Chris Iredale

As a lifeguard for several decades, Chris Iredale has probably spent more time in and around the waves at Cronulla Beach than anyone else. A red hot surfer in his own right, Chris has spent much of that time inside barrels looking out. This shot of Iredale was taken at The Point around ’79 by Chris Stroh.

 

Gordon and Smith

G&S advertisement featuring two of  Cronullas finest young rippers of ther late 70’s and early 80s. Jim Banks and Ross Marshall.

 

Bob Liddell -Get The Buzz

Shaped by the late Bob Liddell ( Get The Buzz) a 5ft 9in Force 9 Thruster.

 

South Cronulla Beach Milkbar

In the early 60’s the milkbar next to the main pedestrian crossing at South Cronulla Beach was the hang for surfers,  it was known for its tasty milk shakes. Mark Bluey Aprilovic took it over in the 80’s but after a short time turned it into the Cronulla Surf Design shop where it stayed for several years before relocating it up to the main street. This shot of the original shop was taken by Bob Weeks.

Gary Green

This shot of Cronulla’s prodical son Gary Green was taken at the south end of The Wall around 1990, Greeny as always was ripping it up around this time he was hooked up with Rip Curl and The Search.Photo Chris Stroh

 

Emerald Shape by Steve Griffiths 70’s

    

Bob Barker

Cronulla has produced a fine list of surf photographers over the years. In the 6o’s it was Jack Eden and Bob Weeks who first shone the light on the southside. When Surfabout magazine went out of print Cronulla suffered a real lack of exposure for many years as the other surf mags were based solely on the northside and rarely ventured south of the Harbour Bridge. Southside surfers and waves were being ignored. By the mid 70’s things changed when Steve Core, Peter Simons, Dave Shaw, Greg Button, Peter Solness and Bob Barker began taking advantage of Cronullas growing talent and incredible reefs. Talented waterman Bob Barker had a taste for deep contrasty watershots like this tubular Shark Island barrel that appeared in Surfing World Photo Annual No4.

Greenhills

The sand dunes behind Wanda beach were tall and magnificent in the early 60’s. They are only a shadow now of what they used to be. Bob Weeks was there to capture the Greenhills carpark scene where you parked your wheels to climb over the dunes dragging your heavy log behind you for a long strenuous hike there and back. 

Norm Casey and Steve Core

Steve Core remembers his early days…..”Kogarah High School. Established 1920. I graduated from there in 1964 – so almost 50 years ago. Brings back some interesting old memories of my early St.George roots in the ’60s when I was in my early teens. This is where I was first introduced to surfing by school mates when we were inspired by the original ‘surf boom’ of the eary sixties and ‘Beach Boys’ music. We used to catch the train from Kogarah to Cronulla to go surfing in the early ’60s and leave our boards at the Cronulla Stor-A-Board for .40¢ a week. I had my first job after school in 1963 working at the Norm Casey Surf Shop on the Princes Highway in Rockdale – about 2Ks away”. Below Norm Caseys Rockdale store logo.

 

Bobby Brown Quasimodo

This shot of Bobby taken at North Cronulla in ’62 by Jack Eden is one of the most iconic Aussie surf pictures of all time. It captures the sixties  in an era known for pulling silly stunts and having a good time. Today this might look ridiculous to the groms but it shows that surfers wernt taking themselves to serious back then and were having a lot more fun. Photos like this by Jack Eden are available to buy online.