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Newspapers : 1956.

1955
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1957

Introduction.
Se

The Argus
Melbourne, 3 January 1956, page 3.

lt's summer remember?

The newly-formed Point Leo life-saving club held its first surf carnival yesterday; it may sound silly, but remember, technically it IS summer!
Here Keith Wadling, of the Torquay Club, coasts down a breaker to win the novice surf-board event.

"SURFERS HAD THE SHIVERS"-SEE STORY, PAGE 15.


Trove
1956 'It's summer —remember?', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 3 January, p. 3. , viewed 27 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72528362


The Australian Women's Weekly
8 February 1965, page 6.




Off duty in Honolulu:

Whether you're working, surfing or dancing under the stars


YOUR CREST WAVE WILL ALWAYS LOOK WONDERFUL






Crest . . . the choice of Canadian Pacific Air Hostesses




Trove
1956 'Advertising', The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), 8 February, p. 6. , viewed 27 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51938987



The Argus
Melbourne, 5 March 1956, page 1.


WIFE SEES SHARK KILL HUSBAND AT PORTSEA
5 ride wave to beach as 12ft. monster strikes

Aerial picture of the back beach at Portsea, where life-saver John Wishart was killed by a shark.

A YOUNG wife saw her lifesaver husband mauled and killed by a 12ft. shark at Portsea back beach at 4.45 p.m. yesterday.
The lifesaver, 26-year-old John Wishart, a Sorrento plumber, was swimming with five other lifesavers, about 300yds. from the beach, when the shark struck.
John Hopper - he saw Wishart die.

Wishart's wife, Gloria, 24, her mother, and three thousand people on the beach watched in horror.
The five swimmers with Wishart were: John Hopper, draftsman, of Whitworth av.; Spring Vale; Tony Woodhouse, 19, a third-year dentistry student, and son of Dr. W. B. Woodhouse, of Bowley av.; Balwyn; Gregory Warland, 20, of the Officers' Training School, Portsea; David Crankshaw, 16, of Toorak, and Richard Wright, 20, of Mont Albert rd., Camberwell.
The shark attacked just after

TONY WOODHOUSE

the Sorrento- Portsea Lifesaving Club championships had ended.
John Happer, 31, club captain, who was one of the swimmers, said:
"Six of us were strung out in a line and were facing out to sea, waiting for a breaker to take us in, when the shark attacked.
"Dick Wright was on my left side and John Wishart on my right.
"lt all happened in three seconds.
"lt came from the beach side and went between Wright and myself.

Gone in a flash

"Something hit me on the chest. I thought it was the shark but think now it was the swirl of water.
"lt was all over in a second. The shark swirled in front of me and grabbed Wishart on my right.
"The shark looked like a tiger or whaler, and was about 12ft. long."
Wishart had been married three years, but had no children.
Besides being an expert swimmer and surf skier, he was a keen spear fisherman and a star footballer in the Mornington Peninsula League.
This is believed to be only the second shark fatality in Melbourne's history.
Late last night the beach was being patrolled by police and members of the local fire brigade.
First-constable G. Knowles, in charge of the beach patrol, expected the body to come in with the tide about 1 a.m.
He said, if it was not washed ashore during the night, it would not surface for another four or five days.
Before his last swim, Wishart went out to bring in some buoys.
Sam Stirling, surf boat crew captain, said he believed the shark might have been trailing Wishart.
The attack occurred directly in front of the life-saving shed.
The alarm was first raised by people on the cliffs behind the beach.

Continued on Page 3

Trove
1956 'WIFE SEES SHARK KILL HUSBAND AT PORTSEA', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 5 March, p. 1. , viewed 27 Jul 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71790282

The Argus
Melbourne, 14 September 1956, page 22.

We'll make a new Games' splash

KEN MOSES

It's a lucky thing for Olympic Games organisers they are not holding events on Sundays.
Because on the two Sundays during the Games they would strike the toughest opposition, as far as a gate attraction is concerned, down Torquay way.
The opposition - 3,000 bronzed bodies, competing at Torquay in the international and Australian surf life-saving
carnivals.
There is little doubt the Torquay carnivals will be one of the finest displays of the Games
outside recognised Games events.
There will be 70 teams from all over Australia, and 70 overseas competitors from Ceylon, South Africa, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

And the surf carnival they put on for the Queen at Bondi, Sydney, will be a "pup" compared with this one.
There will be 60 teams alone in the march past, which is as colorful as the Trooping of the Color at Buckingham
Palace, on a background of surf and sand.
Boat race

There are 60 entries in the open surf boat race, 10 in the junior event, and 300 competitors in the open surf race.
Then, just to pack in the thrills, there arc 170 entries in the surf ski event and 200 in the surf board title.
These are two carnivals that should be "musts" for everyone in striking distance of the 58 miles to Torquay on
November 25 and December 2.


Trove
1956 'We'll make a new Games' splash', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 14 September, p. 22. , viewed 27 Jul 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84386433

Sydney Morning Herald
5 October, 1956, page?

Inital announcement of International surf life saving program ...
Torquay 2nd December, Maroubra 8th December and Collaroy 9th December, 1956.

Sydney Morning Herald
Sunday 11 October 1956, page 8.

U.S. Surf team Will Tour

The article notes that the team will arrive in in Sydney in November and the success of the Carnival is due to a donation of two thousand pounds from Mr. G Walkley of Ampol.


Western Herald
Bourke, NSW, 9 November 1956, page 2.

The Olympic Story
...
Two surf carnivals will be
held during the Games at Torquay.
On November 25th, teams
from many countries, including Hawaii, Ceylon, New Zealand and South Africa, will compete in an international carnival.
An all-Australian carnival will be held on December 2nd and approximately 60 teams will be competing.

