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surfresearch.com.au   manufacturers : mcdonagh surfboards

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A major manufacturer, the company maintained a high standard and a quality stable of shapers 1960 - 1968.  One of the original Brookvale Six - manufacturers with national sales and reputation.

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1957
Harbord Beach NSW   Phone: XF 3526
Greg McDonagh.
The first boards were built at Greg's house, one of two high on Harbord's north point, now the site of the Harbord Digger's Club.

1963 Corner of Condamine and Pittwater Roads, Brookvale. Phone: XF 1152 The Australian pioneer in the development of the modern foam board ... Foam blanks from the USA. Surfing World Volume 2 Number 2 April 1963, page 3. 1964 457 Pittwater Road Brookvale NSW  Phone : 93 1152 "Corner of Pittwater Road and Condamine Street" Greg McDonagh. Denis McDonagh. Dennis had been working in New Guinea and was preparing to move on to Borneo when his was encouraged to return to Australia to help in the expanding surfboard business. The first factory in Brookvale was on the western side of Pittwater Road where the Warringah Mall is now located. Right: McDonagh Surfboards, 1964. Surfing World Volume 4 Number 6 August 1964, page 17.

circa 1965
With the expansion of surfboard sales into large chain stores, Denis McDonald opens the first of his inner city surf shop at 411 George Street Sydney.
Surf Dive n Ski Brochure, 411 George Street Sydney, circa 1965 (two pages, prices pre-decimal).
Wetsuits by Dive Gear.
Boardshorts from Platts Surf Wear.
Surfboards by McDonagh, Bennett , Dale, Wallace and  Keyo.

As Surf, Dive and Ski (later SDS), the company expands at the rate of a new store per year for the next nine years.
See below.

1966
Aware of surfing conditions at Australian bases in South Vietnam from feedback by returned soldier/surfriders, Denis McDonald, in combination with other Brookvale manufacturers, arranges the donnation of surfboards and accessories to the Australian Army, see below.

1968
Geoff McCoy

Image left: McDonagh Surfboards  Price List, circa 1965.   Note:           Imported American blanks. Double 10 oz Volan cloth. The fin is set into stringer.           Dual prices (Pounds and dollars) indicate the decimalisation of Australian currency in 1966.   Document courtesy of  Denis McDonagh.

McDonagh Surfboards (Script) Harbord Beach NSW  AUST. Tel XF 3526 circa 1958. See accompanying fin below.

Surfboards by McDonagh  (Stylised script, see Hobie) Brookvale Tel : 93-1152 circa 1960.  Adhesive Metal Foil Sticker

McDonagh Surfboards   Brookvale, Sydney. Tel : XF-1162 XF-3526 circa 1960.

Thanks to Noddy H. May 2014.

McDonagh  (Stylised script, see Hobie) Australia map circa 1964. Note : There is no Tasmania in the decal. See accompanying fin below.

Custom Built by McDonagh  circa 1965. Decal image courtesy Mick Mock,  Surf Auction, Novemvber 2011,  #90.

Custom Built Concave  circa 1965.

McDonagh- Script, Scalloped Block and Checkec (GT) Diamond circa 1966. See bellyboard in image, bottom of this page. Photograph at  Surf's Up At Gerringong  Board Display, Auguist 2005.  Thanks to Scott Andrews

McDonagh  circa 1966

McDonagh  (Psychedelic/Op art) circa 1967. Probably one of the last by this manufacturer.

Early Malibu fin McDonagh Surfboards Harbord Beach NSW  AUST. Tel XF 3526 circa 1958 Note fin set at pod and surf permit.

Multi laminate timber D fin with glass bead. McDonagh  circa 1964

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circa 1964 McDonagh twin- keel fin Bellyboard with off-set stringer, see above.

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Image left: Sydney surfboard industry representatives donate  surfboards to Australian  servicemen in South Vietnam,  July 1966. Photograph courtesy of  Dennis McDonagh.

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.

Note: I had initially credited the representative of McDonagh Surfboards as "Greg" McDonagh.
In October, Denis Mc Donagh initiated contact when he emailed:
"I have the original black & white photo of this event and newspaper copy, which I organised
The person in the photo representing McDonagh surfboards was me.
Greg & I worked in the manufacturing business and later started Surf Dive n Ski.
Regards, Denis McDonagh"
The accreditation has been adjusted.

Image right: Surf Dive 'N Ski advertising photograph, 1969. Image courtesy of Dennis McDonagh. From left Other, Other, Tanya Binning, Dennis McDonagh. Marshall Airways, Bankstown Areodrome. Originally published in Surfing World Volume 12 Number 2, 1969. In 1969 the company had stores in George Street Sydney, Roselands Shopping Centre and Warringah Mall Brookvale.