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manufacturer : barry bennett surfboards

Images courtesy of the Bennett Family.
A major manufacturer and supplier across the surf industry, the company maintained a high standard and a quality stable of shapers 1954 - 2001.
Barry Bennett started building hollow plywood boards in the 1950's at his mother's house in Waverly, South-side, Sydney.
In the mid 1950's he moved to the north side of the harbour, again under the family home.
The company has always maintained it's strong roots in the Life Saving Clubs, and has been a major manufacturer of surf-skis and rescue/paddle boards.
One of the Brookvale Six, that is the "large"manufacturers with national sales and reputation in the ten years 1962 to 1972.
195x? 2 Wyndora Avenue Harbord, North-side, Sydney.
Australian Racing Sixteens
One example with decal currently (June 2001) on display at 188 Harbord Road, Brookvale.

1957
Hollow timber adaptation of the Malibu board
Okinouees

circa 1959
188 Harbord Road Brookvale NSW 93-5157
Barry Bennett; balsa/fibreglassed boards

Barry Bennett's factory, Brookvale, circa 1960.

Photograph by Bob Cooper
Australian Surfers Journal
Volume 3 Number Two,
Autumn 2000.
Page 60.

1960
Joe Larkin
1961
Joe leaves to start Joe Larkin Surfboards at Miles Street Kirra, Queensland.
1963
Bennett travels to California and shapes for Hobie Surfboards and Hansen Surfboards, returning with a knowledge of the latest US production techniques.

circa 1964
Develops foam blank production company, later to be called Dion Chemicals.

1965

Owner and Shaper- Barry Bennett
Shaper- Wayne Burton
Glasser- John Williams
Phil Jaques Glosser,
Sander- Mick McMahon
Blower- Warren Holmes
and Vice-Blower- Tony Dunn.

Surfabout
v2 n12
1965
page 5

1966
Wayne Burton and Ron Grant; Kevin Platt

circa 1967
starts Surf Dive and Sea surf shops

1967
Geoff McCoy

1972
180 Harbord Road Brookvale NSW, , relocated after factory fire.
Bill Cilla

1970
December, Tom Hoye (USA) shapes first Twin Fin 1 board in Australia .

Right: Tom Hoye and Twin Fin, Bennett Surfboards, 1970.
Image courtesty of the Bennett Family
Bennett ad: Why do our twin work and others don't? - A month ago Tom Hoye came to us from where it started.
Tracks, January 1971, Number 4, page 6.

1971
Bob McTavish Tri Fins, Neil Purchase, Frank Williams (No. 1348: FW), Steve Shaw (No. 0208)
Jim Beardsley
Golden Breed models, Lightning Bolt models;

1972
Bennett Foam (Australia) - supplied to the UK

1974
Golden Breed Surfboards
Blue Bird by Bob McTavish
Vaughan Riley

1974
Russell Head; Jim Beardsley (# 5848), Frank Williams, Peter Cornish (# 645 PC).

1976 Nat Young, Bob McTavish, Bill Cilla, John Forster and Dooley;

1977 Russell Head and Steve O’Donnell;

1979 Russell Head and Micky Mac

1995
Doug Bell.(single fin)

Bennett Surfboards and the Bennett Surfboards' Collection.
- Click the template image for the full catalogue entry -

	c1910 Hawaiian Redwood 'Waikiki' 9ft 7'' #360
	1958 Bennett Balsa Pig 9ft 5'' #361
	1966 Bennett Malibu 9ft 5" #169
	1967 Peter Clarke Stringerless "Keith Paull Happening" 8ft 10" #358
	1963 Bennett Belly/Knee Board 5ft 1" #50
	1971 Bennett Tri-fin by Bob McTavish 6ft 8" #9
	1972 Bennett Round nose-Round tail by Bob McTavish 6ft 10" #362
	1972 Bennett Round nose-Round tail (Paddle-Pop Stick) 6ft 10" #162
	1972 Bennett & Nat Young Pintail 7ft 6" #341
	1973 Farrelly Spoon (Knee Board) 4ft 8" #357
	1974 Harmony Square-tail Spray by Shane Egan 6ft 9" #359
	1975 Bennett - Lightning Bolt Flyer Pintail by Gerry Lopez 7ft 4" #362
	1976 Rounded Pin by John Foster 7ft #207
	1994 Bennett Mini-Mal Thruster by Russell Head 7ft 2'' #153

Bennett Surfboards
Treasures from the Vault Day, 21st June 2014.
Many thanks to Barry and Greg Bennett.