Trove
1956 'Part 11 The Olympic Story', Western Herald (Bourke, NSW : 1887 - 1970), 9 November, p. 2. , viewed 25 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104015528

Sunday Telegraph
Sydney, Sunday 11 November 1956, page 84.
U.S. Team for surf

Twelve American and 10 Hawaiian lifesavers will arrive here on Tuesday to compete in surf carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney.

They will be the first lifesavers from America and Hawaii to compete in carnivals in Australia.
The Americans and the Hawaiians will appear at Torquay (Victoria) on November 25 and December 2 and at Maroubra and Collaroy on December 8 and 9.
The Americans and Hawaiians will make their first appearance in Australia at carnivals next wekend at Cronulla and Avalon.


Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday 14 November 1956, page?

 
Ultra-Light Board for Surf

Hawaiian lifesaver Henry Shaffer (
sic, Shaeffer) believes his 26lb board could revolutionise surfboard racing in Australia.

Shaffer is captain of the Hawaiian surf team, which arrived in Sydney yesterday with 10 American lifesavers to compete in international surf carnivals in Melbourne and Sydney during the next month.
 
The most streamlined racing boards in Sydney, made from  1/2 in (half inch) plywood, weigh about 33-35 lb.
Shaffer's surfboard is made of balsa wood reinforced with canvas, and is coated with a thick layer of fibre-glass.
Several leading Sydney board riders agreed last night that the lightweight balsa fibre-glass boards would live the Hawaiians a tremendous advantage under normal conditions.
But they claimed the heavier Australian boards would be more at home in a big surf, where the Hawaiian boards would be at a disadvantage.
 
Shaffer said: "I must admit that the powerful Australian surf will be the final test for the fibre-glass board, which has just come into vogue in the United States."
The Americans, all powerful rough-water swimmers are university graduates or students, who spend the summer as professional lifeguards on beaches around Los Angeles.
The Hawaiian and American teams will be billeted at the Balmoral Naval Depot until they leave for Melbourne next Wednesday.
They wiII compete in carnivals at Torquay on November 25 and December 2, returning to Sydney on December 6 for carnivals at Maroubra, Dec. 8, and Collaroy, Dec. 9.
Daily Telegraph
Sydney, Wednesday 14 November 1956, page 31.
 
U.S. LIFESAVERS INTRODUCED TO GAME OF DARTS
Photograph and caption ...

PETTY OFFICER CURRAN shows members ot he visiting American surf lifesaving team how to play darts soon after they arrived at thier billet at Balmoral Naval depot yesterday.
The surfer on the extreme right is Tad Devine, 22, son of film star Andy Devine.
The Americans will compete at the International Surf Carnival at Torquay (Victoria) during the Olympic Games.

The Sun
Sydney, Wednesday 14th November 1956, page 60.
 
IN THE SURF
by J. S. McAuley

Suprise from Hawaii

Hawaiian Tom Zahn will not lack staying power when he contests board contests at the Olympic surf carnival at Torquay on Sunday week.

Zahn recently won a 26 mile race in Hawaii.
The longest board races in NSW are about thee miles.
With the revolutionary type boards the Hawaiians have brought with them they could trouble our top riders.
Australian surfers will have to pass a stiff swimminig test at Footscray baths, Melbourne on Monday next week to make the team to oppose overseas stars at carnivals at Maroubra and Collaroy next month.
A team of eight will be chosen and the swimmers may have to do 2.30 or better for the 220 yards to make the grade.
They will also have to be efficient beltmen and R and R men.
 
Costumes

Overseas
(sic) and Australians to compete at the Victorian and Sydney carnivals will swim in costumes donated by Speedo.

They will be full length with their Australian colors on the badges.
The American team, which arrived yesterday, has colorful outfits. Don Lucas and an assistant will drill them in R and R.
Ceylon surfer Rod Ingleton hitchhiked part of the way to Sydney to compete at the Olympic surf carnival at Torquay on Sunday week.
He fluked a plane ride to Singapore and then managed to get here on another plane.
Jack Anderson, a director of a tea plantation will be Ceylon's other representative.
 
Color

US and Hawaiian surfers will wear colorful costumes for their first Australian appearance at Cronulla on Saturday and at Avalon on Sunday.

The Americans are coastguards from Miami Beach, Florida.
They will not be allowed to contest individual events, as they are paid professionals.
Their costumes have been specifically designed to include the USA colors.
...
Apostle

Former Australian surf champion Max Riddington hope to introduce SLSC work in
(the) US.

Max, ranked next to Bob Newbiggen, as one of the best surfers in the past 20 years, is in America working for an insurance firm.
Max has amazed Americans with his body shooting in a small surf.
If the big waves start rolling in he should give a typical Australian display.


The Australian Women's Weekly
14 November 1956, page 34.

LI-LO SURF BOARDS
Heavyweight.
SENIOR (PB175)
34" x 26",
JUNIOR (PB174)
24" x 22".
Solid rubber handgrips.
Blue, Yellow or Red.

Trove
1956 'Advertising', The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), 14 November, p. 34. , viewed 27 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51272554


The Central Queensland Herald
Rockhampton, 15 November 1956, page 16.

HAWAIIAN SURFERS

SYDNEY, November 11.
Twelve American and 10 Hawaiian llfesavers will arrive in Sydney on Tuesday, the advance guard of an international surf invasion.

Trove
1956 'HAWAIIAN SURFERS', The Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1930 - 1956), 15 November, p. 16. , viewed 25 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article79270839

The Argus
Melbourne, 16 November 1956, page 29.


