Col Smith Redhead’s Top Surfer

Photos taken by Geoff Moore

Col Smith surfing Redhead 1976

Col competing in local Redhead Board Comp 1976

Redhead Board Riders after comp beers at Col’s place. Col at far left

Col Smith Australian Champ and Stevie Butterworth NSW Champ with new Jim Pollard channel boards 1976. They had just got a quiver each of these new designs.

Col with Jim Pollard Channel boards for Bells Beach comp 1976 Photo from Col’s family collection.

Col Smith surfing Redhead on Jim Pollard Channel Board 1976

Col Smith on a solid wave at Redhead 1976

Col Smith with new quiver of Jim Pollard Channel Boards for Hawaii Comps 1977

Col Smith and Jim Pollard celebrate Col’s great surfing in Hawaii 1977 Photo from Col’s family collection.

Redhead surfboard factory where Martin Littlewood/Delta Designs made his boards in 1977. When Col came back from Hawaii, Martin showed him how to shape. They developed the hard edge channel design from Martin’s idea from the wooden clinker stye boats, plus they were easier to shape than the rolled edges of Jim Pollards. The shed was in the bush near 2nd Creek and was an old chook shed, with shaping bay, glassing and sanding rooms separated with clear plastic sheeting. Power was from the house way at the front on a long power lead and rent was cheap.

Col and Kim’s wedding 1978

Kim and Rique Smith at back yard barbie 1978

Col Kim and son Rique and dog Rhino1984

Col shaping hard edge Channel Boards in his Redhead back yard shed 1979

Col with Asymmetric design channel board made with Martin Littlewood at Margaret River 1987

Col and Kim with Martin Littlewood (Delta Designs) at Margaret River 1987 making asymmetric channel boards based on Martin’s wind surfer designs.

Col Smith surfing Margaret River on asymmetric channel board.1987

Col gave this last surfboard he rode to his good mate Pete Moffat. Col made this board with Martin Littlewood – Delta Designs at Margaret River.

2023

Old photo of Redhead Beach maybe 1930’s no roads or houses on the Bluff.

Belmont Bay 4/11/23 calm before the storm.

Swansea arial view around 1930. Top left no Blacksmiths Breakwater. Middle Swansea Bridge and Black Neds Bay.

Ship wreck Swansea Chanel 7/9/2023

Salts Bay 3/9/2023

Very Low Tide Swansea Chanel 10/7/2023

Reed Island in Black Neds Bay 10/7/2023

Redhead Colliery 1978 shutdown and just about to be come the new Grange Estate

A coal train on the Fernleigh Track 1977 now a cycle/walkway. We used to be able to catch a passenger train to Newcastle, a trip that took around 20 minutes.

Jewells Swamp 1977

Jewells Swamp 1977 looking back to Redhead, showing the old Sand Shed.

May June July August September October November 2022

Redhead Bluff from the other side 16/11/22

Redhead Bluff Goat Track, the way down 16/11/22

First Creek Redhead from the wooden bridge 9/11/22

Swansea Heads 16/11/22

Wild looking cloud over Redhead Beach 2/5/2022

Black Neds Bay 5/7/2022
Low Tide Redhead First Creek 25/8/2022
Peaky wave Redhead 18/8/2022 There is a surfer in there somewhere.
Sand Art First Creek Redhead 24/9/2022

Beach Track Redhead 5/10/2022
Black Neds Bay glassy water and no boats 16/10/2022
Redhead Shark Tower 4/10/2022 Low tide showing the bright green weed.tide line.

January/February/March/April 2022

3 weeks after our last big storm we have another one. Redhead Beach 2/4/22

Big waves

Waves and foam pushing up the First Creek

Sand getting chewed out by the ton

The Shark Listening Station usually about 1 kilometre from shore, gets pushed into shore.

Clouds reflecting in the First Creek Redhead 11/3/2022. Not sea foam like yesterday.

Another storm Redhead Beach 10/3/22. Strong wind and rain moved the sand and created a mess of foamy goo.

Sea Foam pushing into Redhead Beach 10/3/22
Sea Foam pushing up First Creek
Sand pushing toward the car park Redhead Beach 10/3/22
Big seas rain and wind created this mess goo on the beach Redhead 10/3/22

The first batch of Jim Pollard Channel Boards made for Col Smith in 1976 specifically for Bells Beach.

