Postcards
If you were into surfing as a teenager in the 1960’s, chances are you owned a Scott Dillon (OS 1945) surfboard. You would have been in good company, as most of the surfing greats such as future world champion, Robert ‘Nat’ Young, also rode a Dillon board. Scott Dillon made his name as a designer and builder of surfboards at Bondi in 1956, before moving to the northern Sydney suburb of Brookvale where he opened his first surfboard making factory. Many leading surfers began their careers by shaping and finishing their surfboards at Scott Dillon’s factory. Scott based his knowledge of surfboards on first hand experience as he took on the big waves at the Queenscliff bombora in 1963 and monster surf at Bare Island in 1963-64. Around that era, he was also the subject of many photographs on big swells at Fairy Bower and North Narrabeen. A successful boxer in his younger years, he narrowly missed being chosen to represent Australia at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Later, he became known for his skills as a professional spear fisherman. He also took on the race track, becoming a high ranking speedway driver at the Sydney Showground and Liverpool Speedways. Now located at Coff’s Harbour, he runs the unique and highly successful Legends Surf Museum. In 2004, Scott was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame as one of the true original six legends of the Australian surfing industry.
