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Angourie Surfing Reserve ..

Friday 12th January 2007, was a coming of age for the small township of Yamba on the North Coast of NSW, with the dedication of the world famous surfing point Angourie as a Surfing Reserve. "Angourie is regarded as the home of soul surfing" and "of national significance" said Brad Farmer from National Surfing Reserves Australia, as he introduced the proceedings and welcomed the many local and interstate guests. Ken 'Fox' Laurie from the local Aboriginal Yaegl People gave his blessing to the event with tales from his youth around the point and his love of the land.

Who discovered Angourie Point? - well no one, silly, it's always been there! Who was the first to surf it - well that's a different story all together. The local Yaegl aboriginal people were, of course, the first one's to understand and appreciate the area around Angourie and Yamba - living off the land and playing in the coastal waters. The Dolphin played a big part in their folklore and remains part of the Yaegl totem. It seems that early surfers at the point also got to experience them, when the dolphin "Half fin" used to surf and muck around with the boys later during 60's. The first surfers were going to learn of the beauty of the area but probably felt the need for a decent wave, rather than a oneness with nature (not really a big part of the white man's Psyche).

Now for the bomb-shell! Contrary to popular belief, not all of Australia's surf spots were discovered by Sydney surfers or some nomad passing through (only if you believe everything published in the surf mags of the time). Many of the coastal townships were populated with fishermen, timber workers and more than likely a bunch of Clubbies and, as with the case at Yamba, the first people to paddle out and surf Angourie Point were locals - they just happened to be a small group of life savers from the Yamba Surf Club. Nooooo! I'll never be able to surf my local break again. It's true, a small band of clubbies were surfing their local beaches and, in true pioneering spirit, looked a little further.

The main surf spot in Yamba at the time (late 50's) was off the surfclub at Main beach. Occasionally they'd go to Pippy's - but remember the boards were dogs and had no legropes - so softer beaches were the go. At the southern end of Pippy beach is Green Point. This was surfed often along with "Rubbish Tip" because of the close access. "Spookies" was surfed but the boards would drop out of wave because it was to steep and sucky.

At this time the crew of guys knew of the wave at Angourie but it was a big hike there and back with a 30 pound board. Eventually, in search of a better wave in Easter 1961, the boys made the trek in and Ray Moran was the first to paddle out and surf the wave, closely followed by Roger MacLean, Brian Alford and Don (ugh) Lee. Rumor has it that Ray's first wave at the point wasn't earth shattering - but we won't mention that.

The boys, of course, couldn't keep walking all that way, so they tried to enlist the help of the council to help make a decent track in for their cars. They were told to "forget it" and "that it was the asshole of the world and always would be" - so said Frank O'Grady, the local nobody. A bribe was offered but came to no avail. The guys then took it upon themselves to dig a road in - with a surf club working bee - and thus Angourie was open for business. The area may not have been as bad as Frank described but it was infested with mosquitoes enough to cover your skin as you walked down to the point. The area was also filled with kangaroos and emu's plus the odd death adder or two (but I think ones enough!). What followed was an awaking of the point's potential.

As the traveling surfers stopped in and the boards got better - so did the action in the water. Dick Evans and Jock McFee from Sydney came up to fish and body surf the area but Dick rang his brother Bob Evans - and that's why the article appeared in one of the first surfing world mags (Surfing World - Oct 1962). Word was out and lots of people passed through. Some stayed for ever and some never wanted to leave - but each have left their mark on the point. Morning of the Earth movie had a bit of an impact on the area, as did David Treloar, Bob McTavish and George Greenough just to name a few - but remember there were five locals to every blow in. 

Now, in this new century, it seems that Angourie Point and it's surrounding area needs to be protected. After years of local effort to help the beaches from weed and erosion damage, Dune Care came along and a little later a concerned group formed and put forward the idea of a surfing reserve.  David McPherson, a local resident and Department of Lands worker, pushed through the idea along with a large group of local committee members and the National Surfing Reserves Committee, to create the first surfing reserve under the Crown Lands Act. So, on Friday 12th January 2007, it was a coming of age for the small township of Yamba with the dedication of the world famous surfing point Angourie as a Surfing Reserve.

"Angourie is regarded as the home of soul surfing" and "of national significance" said Brad Farmer from National Surfing Reserves Australia, as he introduced the proceedings and welcomed the many local and interstate guests. Ken 'Fox' Laurie from the local Aboriginal Yaegl People gave his blessing to the event with tales from his youth around the point and his love of the land. Minister for Lands, the Honourable Tony Kelly MLC, officially opened the reserve and unveiled the plaque on the headland - much to the delight of the crowd. Guests included international surfers Occy and Luke Egan, with local shaper Rod Dahlberg and many local surfers and trailblazers from the area.

The event brought many of the east coasts living legends together to reminis about the point and it's surfers. Along with the dedication was a great display of old photos and memorabilia stretching back to the 50's. The reserve also formally acknowledges the surfers and their culture over many years in the area. The surfing reserve encompasses north of Green Point to south of Angourie Point by about 500m, it also extends out into the ocean to about 500m, thus protecting this surfing jewel for future generations. So it seems that this Surfing reserve brings together the two worlds that collided centuries ago. The previous aboriginal times and now the present - but it seems that we now have more to save than in the past.