Blacksmiths Beach is located at the southern end of Nine Mile Beach.
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Blacksmiths Breakwater protects the beach and makes the entrance to the Swansea Channel safer to access Lake Macquarie.
Blacksmiths Beach has been a great surfing beach for many years, Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club formed in 1927 and has been a strong family surf life saving club for 90 years over four generations.
Surfing became popular in the 1960s, booming in Australia, particularly in places like Newcastle and at Blacksmiths Beach.
Learning to surf at Blacksmiths Beach was ideal, protected from big southerly swells by breakwater and Moon Island. The offshore southerly winds were great for surfing. There were plenty of waves spread along the beach from the breakwater to Awabakal Avenue, allowing many surfers various surf breaks for different levels of surfing skill.
EARLY DAYS OF SURFING
From learners to experienced surfers Blacksmiths was a very popular beach. Buses would bring kids from Warners Bay, Charlestown, Gateshead, Windale, Belmont and Marks Point. Busload after busload of kids would all get dropped off at Blacksmiths and walk up to the beach.
Waves and waves of kids learned to surf, and the culture thrived, including the accessories of surfboards, surf clothing and surf music.
In 1966 Nine Mile Beach Surfboard Club formed in the garage of the Staley family home in Tirriki Street, Blacksmiths. Nelson and Joyce Staley the parents of young surfers, Peter and Paul Staley, founded the club.
Many young surfers joined this well-organised club, which offered a shed as a club house to hang out at and a place to store your surfboard safely.
You got to meet older surfers with cars to take the grommets (“young surfers”) on surfing surfaris.
Back in 1966 Nine Mile Beach Surfboard Club was most probably the only surfboard club in Australia to have a club house. It was truly remarkable what the Staley family did. In hindsight it was the first ever youth refuge, as it would be called today.
The club instilled good values and friendship.
Unfortunately, the club folded in 1972. We lost the competitive drive, or ended up married with children, although we still surfed and socialised together.
In 1976 we had our first Nine Mile Beach Surfboard Club reunion, the start of a tradition that continues until this day.
Every year we meet at Tirriki Street, Blacksmiths Beach, to compete for the Nelson Staley Memorial Shield, then celebrate with a presentation night at the Blacksmiths Surf Club.
It is a truly memorable legacy with three generations of family members competing in the surf: the original members, the sons and daughters, and now “Gen 3”, the grandchildren, all surfing.
All this from a surfing culture of friendship and family, started at Blacksmiths Beach some 52 years ago.
THE LOSS OF SURF
In recent years Blacksmiths Beach has changed to a point where there are no sand banks, meaning no waves for body surfing or surfboard riding.
Even the learn to surf schools cannot hold surfing lessons at Blacksmiths anymore.
Learn to Surf Newcastle has not held any learn to surf lessons at Blacksmith since April. Miles Niddrie from Learn to Surf Newcastle, summarises the situation: “I have surfed at Blacksmiths Beach since 1982, as a beginner at first. I have continued to surf there until the present.
“My surf school, Learn to Surf Newcastle, has operated at Blacksmiths Beach since 2004. It is an excellent location for beginners, intermediate and experienced surfers.
“The last few years has seen a drastic reduction in wave quality and lack of sand banks with a dangerous shore break now the norm.
“This amazing beach has given me a surfing lifestyle and a job, a business. But sadly Blacksmiths is no longer the beach it once was. It really needs help to restore the sand banks and waves, giving the community and tourists a great surfing experience once again!”
Where did the surf go?
What has happened to Blacksmiths Beach?
Many old Nine Mile Beach Surf Club members are asking the question. Groups of recreational surfers and the learn to surf school operators are asking the question. What has happened to Blacksmiths Beach?
Looking back we can identify human engineering of the sand dunes and the breakwater has had a dramatic impact on the beach and the sand banks in the surf zone.
The beach is dynamic, not stable.
Sand dune stablisation with vegetation has stopped sand being blown back into the surf zone.
The breakwater extension and upgrade has impacted on the beach, with sand not coming around the breakwater and back onto the beach.