... AND THE SPILLS



IF you are within striking distance of Torquay, Victoria's jewel of surfing beaches, on either of the two Olympic Sundays, you will see an

Australian sport at its best.
Just 58 miles from Melbourne, 3,000 bronzed athletes of the surf will put on grand displays.
Life-savers from all Australian States and many overseas clubs will stage a grand march past.
On November 25 the Inter national Surf Carnival will be held, and on the following Sunday the National Surf Championships. Life-savers will demonstrate rescue methods.
Then there is the surf boat race, in which 60 boats will plough out to calmer waters behind the line of breakers to come rocketing in on rolling walls of water.
Three hundred surfers will compete in surf ski races.
Oversea competitors

Taking part on both Sundays will be 70 teams from Australia and 70 overseas competitors from Ceylon, South Africa, New Zealand, and Hawaii.
Admission to the carnivals at Torquay on both Sundays is 5/- for adults and 3/- forchildren.
Grandstand seats at Ł2/2/- may be reserved by contacting the secretary of the association, Mr. J. Williams, at XB5210 or MU2129.
Admission, grandstand reserved seat and rail-bus tickets are now on sale at the Victorian Government Tourist Bureau, 272 Collins st., MF0202.


Here is how to get to Torquay:

Special trains leave Flinders st. station at 8.45 a.m.and 8.50 a.m., and arrive at Geelong at 9.45 a.m.
Other trains leave Flinders st. station at 9.20 a.m. and 9.25 a.m., arrive at Geelong at 10.50 a.m.
All trains connect with buses at Geelong for Torquay.

Trove
1956 '... AND THE SPILLS', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 16 November, p. 29. , viewed 27 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71765983

Sunday Telegraph
Sydney, Sunday 18 November 1956, page 76.


U.S. surfers impressive

The visiting American surf team yesterday showed it could prove a major threat to Australia's domination of international surfing.

The Americans trained impressively before a crowd of 4000 at Cronulla beach.

Sydney Morning Herald
Monday 19 November, 1956, page3.


Thousands Throng Beaches : Many Saved.
US Surfers Show New Technique. 

Nearly 20,000 went to Avalon for the surf life saving carnival in which lifesavers from United States, Hawaii and New Zealand  competed against Sydney clubs.

The American surfers, standing sideways on small 10ft. boards and moving at high speed, received a warm reception from the crowd.
One of the American surfers, Ted Levine (sic, Tad Devine) had the opportunity to demonstrate his country's rescue technique in a genuine emergency.
Instead of the Australian belt and reel, he used a "torpedo buoy'.

Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday, 21 November, 1956. Page 15.

Surfers To Sell Boards

The visiting Hawaiian surfers will sell their seven lightweight surfboards, which created a sensation at Avalon last Sunday, after their farewll appearance at Collaroy on December 9.

The boards, which are made from balsa reinforced with two two long strips of redwood and coated with a thick layer of fibre-glass, weigh 26lb.
The lightest racing boards in Sydney, made from 1/2 inch plywood weigh from 33 to 23 lb.
The Hawaiian boards, which have been used at Waikiki Beach for seven or eight years, can be made in less than a week.
 
Shorter, Wider
 

They are eight feet long, compared with the average Australian length of 16 feet, but are about five inches wider than the local board's 20-21 inches.
Three hundred people saw the Hawaiians give an exhibition of board riding after a special carnival at Avalon in a big surf last Sunday.
Unlike Australian boardriders, the Hawaiians stood on the middle of their balsa boards, even when heavy white water from the broken waves swept around their feet.
Harry Shaffer, captain of the Hawaiian squad, said last night of the boards :
"There is no question of selling out to the highest bidder.

"We plan to give our boards to the fellows we consider to be the real enthusiasts at only a token cost."

The Sun
Sydney, Wednesday, 21st November 1956, page 59.
 
SURFERS TO EAT BY 'TON"
From J. S. McAuley.

MELBOURNE, Wednesday.

Australian and overseas surfers billeted at Melbourne Showground will not go short of meals during their 12-day stay.
Frank Dennis, who is doing the catering at Melbourne Stadium during the Games, is also looking after the surfers.
He has ordered nearly two tons of beef, to be eaten at breakfast.
He is providing a la carte dinners for the 350 surfers at night.
Surfers from South Africa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Ceylon, England and US will be billeted with Australians at the Showground.
They compete at the Olympic carnival on Sunday.
Allrounder

Pad
(sic) Devine, who will compete for US, is a son of film star Andy Devine.

Pad narrowly missed selection for the Olympic Games. He swum 4min 50 sec for 440 yards.
Dan de Rego, with the Hawaiian team, is one of the best allround surfers in Honolulu.
He is married to Judy Cornell, a former breaststroke champion who represented the US at Helsinki.
 
Smart Boys.

Maroubra team of 32 arrived yesterday by truck and cars with all expense paid by advertising.

Their truck was be-decked with advertisments for petrol, swimming trunks shoes and cigarettes.
Wal Brown, Dennis Green and Barry Stuart, who are contesting the kayak events at the Olympics on Friday, will compete in ski events for Maroubra on Sunday.
Hosts

Jon Hendicks and Gary Winram took US members of the Olympic swimming team for a surf at Torquay on Sunday.

The Americans said they would liek (sic) to have a crack at a surf race before returning home.

The Argus
Melbourne, 23 November 1956, page 9.

THEY CAME FROM EVERYWHERE FOR OUR GREATEST DAY


"Duke" of Hawaii smiles his way in


Beaming their delight, Hawaii's top personality, Duke P. Kahanamóku, and his wife (above) step smartly to their seats at the Games opening yesterday.
A former Olympic Gold Medallist in the swimming ranks, Duke was a great friend- and opponent- of the late Sir Frank Beaurepaire, who did so much towards winning Melbourne the XVI Olympiad.

