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barrett : australia in pictures, 1943

Charles Barrett : Sunlit Surfing Beaches, 1943.

Extract from
Barrett, Charles: Sunlit Surfing Beaches
Australia in Pictures
Cassell and Co. Ltd, Melbourne, Sydney, 1943, pages 65 and 66.

Introduction.
A selection of photographs from all Australian states and territories, some by the author, but most from various government tourist promotion agencies.
An arcticle, Sunlight Surfing Beaches, page 65, notes the popularity of surfing in Sydney and atbeaches adjacent to other southern capital cities- Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
Sharks and drowning are dangers at Sydney's beaches, although mitigated by the presence of "life-saving squads".
Coolangatta is the recognised surfing resort for Brisbane.
It is accompanied by a photograph of Moama Beach, near Adelaide (page 66) showing at least six prone board riders.

Page 65 SUNLIT SURFING BEACHES
With 12,000 miles of coastline, Australia has a rich diversity of coastal scenery, from peaceful little coves to long curving beaches of white or golden sand upon which the surf pounds in rough weather; from softly rounded green promontories to great rocky headlands and high cliffs rising sheer from the sea.
Up North are miles on miles of shore all ooze and gluey mud at low tide, and fringed with mangroves; clean coral-sand beaches, too, though all unknown to surfers.

Down south, surfing lures city folk to the beaches at week-ends and on holidays, when every favourite seaside resort is crowded. Sydney's surfing beaches, at Manly, Bondi, and Coogee, have few rivals in any country: sunlit ocean beaches which have given pleasure to millions in the past score of years.
Unhappily, tragedy is associated with them: shark tragedies have occurred in the surf off Sydney's most popular beaches.
There have been drownings, too; but during the surfing season the beaches are regularly patrolled by life-saving squads, who have rescued many persons in peril, some even from sharks.

There are grand beaches within easy distance of other capital cities, though none has become so famous as those which Sydney people praise almost as much as they praise their Harbour.
The photograph gives us a glimpse of Moama Beach, near Adelaide, on a fine summer's day.
Moama is but one of the holiday beaches fronting St. Vincent's Gulf, where for about twenty miles the shores are sandy.
Glenelg and Henley Beaches are almost as crowded as Bondi and Coogee on a public holidciy and at week-ends during summer-time.
Other favourite beaches are those at Brighton, Seacliff, Semaphore, and The Grange.

Cottesloe ranks first among the beaches patronised by Perth folk.
St. Kilda and Brighton Beach are Melbourne's favourites.
Queensland's finest surfing beaches are fifty miles to the south of Brisbane: "twenty miles of golden sand:' extending from Southport to Coolangatta.

Page 66

Moama Beach, near Adelaide.
Photo, S.A. Tourist Bureau.

Note the prone board riders standing in the shallows
at the left of the photograph.
See blown-up image below.

(At least) six prone board riders, Moana Beach, South Australia, circa 1943.

Barrett, Charles: Sunlit Surfing Beaches
Australia in Pictures
Cassell and Co. Ltd, Melbourne, Sydney, 1943.

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Geoff Cater (2011-2016) : Charles Barrett : Sunlit Surfing Beaches, 1943.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1943_Barrett_Aust_In_Pictures.html