Press-ganged assistants holding exhibits for photographs.
Many thanks for your assistance and
apologies, as the names were not recorded.

Left: #361
Note the other boards, from the top:
Dave Jackman's Gun.
Dick Chapple-Tom Blake Hollow replica by Gordon Woods.
Bennett Stringerless by Geoff McCoy.

Left:
#358

Right:
#359

The assistants are effectively hidden
behind the boards, their presence
indicated only by their shadows,
and couple of finger tips.

Decals

Surfboards by Barry Bennett,
2 Wyndora Avenue Harbord, 1958.

Decal image courtesy Mick Mock,
Surf Auction, November 2011, #33.

Surfboard by Barry Bennett,
Brookvale, 1959.
Adhesive metal decal.
Left: Black,thanks to Mick Mock,
Surf Auction 2010.
Right: Blue

Surfboards by Barry Bennett,
188 Harbord Road Brookvale, 1960.

Left:
BB Red Diamond,
Surfboards by Barry Bennett
188 Harbord Road Brookvale, 1963.

Right:
BB Red Diamond,
Bennett Surfboards Pty. Ltd.,
188 Harbord Road Brookvale, 1965.

A very large decal that covers over half
the width of the board.

BB Purple Diamond,
Surfboards by Barry Bennett
188 Harbord Road Brookvale, 1966.
Handcrafted by
Kevin Platt

BB Yellow Diamond,
Surfboards by Barry Bennett
188 Harbord Road Brookvale, 1983.
Handcrafted by
Mickey Mac

BB Yellow Arrows, circa 1968.

Image contributed by Shazza, September 2013.

BB Blue Rings
Designed and Shaped by Wayne Burton,
Barry Bennett Surfboards.
188 Harbord Road Brookvale NSW, circa 1968.

Photograph at Sydney Surf Auction,
Harbord Diggers Club,
22nd September 2007.
Thanks to Mick Mock.

Bennett Surfboards.
circa 1971.
Photograph at Sydney Surf Auction,
Harbord Diggers Club,
19 October 2008.
Thanks to Mick Mock.

Right:
Bennett: Exclusive Design, 1971
Bennett Circle, circa 1972.

Left:
Bennett Surfboards
Nat Young Surf Design, circa 1971.
Sydney Surf Auction, Harbord Diggers Club,
22nd September 2007.
Thanks to Mick Mock.

Right:
Bennett Surfboards
Nat Young Surf Design, circa 1973.

Bennett Script and Rainbow Seagulls
Surfboards, Australia
Rainbow graphic decal, circa 1974.
Image contributed by Jim Swinton, July 2006.

Bennett: John Otten, 1974.

Buddah decal - artwork laminate?

Surfboards by Barry Bennett: Bob McTavish, 1973.

Golden Breed Surfboards
93-5157 93-1152, circa 1974.

Photograph Sydney Surf Auction,
Mona Vale Hotel, Sydney, 30 October 2005 Catalogue No. 87.
Thanks to Mick Mock.

Note the phone number is the same as Bennett Surfboards

Bennett Script, circa 1974.
Image contributed by Jim Swinton, July 2007.

Lightning Bolt by Bennett Surfboards, circa 1975.
(R) Lightning Bolt Unltd. Surf Co. Inc. 1972
Image contributed by Jim Snazzy, September 2012.

Left:
Blue Bird, 1976.
Barry Bennett Surfboard
Bob McTavish Shaped? Design?