Career

Duke Kahanamoku's remarkable Olympic career began in 1912 when he won the 100 metres freestyle at the Stockholm Games.
He won again at the 1920 Olympic Games and was second at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
The tall sparkling smiling Duke is Sheriff of Honolulu where he's known as "King of Hawaii."
Like her husband, Mrs. Kahanamoku has a link with Australia . . although American-born, her mother came from Adelaide.

''HOWDY, MELBOURNE . . . howdy.
"

Games," shouted Hawaiian Olympics visitor "Howdy" Reynolds (left) when he arrived at the M.C.G. looking colorful in his aloha shirt, canary-colored silk lei, and outsize straw hat banded in pheasant feathers. "
"Howdy," an ex-president of the Waikiki Lions' Club and of the Surf Life-Saving Association of Hawaii, is over here as guest of an International Lions' officer, Cr. William Tresise, of Hawthorn, and his wife.
And what does he think of Australia?
"Why," he said, "They just don't know hospitality like this anywhere . . and as for your beer!
Boy, if only you could buy it durn' some o' the party hours, it'd be even mightier."

Trove
1956 'THEY CAME FROM EVERYWHERE FOR OUR GREATEST DAY', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 23 November, p. 9. , viewed 27 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71767378

The Age
Melbourne, Saturday, 24th November 1956, page 12.


Overseas Stars in Surf Events

Torquay, where the first international series of lifesaving events is being held in conjunction with the Australian surf championships, should prove a popular sports venue tomorrow.

Main attraction of the carnival will be the four international teams from Hawaii, South Africa, New Zealand and Ceylon.
With Olympic athletes observing a rest from competition, a crowd of thousands is expected to make the journey.
The day's programme, which begins at 10 a.m., includes ski and surf boat racing, beach sprints and relay races, and the march past championship.
Star members of overseas teams will compete against Australian team representatives in the international belt race championship at 1.30 p.m., the. main event of day's programme.
The other event for which the overseas teams have entered include the senior and junior surf race championships and the senior surf teams' race championship.
The Australian championships, which will be spread over tomorrow and the following Sunday, will be contested by a total of 120 teams.
With 51 teams entered for the march past championship, starting at 1.45 p.m., it should prove a colorful and spectacular event.
Plenty of thrills should be provided by the double ski race championship and the senior and junior teams' boat races.

The Age
Melbourne, Monday 26th November 1956, page 3.
 
40,000 at Torquay for Surf Carnival

Forty thousand people,  yesterday swarmed over the cliffs at the Toquay beach to watch the International Surf Carnival.

Overseas Olympic visitors and athletes were well represented in the crowd.
Highlight event of the day was the march past by 35 teams each in distinctively colored costumes and caps.
A Geelong-pipe band, which led the marchers along the shore, splashed through the surf waves as they broke on the shore.
Despite high winds the surf was weak and spasmodic and competitors got little help from it.
Passing showers sent the crowds scurrying for cover during the morning, but the sun shone brightly for most of the afternoon.

Overseas visitors did not see the typically AustraIian sport of surfing at its best because of the poor surf.

The teams competing came from Hawaii, South Africa, New Zealand, Ceylon, Great Britain, the United States as well as from each Australian State.
New South Wales won the International Carnival from New Zealand (second) and Hawaii (third).
Australia did not compete with an individual team; but was represented by all its State teams.
The Australian Surf championship event will be held at Torquay next Sunday.

Full results, page 13.

The Age
Melbourne, Monday, 26th November 1956, page 13.


N.S.W. Surf Team Wins International Contest

A crowd of 40,000 at Torquay yesterday saw the New South Wales Surf Life Saving team win the Olympic Year International Surf Carnival.

Australia did not enter an individual team in the six-nation carnival, but the New South Wales team dominated the events.
 
The carnival was marred by wind, showers and weak surf.
New Zealand won the march past with smart marching.
Weak surf made racing a test of strength more than skill in riding waves.
Competitors were lucky to get help from the sea, and those who caught waves were assured winners.
Surf race winner Peter Garratt, is 1956 champion belt and individual surf racing champion of New Zealand.
Australian teams competed as separate States yesterday against international teams.
Individual Australian championships will be decided at the Australian surf carnival at Torquay next Sunday.
 
INTERNATIONAL RESULTS.

Belt Race: New Zealand (1). South Africa (2). U.S.A. (3).

Rescue and ResuscItatIon: New Zealand (1) New South Wales (2). South AfrIca. (3).
Surf Race: P. Garratt (New Zealand), 1; J. Jarvis (New Zealand), 2; T. Bowman (South AfrIca) 3.
Match Past: New Zealand (1), Ceylon (2), South AfrIca (3).
Beach Relay Race: Hawaii (1). South Africa (2). U.S.A. (3).
Beach Sprint: P. MannIng (N.S.W.),1; L. Hanka (Hawaii), 2; C. Cole (Tasmania), 3.
 
Final Points Tally:
1.
N.S.W. 26 7.
Vicforla 3.
2.
New Zealand 22 8.
Tasmania 2.5
3.
Hawaii 15 9.
Queensland 2
4.
Soufh AfrIca 10 10. Great Britain 1
5.
U.S.A 8
11. South Australia. 0.5
6. West Australia 5




New South Wales won the Inter-State championships with 46 points.

RESULTS:

1. N.S.W., 46
2. West Australia,  l7
3. Queensland, 16.
4. Victoria, 11.
5. South Australia and Tasmania, both 6.5.

Daily Telegraph
Sydney, Monday 26 November Page 35.

