs” there, cooking culinary masterpieces such as bacon and eggs, sausages and eggs, eggs – all with tomato sauce. Baked beans on toast were a specialty.”
Ross Utting. “I was a basic pie with sauce, choc milk & donut/vanilla slice man.”
Steve Carr. “In Winter when we predominately surfed The Farm, Rocky Point and Piquet. We would get to the top of the Meelup Hill and glide down to Dunsborough in neutral to see how far we could get in the old HD Panel Van! Then it was straight to the Dunsborough Bakery to woof down a hot pie and probably Coke for a not too healthy lunch, but ideal after a surf on a cold day.”
Ric Chan. “I remember nothing!”
Jim King. “My favourite was warm apple pies, and the shop assistant would the take top off the pie and add a scoop of ice-cream. We used to sit on the footpath out the front of the bakery and enjoy our treats.”
Lou Corkill. “ In the wintertime I would choose uncut loaves of warm bread off the hot rack, hollow them out and stick my feet in them to keep warm. Mark ‘Murf the surf’ Brescoe and I used to sleep in the hedge next to the Dunno bakery. ‘
Tom Hoye (RIP). “For six months in 1971, while Bears became more and more popular Rob Conneeley, George Simpson, Rob Ward, Gary Kontoolas, Glen Lance and I decided not to tell anyone about the track from my backyard to Bears. We would hide our car by parking behind where the parking lot is now, and we would go to the trouble of walking all the way around and coming back down the walking trail like the others had to do. We’d go in for a surf with the other guys, and once the wind came in, they’d head back up the hill on the long walk to their cars and we would let them see us paddling out for another session. Later, as they would pull into the Dunsborough Bakery all hot and thirsty from their long walk, we would be sitting there with our lunches and milkshakes already finished.”
Tom’s ‘Bears’ comments courtesy of Surfing Down South Book published 2014 by Margaret River Press.
Thanks contributors for sharing your bakery memories.
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