The Cecil Hotel

The original Cecil Hotel had a rich history full of drunken tales and seedy hangovers. Now on the same block of land lies a skyrise apartment block .The pub was demolished in the early 90’s and just the front structure still remains as a testament to the thousands of goodtimes had behind its doors.Photo Stroh

 

The Skyline

Cronullas skyline has changed dramatically since the 50’s when the town was still basically undiscovered ,unpopulated and uncrowded. This shot was taken in the 90’s as the sun sets after another day of waves.

Steve Griffiths

After 42 years making surfboards, original Emerald Surfboards founder Steve Griffiths is forced to quit the industry, Check out Steve Cores blog to find out  why?

http://www.stevecoresurf.com/search/label/Ex-Cronulla%20Surfers

Night Outs

The 60s boys…Birdshit (front left ) Dags ( far front right ) and not so Filthy second from right but he may have had overalls under the suit, or pyjamas.

Left 70’s party animals Steve Core and Ross Longbottom with zink on nose. Right 80’s presso with Tim Gibson and French Maid

90’s Hell Groms on the night prowl, to young for the pub.

 

Straight Talk Tyre Open ’83

The  best surfers on the planet descended on Cronulla for the Straight Talk Tyre Open when the world tour of pro surfing hit town.

Barry Regan Pioneer Surfer.

Heres a recent pic of Barry Regan(white cap) one of Cronullas first pioneer surfers from the 50’s and early 60’s. Back then he was a member of South Cronulla Surf club.  The photo was taken at the Wood Board day at Currumbin, August 7th 2011. To read a  interview with Barry see:
http://mypaipoboards.org/interviews/Paipo_Interviews.shtml#Barry_Regan

Classic Surf Tales.

Here’s a few more classic memories from back in the early days in Cronulla……..I have had a couple of memorable journeys in Gary Birsalls alias Birdshits first car , a Morris *8/40. One trip we went down Bulli pass to go surfing. but his gutless car would not take all of us back.S o Hitcho and I  hitched a ride to the top and waited for him. another time we were going from Cronulla to Garie Beach, thru the Nat Park, on a hot summer day. His car had an electric fuel pump, and it kept heating up,and burning the fuel before it got to the carbie. The car would stop, and we had to piss on the pump to get going again…By Dags

The there was the time I was standing in front of the pie shop when suddenly Yance jumped out of his bedroom window (he used to live in the main street above the jewellry shop)  followed by detective Humpherys running across the shop awnings then he jumped down onto the footpath and up the side lane.  they wanted him for the old charge of carnal knowledge,  he beat it when 6 other blokes spoke up as well (lovely girl was Betty);   Or when Barry Rossier held the unofficial time record for driving from Cronulla to Garie in Terry Stein’s old TE MG rag top; Wally Carle, Mr Wally Poly from Grays Point  loved putting VW  keys and insects in the middle of his fins (legend);  Barry Dack, had the first foam Scott Dillon board with a ‘nose fin’, it was white with a red half moon shape on the deck; Terry Mcintosh with a new ferris foam board, it was green, it started to bubble on the deck with the heat so he took to it with the neck of a broken beer bottle, slipped and nearly cut his arm off; Bob Davey with the first ‘bear suit’, they were discarded flying suit inners;   Fred Farmer, the first guy i ever heard about eating an apple while having sex (please confirm fred)  at Macs unit in Burke road. Yance being chased across the stage of Cronulla picture show while the movie was playing,   he was caught using a hand held air raid siren.  John Rhodes was the first guy in Cronulla convicted of using dope, his comment in the “Observer” was, “soon everyone will be using this”, the magistrate laughed at him (legend , again) …..by The Fox

Gary Birdsall and John Day

Bruce “The Fox” Hennessy

Part of the  Jackson surfboard manufacturing team from way back in the day The Fox has seen and experienced much of Cronulla’s surfing history go down. Here’s one of his memories………..”4.30am on the morning of the first Bobby Brown contest in January ’68, I’m walking down the Kingsway and Midget Farelley blasts down the road in his ’55 ford customline only to be booked by the cops in front of the Elephant House, they reckon he was doing 100mph??  lost his licence for a while and then returned for the next contest in a new falcon gt, he burnt the back tyres off it in front of Daz Eastlakes surf shop, brilliant! (frustrated rocker)”. Photo of  The Fox courtesy Jackson Surfboards.

Nigel Dwyer Museum NZ.

Nigel Dwyer, a former Cronulla boy and great mate of Jacko  is now the owner of Del surfboards N.z. where he also runs  his own museum. Here are some of his  boards he’s collected. Info courtesy Dags

Wanda Kids ’75

When these photos werte taken on the 19th August 1975  Lindsay Williams, Glen Vickers and Wayne Simonson were a a bunch of 15 year old kids that were Wanda regulars.Lindsay was a standout surfer on his 5’10” twinny.Photos Tim Vanderlaan