Surfing draws 50,000
Melbourne, Sun. -
Fifty thousand people today saw 35 (?) teams compete in an international carnival at Torquay.
The teams represented the United States, Hawaii, Celyon, South Africa, New Zealand, Great Britain and Australian States.
New Zealand won the international march-past from Ceylon and South Africa.
New South Wales won the interstate rescue and resuscitation event, with Queensland second and Western Australia third.
The Americans caused a suprise when they appeared with their surfboards.
 
Glass Boards
The boards were made of light fibre glass.
They were very narrow, with rounded keels and resembled kayak canoes.
Australia's reel and line method of surf rescue astounded the Americans.
The American system is to carry a coil of nylon line into the surf and pay it out as they swim to the patient.

The Argus
Melbourne, 26 November 1956, page 9.


World surf stars thrill crowd.
By JUDY JOY DAVIES

Tall, bronzed life-savers in their brightly colored uniforms, slowly and majestically marched across the sands of Torquay yesterday and 70,000 people cheered one of the most spectacular scenes of our Olympic Games Carnival.
Thirty-five teams; representing the U.S.; Hawaii, Ceylon, South Africa, New Zealand,Great Britain, and local and interstate surf life saving clubs competed in the international surf carnival.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the events continued non-stop.
As the crowds increased, they packed the beach, then the headland - soon cars took over the golf course.
And then the tide turned, and coming in
shore, started nibbling the golden beach away.
The colorful march past was put forward an hour to 1 p.m. - and even then there was hardly enough beach left for thc 35 bronzed and youthful teams lo march on.
Wearing colorful costumes of blue tops with white stars, a white centre band, and scarlet trunks, the U.S. team brought cheers from the
huge crowd.
But the more experienced New Zealanders won the international march past, with Ceylon second, and South Africa third.


White-haired Duke Kahanamouku, sheriff of Hawaii and former dual Olympic swimming' champion, sat among the carnival crowd with Australian "Boy" Charlton, another former Olympian.
"It's great," the Duke said, "the sight of surf always thrills mc."
But for once the Torquay surf was rather tame, no boats were up ended and the small waves were hard to catch.

Thc Americans caused a surprise when they appeared with their version of surf boards.

Very narrow, and made of light fibre glass, they proved a lot faster than the normal Australian board.

Astounded

And our reel-and-Iine method of surf rescue astounded them!
The American idea is ˇj to carry a coil of nylon line into the surf and play it out as they swim to the patient.
They wear no belt attached to
a reel, as we do here.
Judge Adrian Curlewis, Australia* Surf Life-saving Association president, said the international Olympic carnival had brought about an exchange of ideas - the Americans were going to try our reel-and-line method, and we would experiment with their torpedo line.
Judge Curlewis added that an international advisory surf committee would now be formed.
Hawaii won the International beach relay from South Africa and the U.S.

Tom Zahn, of Hawaii, won the board race from Mike Bright, of U.S., and G. Williams, of Western Australia, 2.
New South Wales won the interstate rescue and resuscitation from Queensland and Western Australia.
Jim Fountain, of Victoria, won the senior interstate belt race from R. Hounslow, of Western Australia, and R. Reid, of South Australia.

The Americans claim the Australian reel and line is cumbersome, and that the "torpedo" would halve rescue time.
The nylon line is in a rubber buoy fastened under the patient's arms.

Trove
1956 'World surf stars thrill crowd', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 26 November, p. 9. , viewed 25 Jul 2016,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71768013


Sydney Morning Herald
3rd December, 1956, page 12.

Torquay Carnival.
Melbourne, Sunday.
Only about 15,000 watched the championships.
There was hardly any surf and by early afternoon the tide was well out to sea, leaving swimmers a long run and wade to deep water.
The march past was marred by a storm and ... a second storm cleared the beach and the sandhills later.

SMH
8th December, 1956, page 12.

Maroubra and Collaroy Carnivals.
...
Board Race

The main interest will be in the surfboard race in which the Hawaiians and the Americans will use eight-foot long balsa boards.
Hawaiian Tommy Zahn, who won the recent international match at Torquay in Victoria, paddles one lying down.
The local competitors kneel on their boards.
Sun Herald
Sydney, 9th December, 1956, page 42.


Maroubra Carnival
Photograph of B. Keane, Cronulla.

Many boats were swamped and skis and boards were tossed high in the air in the big seas.

Results
Surfboard Race : B. Keane (Aust.) 1; T. Devine (U.S.A.) 2;  G. Noll (U.S.A.) 3.
Belt Race : T. Devine (U.S.A.) 1.
Surf Race :  ? 1;  T. Devine (U.S.A.) 2.
Beach Relay : Hawaii 1; U.S.A. 2.
International Beach Sprint : ? 1;  L. Hangca (Hawaii) 2; P. Baulding (?) 3. 
SMH
10th December, 1956, page 11.

 
Australian's Win Most Events In Surf Carnival

A crowd of 6,000 saw Australians dominate most of yesterday's events at the international surf carnival at Collaroy.

Australia held a narrow lead of half a point over New Zealand after tbe first day of the gala at Maroubra on Saturday.
But yesterday Australia won the R. and R., surf race, beach sprint, board race, and marathon surf race. Australia (441 points) finished 91 points ahead of New Zealand (35), with South Africa in third place with 26!!points.
Hawaii and the United States shared fourth place on 24 points.
Conditions were ideal.
The surf was not as boisterous as at Maroubra, where the ski and board events were spoiled by the big waves.
Australians, who failed dismally in the R. and R. event on Saturday, yesterday turned the tables on New Zealand and South Africa.
The Australian team had 8.2 penalty points. against the New Zealanders' 9.9 and the South Africans' 9.92.
 
