Upon his discharge from war service in New Guinea, Bert Cowell headed straight back to Avalon Beach. At his wife’s suggestion, he thought he would “have a go at green-grocering”. The truck he bought had no brakes, but undaunted, Bert crawled around in first gear, “and then I jumped out and shoved a brick under […]

The NRMA depot was opened on Saturday, 5 May 1934, by the President of the NRMA at the time, Mr J.C.Watson.  A.J.Small footed the bill to provide ‘Association Guides to service members’. It was opened by NRMA patrols on weekends and holidays and occupied a small area that, these days, would equate to the southwest corner of […]

This small commercial building stood on the site of the present Avalon Beach ambulance station – 697-699 Barrenjoey Road. It was originally built as a bakery and later became a seafood business. It eventually wound up after ending its life as a dog grooming salon. St. Mark’s Church is visible to the left of the […]

North Avalon looking west at Barrenjoey Road and Burrawong Road with the Careel Bay mangroves beyond. You can see Whale Beach Road on the far left. We estimate that this photo was taken in the early 1960s.

Years before the birth of the ‘mal’ or the ’triple thruster’! How’s this for an amazing collection of surf craft in the 1950s, several of them measuring around 5 metres (16 feet) and weighing heaps! The incredible length compared to the width earned several of them the nickname ’toothpicks’.

Architectural historian Maisy Stapleton described Alexander Stewart Jolly’s ‘Loggan Rock’ cabin as “a retreat from the banalities of suburban life. It is the ultimate escapists fantasy, an exuberant whimsy, the hideaway of a Boys Own adventure story . . . . . with an inherent youthfulness and playful quality”. It is an extraordinary structure, very […]

This photo shows the official opening of the first surf club building, including the dressing sheds, in early 1934 by the Hon. J.M.Dunningham. Designed by architect Bertram Ford, it cost around 2,000 pounds (4,000 dollars). Note the generous volume of sand at the time, compared with later years, as the conditions continue to fluctuate. Note […]

Many rumours have abounded over the years on the origins and occupants of the studio which hangs precariously onto the cliff edge on top of North Avalon. The truth is that William Lumsden, an engineer from Maroubra, built both the house on Marine Parade and the studio up top in 1938. He used it as […]