Right:
BB Diamond, circa 1976.
Surfboards by Barry Bennett
180 Harbord Road Brookvale,

Left:
BB Green Fade Diamond, circa 1977.
Surfboards by Barry Bennett 180
Harbord Road Brookvale,
Decal images contributed with thanks by Snazzy,
December 2010.

Right:
Shaped by Russell Head, 1977

Peter Cornish Sunflower Design, circa 1977.
Bennett Surfboards.
Image contributed by James Samuels, July 2009.

Bennett Script,
Shaped by Russell Head,
circa 1978.

1986

Bennett Block Text, circa 1983.

Bennett Surfboards Script, circa 1988

BB Stars - Barry Bennett Surfboards, 1988.
Board shaped by Mickey Mac.

1990

1962
D fin
Bennett Surfboards #385

1973 Barry Bennett Spoon-deck knee-board: 4ft 11".
Resin glue line stringer, full orange tint, three colour fin laminate, Number 7302.
See #68.

REFERENCES
Nick Carroll : The Rock - A Barry Bennett Profile
Australian Longboarding Magazine Edition 10 (2000?) pages 24 to 33

Advertisement 1972

Edited advertisment to highlight text description of models,
from Surfing World Vol 16 No. 5 1972.
Images couresty of the Bennett Family

Notes
1. The text apparently refers to the four boards in the top right hand corner.
2. These boards are shown lying down in the two photographs below.
3. Kneeboards and blue spoon.
4. Clear rescue-paddleboard.
5. Oval and circle decal variation.
6. Golden Breed decal , fifth board from right, top row.

Other

Bob McTavish, Tri fin and Dog, Barry Bennett Surfboards, Brookvale 1971.
Image courtesty of the Bennett Family Achives.
Photograph uncredited, printed in
Mike Davis :Design Through Development
in The Best of Tracks 1973.

Image left:
Sydney surfboard industry representatives donate
surfboards to Australian
servicemen in South Vietnam,
July 1966.

Photograph courtesy of
Dennis McDonagh.

From left to right:
Mr. Platt: Platts Boardshorts, first local surfwear manufacturer.
Denny Keogh: Keyo Surfboards
Colonel P. Trancred: Australian Army.
Scott Dillon: Scott Dillon Surfboards
Bob Brewester: Manly Stor-a-Bord and Bower Boy Surf Wax.
Gordon Woods: Gordon Woods Surfboards
Denis McDonagh: McDonagh Surfboards
Bill Wallace: Wallace Surfboards
Barry Bennett: Barry Bennett Surfboards
Also see photograph: Australian War Memorial (SMT/66/01179/EC)
The photograph was circulated with the following press release:

SMT/66/179/EC July 1966

Nearly $500 worth of surfboard equipment, given by seven manufacturers, was handed over to the Australian Army on behalf troops in South Vietnam, at Victoria Barracks, Paddington, on Wednesday, July 20.

The equipment was received by the Acting Chief of Staff (Colonel P. Tancred).
Pictured receiving the boards, Colonel Tancred thanks Denis McDonagh (McDonagh Bros Surf Boards Pty Ltd, Harbord Road, Brookvale) , on behalf of the manufacturers.

The manufacturers with their gifts from the left are,
Messrs Lance Platt (L. and J. Platt, Surfrider Board Shorts, of Foam Street, Harbord),
Danny Keogh (Keogh Surf Boards Pty Ltd., of Sydenham Road, Brookvale) ,
Scott Dillon (Scott Dillon Surf Board Pty Ltd, of Vlinbourne Road, Brookvale),
Bob Brewster (Manly Surf Shop and Stor-A-Bord, Pittwater Road, Manly),
Grodon Woods (Gordon Woods Surf Boards Pty Ltd, Harbord Road, Brookvale),
Bill Wallace (Wallace Surf Boards, Winbourne Road, Brookvale),
Barry Bennett (Barry Bennett Surf Boards pty Ltd, Harbord Road, Brookvale).

Text courtesy of Dennis McDonagh.

Geoff Cater (1999-2021) : Catalogue : Barry Bennett Surfboards.

http://www.surfresearch.com.au/mbennett.html