Double To Lumsdaine

Barry Lumsdaine, of Australia, won the surf race and a marathon surf relay race within 2O minutes of each other.

Lumsdaine. a clerk, had a great struggle in the swim to the beach in the surf race with Austraiian champion Brian Hutchings.
Lumsdaine led to the buoys: but won by only a few yards in the run up the beach.
In the marathon event competitors had to complete the course three times-swimming, on surfboards, and on surf skis.
Lumsdaine went further ahead with each stage, finally beating South African Leon Coetzee by 40 yards, with 6ft 5in Hawiian Tom Moore third.
Lumsdaine, who is recognised as one of the best board riders in Sydney, gave the crowd a thrill by standing up on his board as he rode a wave into the beach.
 
During the afternoon ...
Brian Keane, of Cronulla, had an easy win in the board race from Hawaiian Tommy Zahn, who used a lightweight balsa board. and Mike Bright, of the United States.
Tad Devine, of the United States, son of famous film comedian Andy Devine, won the belt race narrowly: after tripping in the run down the beach to the water.
Devine missed selection on times in the United States Olympic team as a 400-metre swimmer by only 0.1 s.
Pat Manning, of Australia, just held off the Hawaiian champion Lew Hangca in a close beach sprint.
Tom Schroeder, of Hawaii, who has won several long distance canoe races in the islands, had an impressive win in the ski race.
Schroeder and the Hawaiian team captain, Harry Shaffer recently won a 46-mile two-man canoe race across the dangerous Molokai Channel at Honolulu in an Aloha Week festival.
 
Yesterday's results:-
Board: B. Keane (Aust.). 1: T. Zahn (Hawaii). 2; M. Brlght (U.S.A.).3.
Belt: T. Devine (U.S.A.). 1: J. JarvIs (N.Z.). 2; 1. Edwards (S. Africa). 3.
March past: South Africa. 15. 1; Australia. 17. 2: New Zealand. 22. 3.
R. and R.: Australia. 8.2. 1; New Zealand. 9.9. 2; South Africa. 9.92. 3.
Beach relay: Hawaii. 1; Australia. 2; U.S.A.. 3.
Beach sprint: P. Mannina (Aust.). 1; L. Hanagca. (Hawaii). 2: C. Mcllroy (U.S.A.) 3.
Single ski: T. Schroeder (Hawaii); 2: K. Ryan (N.Z.). 2: L. Cullenbourne (S. AfrIca). 3.
Surf: B. Lumsdaine (Aust.) 1; B. Hutchings (Aust.) 1; L. Hawker (N.Z.). 3.
Surf teams: New Zealand. 26, 1; Australia. 30, 2; South Africa. 39, 3
Marathon surf: B. Lumsdaine (Aust.), 1; L. Coetzee (S. Afrlca), 2: T. More (Hawaii), 3.
PoInts score: Australia. 44 1/2; New Zealand. 35; South Africa. 26 1/2; Hawaii, U.S.A., 24.


The Canberra Times
10 December 1956, page 9.


Australia Wins International Surf Carnival

SYDNEY, Sunday.-
Bril
liant performances by Sydney surf star, Barry Lumsdaine, to-day featured Australia's win in the international surf test at Collaroy.
Australian won four of the 10 events to-day to total 44 points.
Lumsdaine narrowly won the surf race and 20 minutes later brilliantly won the medley surf race.
He proved himself Australia's "most versatile surfer.

Australia had led New
Zealand by only a half point after the first series at Maroubra yesterday.
New Zealand won only the teams surf race to-day to finish second with 35 points.
South Africa gained 26 points and the United States and Hawaii each 24.
Australia's other wins were in the R. and R. and the surf board race.
The Australian team drilled and swam splendidly to defeat New Zealand in the R. and R. and showed great improvement on their
effort yesterday.

Trove
1956 'Australia Wins International Surf Carnival', The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), 10 December, p. 9. , viewed 25 Jul 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91229525



APPENDIX

A. California Surf Life Saving Association - History

The Surf Life Saving Association of America

When Australia was chosen to host the 1956 summer Olympics, lifesavers there decided to hold an invitational lifesaving competition to be known as the Australian Olympic International Surf Championships at Torquay Beach, outside Melbourne, Victoria.

The Honorable Judge Adrian Curlewis of Australia appointed Arthur Parkens (Parkyn?), an Australian lifesaving instructor, to solicit participation from the United States.
California lifeguards and a contingent from the Territory of Hawaii decided to participate.
Both teams were required trained and awarded, "The Australian Surflifesavers Medallion," so as to meet the international competition standards required for the event.
 
The California lifeguards organized themselves under the banner of the Surf Life Saving Association of America (SLSA), although they were solely from the Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City lifeguard agencies.
This was the first American lifeguard association of its kind, even if its name was a bit grand considering its narrow scope.
Team members from the SLSA included Team Captain Rusty Williams of Los Angeles County (LACO), Team Coach Kirby Temple (LACO), Team Manager Herb Barthels, Sr. of Los Angeles City (LACity) , Tad Devine (Santa Monica City), Bob Burnside (LACO), Mike Bright (LACO), Gregg Knoll (LACO), Dave Ballinger (LACO), Chick Mcilroy (LACO), Paul Mcilroy (LACO), Sheridan Byerly (LACO), and Roger Jensen (LACO).
The Hawaiian lifeguard team included Dr. Don Gustuson, Team Manager Harry Shaeffer, Team Coach Tom Shaeffer, Tom Moore, Tom Zahn, Dan Durego, Tim Guard, L. Honka, Peter Balding, and Shaky Felez.
 
