This evening I received this email:
Hi Kirra,
I took these photos in 1973 . There was a low off the coast and a 2metre tidal surge. I lived at Broken Head and when I went for a surf check at main beach on the way to work in Mullum, I was greeted by the sight of 3 policeman running as fast as they could. They had been trying to retrieve documents from the surf club. A wave hit the top story of the building. I had to drive back to Broken to get my camera and probably missed the worst of damage.
I laugh when people want to build rock walls to protect their properties. I would have loved a beachside property but after witnessing this event I moved to the hills.
Thanks Keith Dunstone
The story goes a little further, I had a chat with my Dad as I remember stories growing up of how he was in the old surf club when a wave went straight through the top windows and as Dad describes a “cube” of water streamed through the top floor as Sgt Don Sloane, Sgt Malcolm Gillett and Dad ran from the surf club as fast as they could with trophies and documents.
Thanks again for the great photos Keith and a flashback on some of Byron’s history….and just for the record, for the same reason my Dad has never even considered buying beachfront land from Main Beach to The Belongil.