Redhead Beach 1/2/2022 beach erosion from strong swell and driving rain. Bonus seagull photo bomb.

Ibis in the First Creek Redhead 25/2/2022

A paddle up the Swansea Chanel in sparkling clear water 9/2/2022


Swansea Chanel

Sun over Redhead Beach 24/1/2022

Patterns First Creek Redhead 23/1/2022

November/December 2021

Sand Art Redhead First Creek 21/12/2021

Scribbly Gum Driftwood Redhead Beach 17/12/2021

View from Car Park sand hill over First Creek Redhead 11/12/2021

Early Morning light on Redhead First Creek 13/12/2021

2nd Creek Redhead finally flowing again after heavy rain 14/11/2021

Flat day at Redhead Beach 17/11/2021

Southerly buster Redhead Beach 24/10/2021

View from the SUP Caves Beach 16/11/2021

Redhead Surf Club Paddle and Swim Training 17/11/2021

May/June/July 2021

Redhead Shark Tower with a little bit of colour in front from the Pig Face Plants 32/7/2021

Some nice colours and patterns in the clouds early morning Redhead Beach 15/7/2021

Golden sunrise Redhead Beach 14/7/2021 It all turned cold and grey twenty minutes later.

Rutile patterns in the sand beside the First Creek Redhead Beach 14/6/2021

Redhead Beach 1/6/2021

Redhead Bluff looking pretty sombre on a grey wet morning 29/5/2021. Looking closely the bluff is all sliced up like a cake.

Redhead Beach Big surf 1/6/2021

February/March/April 2021

A SUP paddle around Green Point Belmont with the early morning light coming over the trees. The cave is possibly and old coal mine shaft, but there are a lot of small caves along the rocky foreshore.

On a wave 4/5/2021

Ripples in the sand after the tide dropped. Redhead Beach 04/04/2021

Redhead 2nd Creek after heavy rain 22/3/2021. This photo shows the amount of sand built up over years of drought and the amount of water that just pushed out.

A bit of history. Just looking at my Dad’s tiny 1930’s Ensign Midget camera. Dad was in the army up in Darwin 1941-45 during WW2 as a gun sergeant and here are some photos he took.

Dad’s camera a 1930’s Ensign Midget.

Dad’s army mates Darwin 1941-45

Dad’s 25 pounder Darwin 1941-45.

Dad’s Darwin photos 1941-45

January 2021

Sea Critter washed up on Redhead Beach 16/2/2021. This finger tip size rubbery thing was washed up among Blue Bottles. A sea slug known as Glaucus Atlanticus which feeds off blue bottle and stores the venom so it can be dangerous.

Things that were under the sand exposed after heavy rain and strong winds Redhead Beach 16/2/2021.

Rainbow over Redhead Beach 16/2/2021. With just my foot prints and Bonnie checking the tide line.

Big wave Redhead Beach 21/1/2021

Big Wave Redhead Beach 21/1/21

Waters Edge Redhead Beach 21/1/2021

Waters Edge Redhead 21/1/21

Absolute classic 1956 VW Combi Ute in original condition at Blacksmiths Beach Jan 2021

Original 1956 VW Combi Ute

November/December 2020

Pelicans in Swansea Chanel in crystal clear water.

Pelicans in Swansea Chanel

Joe Cocker Newcastle’s Civic Theatre 1978. Joe sang like a nightingale and the band were awesome.

Joe Cocker Civic Theatre 1978

Redhead Beach early morning with the sun beaming through the clouds 23/11/2020

Redhead Beach 23-11-20

Sea Snail Black Neds Bay 18/11/2020

Movement Redhead Beach 24-07-20

Large seas pushed over the beach leaving a drained look.

Movement Redhead Beach 24-07-20

 

Redhead Beach in 1978. Work just starting on sealing the car park and Vegetation planting within fenced off areas.

Redhead Beach Road 1920’s Showing the First Creek Bridge Unknown photographer.

Redhead Beach Road 1920’s

Rutile Mining along Redhead Beach late 1950’s to early 1960’s The floating dredge moved along the beach to Blacksmiths and back again, then the area was “re-planted” Unknown photographer..

Rutile Mine Redhead Beach app 1962