The event was held on November 26, 1956 and drew an immense crowd of 115,000 spectators.
The legendary "Duke" Paoa Kahanamoku of Hawaii served as the honorary event Chairman.
In addition to the American and Australian teams, lifeguard teams from South Africa, Great Britain, Ceylon, and New Zealand participated.
As for the Americans, the Hawaiian Territory placed first in the Beach Relay.
Tad Devine of California placed second in the swim.
Bob Burnside of California placed third in the belt race.
Perhaps more importantly than the competition itself, lifelong relationships were built around this historic event and both countries were to benefit tremendously.
 
The American rescue tube and rescue buoy were first introduced to Australia on this tour, later to become staples of Australian lifesaving gear as they were in the US.
Tom Zahn, Tom Moore, and Bob Burnside brought Malibu Bolsa Surfboards with them, the first total Australian exposure to the Malibu Surfboard.
When they departed Australia, the boards were left behind, which revolutionized surfing in Australia.
After the event, LA County Lifeguard Chief Bud Stevenson decided to use SLSA in his efforts to upgrade professional lifeguarding. Chief Stevenson appointed Bob Burnside as President of the nascent organization and Lt. Don Hill as Secretary. Despite the broadly embracing name of Surf Life Saving Association of America, the early focus was to remain on Los Angeles County issues.
 
Bob Burnside called for representatives from as many Southern California lifeguard agencies as possible to attend a concept meeting at Santa Monica Lifeguard Headquarters in the winter of 1963. In attendance were Vince Moorhouse (Huntington Beach), Max Bowman (Huntington Beach), Don Rohrer (LA City), Dick Heineman (LA City), Tim Dorsey (Seal Beach), host Jim Richards (Santa Monica), and a representative from Long Beach.
The group agreed that they should establish a truly national organization, based on the structure of the Australian association, to be called the Surf Life Saving Association of America.
 
The early organization established Southern and Northern Chairmen of the State of California, and a temporary Executive Board was formed to establish a constitution, bylaws, and method of equal representation for the association. This put in place all the necessary criteria for affiliation with the organization by local chapters, allowing each chapter to participate equally in the first election of officers, which took place in 1965. In the meantime, temporary chairmen took charge.
In 1964, Huntington Beach's newly dedicated lifeguard headquarters was adopted as the center for SLSA activities. In that same year, Howard Lee of LA County designed the national logo, which is still in use today. His design was influenced by a similar design that Tad Devine of the 1956 Australia team had created for the team uniform. Both are strikingly similar to the logo of the United States Life-Saving Service, an arm of the United States government, which had rescued shipwrecked sailors during the 1800s and 1900s, before being merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the US Coast Guard.
 
Presidents and terms of office of USLA and its predecessors have included:
Bob Burnside -- 1963 - 1967.

The Surf Life Saving Association of America
http://www.cslsa.org/about/history.asp
B. History of the County of Los Angles Lifeguard Division

1930s

Rusty Williams emerged as the County's leader during this era of increased professionalism, which saw the introduction of formalized training and public education programs.
 
1950s
In 1956, following an invitation from the Australian Surf Lifesaving Association, Los Angeles County lifeguards organized and sent a team representing the United States to the first International Surf Life Saving Competition, held in conjunction with the Melbourne Olympics. This singular event is recognized as the most influential surf lifesaving carnival ever held. The international surf lifesaving community was introduced to the rescue can, lightweight paddleboards, fiberglass surf boards, relays and iron man competition, as well as to the overall capabilities of the modern, well trained, professional lifeguard. This international forum continues today, providing a constant exchange of information, equipment, and skills.

1970s

Bob Burnside became the Chief lifeguard in 1972. A founding member of the Surf Lifesaving Association, Chief Burnside pushed for professionalism and respect for lifeguarding with the introduction and recognition of important credentials such as rescue boat skipper licensing and EMT certification.

County of Los Angles Lifeguard Division
http://www.lacofd.org/Lifeguards/WhoIsHistoryByDecade.asp
C. Beach Volleyball Database
 
Mike Bright, five time winner of the Manhattan Beach Men’s Open, was a 6’4", 195 pound player.
He was an All-American from 1960-1964.
He played on the 1964 Olympic Team and on the 1960 Pan Am Team.

...
Mike Bright participated in 44 Open tournaments, on the beach volleyball circuit, from 1958-1970.
He advanced to the championship match 34 times, winning 16 times, along with 6 third place finishes, 1 fourth place finish and 3 fifth place finishes.
Bright teamed-up with 10 different partners during his beach career, including 25 time with Mike O’Hara.

...
Mike "Bones" Bright was a member of the "17th Street Seals" which was a local surfing club back in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
As a club member he was involved in surfing, paddle-boarding, and volleyball.

...
Bright was also a multi-winner of the Catalina-to-Manhattan Beach Paddle Board Race.
In 1955, Bright, after 32 miles on an 18 foot paddle board winning the Catalina-Palos Verdes-Manhattan Beach paddle board race played volleyball all day to help win the Manhattan Beach Six-Man Tournament.
He did this on several occasions, including in 1964, when the event was two-man.


Beach Volleyball

http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=313

D. Pacific Marine Life Foundation : Board of Directors
 
Tim Guard's lifelong residency in Hawaii has revolved around ocean related activities.
As president of McCabe Hamilton & Renny Co., he presides over the state's largest and oldest stevedoring business.
He earned his BA from the University of Southern California in International Relations and served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era, where his combat citations were the Bronze Star and Navy Commendation Medal.
Guard's civic service leadership roles include the Hawaii Maritime Center, Outrigger Canoe Club and Honolulu Council of the Navy League, for which he currently serves as president.
Prior to joining McCabe, he owned and operated his own executive recruiting company, Robert T. Guard & Associates.


Pacific Marine Life Foundation
http://www.pmlf.org/pages/bios.html
E. Peter Troy: pioneer surfer
ABC Radio (Gold & Tweed Coasts) Friday, 4 August  2006.

http://www.abc.net.au/goldcoast/stories/s1705022.htm
"My surfing started in 1948, I was living in Torquay", Peter explains, "my family owned the General Store there. I think there were twelve children in the school in those days. The only surfers were people who came down from Melbourne on the weekend. They stayed in the camping ground, and it was bitterly cold of course, so not many people went surfing."
...
Peter played a part with Australia's Olympic Surf Life Saving team in the 1956 Melbourne Games, "I was not in the official team, I was only seventeen at the time, I was asked to give demonstration surfboard riding. I rode one of those early surf club boards, to show the standard of surfing within this country." But it was the American team that helped inspire the surfing cultire in Australia, "in the American lifeguard team, the major people were the lifeguards, basically swimmers. In that team they brought out with them four Malibu boards. It was Greg Noll on the second of December who rode a surfboard on Torquay back beach on a Sunday afternoon, and changed the life of surfing in Australia for so many people. It was totally revolutionary, the board itself was something like nine foot long.

"We were riding sixteen and seventeen foot long boards. We knelt on them in general, we didn't have fins on the bottom of the board. Here's a guy walking down the beach with this strange little thing, and jumps on it and lies down, and everyone who was watching was thinking 'this guy isn't very good he can't even kneel!' Fifty meters out from the beach he spun it around, caught a wave, walked up and down, hung toes over the nose, and did things we'd never seen before! That, basically was the reason we walked away from surf lifesaving, we wanted to learn to shape one of these things. The boards were taken with them after that weekend, we had nothing to copy. We all started from scratch."


F.  Peter Troy : The Sports Factor  Presenter : Mick O'Regan
ABC Radio National Friday, 22 September 2006.
 
"... Arthur Parkin. I think he's 94 years old, living in Queensland on the Sunshine Coast, he was asked by the lifesaving authorities in Australia to travel to California and Hawaii to instruct paid lifeguards to be put together into a team to come out to Australia. And that was done I think as early as 1952 and was sponsored by Ampol Petroleum, where they paid for that man to go several times to America to teach these guys lifesaving methods.
At the same time, two of us, and I'm talking about another fellow called Vic Tantau, and myself, we were asked to give a demonstration of the early surfboard riding because of what we'd developed.
So I was very fortunate to have been selected to give a demonstration of surfboard riding.
 
We basically went out on the 16-foot toothpicks, and Torquay beach is a very special beach for this because there's a large exposed rock off the beach called Haystack Rock, and the way it's come in on an angle on there, and they go off breaking towards the right, down into the middle of Torquay back beach, and it allows maybe a 300-metre ride on one of these surfboards.
I distinctly remember being under the Torquay surf club, which was an elevated building up on lamp-posts, and they had all of the surf craft underneath, and I went under there to get something, and there was one of these American guys, and he was kneeling in the sand, and he was wrapping around a fin that he'd taken out of a little handbag that had his towel and bathers and everything in it, and he was wrapping newspaper around the edge, and putting it into a slot in the surfboard.
And he picked up a piece of rock that was in the sand and he was hammering this fin into the surfboard. And of course I had no awareness of what this was about, so I was interested.
 
I hadn't had the opportunity of ever talking to the guy, so I was just looking at him, and followed him down the beach and there was probably 8 or 10 other people on the beach that followed this guy down, carrying the surfboard under his arm, and he got into the water, (maybe it was 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I'm not quite sure) and lay on it, and of course we looked at that and thought, Well he's not very proficient because he can't even kneel on the surfboard, he's lying on it.
And then we thought he wasn't very good either, because he only went 40 or 50 metres off the beach, and that was the last time we thought like that, because immediately he turned around, caught a wave in about three paddles, stood up, and crossed the wave, and then hot-dogged backwards and forwards, walking up and down the board, and we were all just -
(
Mick O'Regan: Gobsmacked?) Exactly.
 
Well a couple of us went up to him, and we asked him, 'Can I have a go?' and I distinctly remember having a go on this board, but I couldn't really paddle the thing, and when I did try to stand up on it, it was so responsive, that it flipped out from underneath me, and so that was our only contact, because by that night, those guys had gone back to Geelong into their hotels, they'd packed their belongings and they were gone to Sydney.
So the people who were on the beach that night had virtually two hours to think about it, and then they were going home to Melbourne, or to Ballarat, or Geelong, or somewhere, and within one or two weeks, those guys that were fairly competent with their hands had gone into their yards and tried to make one themselves.
But they didn't have the material, so they had to make them out of marine ply with hardwood rails and they had bulkheads in the board rather like a small craft, and holes through those so that -
 
The four surfboards that we knew those guys had, had gone that particular night, they'd gone to Sydney, and we now know that those four surfboards were bought by individuals in Sydney, and so Gordon Woods and Bob Evans and Bob Pike, other people in Sydney that acquired those boards, had the opportunity then of being able to copy them.
But we in Victoria didn't, so we had to start off with just pure memory."


ABC Radio National
http://www.abc.net.au/goldcoast/stories/s1705022.html
 
Peter Troy further commented on the repercussions of the event by noting ...
The development of boardriding activity as a challenge to SLSC dominance,
A conflict in the choice between a best beach or home beach,
The formation of the Bells Beach Boardriders Club and the opening of the access road in 1958.
Troy and Tantau's organisation of the first Bells Beach Contest in 1961.

1955
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Geoff Cater (2011-2016) : Newspapers : 1956.
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