Swansea Channel dredging has increased the flow and speed of water moving out of the channel, adding to the sand being taken further out to sea and not onto the beach.
In the last two years the sand banks have disappeared completely from the surf zone at Blacksmiths Beach. No sand banks in the surf zone mean no waves for body surfing or surfboard riding.
Looking forward, we want Lake Macquarie City Council and and the NSW government to launch an enquiry as a part of their Coastal Zone Management Plan to identify the serious problems of loss of sand (erosion) in the surf zone at Blacksmiths Beach and its impact on the surfing community and wider community and business sector.
We believe this issue can be solved with sand replenishment back into the surf zone, sand pumped from the Swansea Channel back into the surf zone at Blacksmiths Beach.
The sailing, fishing, tourism and surfing communities would all benefit.
Consider this:
Mark Richards, four-time world surfing champion learned to surf at Blacksmiths Beach;
Michelle Donoghoe, Surfest and Australian schoolgirl champion, learned to surf at Blacksmiths;
Justin Lee, Mattara, Catho' Classic & Col Smith Memorial champion, learned to surf at Blacksmiths.
LOOKING BACK
“Over 50 years ago in another century I sat on the Wall at Blacksmiths looking over a magnificent beach,” says surf shop owner Geoff Brinkworth. “From the first wave ridden, the stoke had begun, my surfing love affair was sealed, my connection to Blacksmiths Beach was locked in.
“A future in the surfing industry looked right for me. That was it - a new job, a new business opportunity and the most unbelievable lifestyle for 39 years.
“I am humbled to have surfed the best waves at Blacksmiths has had to offer. I have surfed around the world, living the ultimate surfer’s dream.
“If any starry-eyed kid sat in the same position at Blacksmiths today they are only going to see a waveless beach that doesn't break any more and does not offer up dreams anymore. Please 'Bring Blacksmiths Back'!”
The value of recreational surfing is undeniable, surfing is an international industry. Learning to surf is a worldwide growth sporting activity, with learn to surf schools in all corners of the globe.
You don't have to be in a registered surfboard riding club or association, recreational surfing is unique: after you purchase your surfboard, leg rope, boardshorts, rash vest, wetsuit, wax and towel, riding a wave is FREE!
Surfing is being researched and documented as an incredible experience. In the human pursuit of happiness, surfing, riding a wave produced in the ocean by mother nature is the ultimate natural experience in the pursuit of happiness.
A group of concerned surfers are gathering a groundswell of support to ask Lake Macquarie City Council and the NSW Government to launch an enquiry into what has happened to the sand banks in the surf zone at Blacksmith Beach.
A team of experienced Blacksmiths surfers - Barry Nancarrow, Stewart Thomson and Geoff Brinkworth – are conducting a beach monitoring program to record the prevailing beach conditions daily for six months, culminating after the NSW surf life saving titles in March 2019.
Bring Blacksmiths Back from the No Surf Blues is a campaign to raise awareness of the loss of sand banks and waves for surfing at Blacksmiths Beach. With community support we can show this issue is a wider community-based concern, and surfing at Blacksmiths Beach is a valued sport and pastime that contributes greatly to the local economy.
Blacksmiths Beach has produced many great surfers, characters, friendships, families, businesses, and sporting clubs, all valued in a dynamic, diverse society linked to the surfing culture of the 1960s.
Blacksmiths Beach has produced many great surfers, characters, friendships, families, businesses, and sporting clubs, all valued in a dynamic, diverse society linked to the surfing culture of the 1960s.
The cultural heritage and history of surfing at Blacksmiths Beach must be recognised and valued. As a legacy we have a duty to future generations of young surfers, so they have the opportunity to experience and enjoy learning to surf at Blacksmiths Beach.
Please sign our petition 'Bring Blacksmiths Back', available at local surf shops.
Please support our beach rally on Saturday, December 1 at 11.30am at Blacksmiths Beach (wear a black T-shirt, bring your surfboard or a banner, bring your family and friends).
Campaign contacts: Phil Donoghoe, pandjdonoghoe@hotmail.com or 0499 463 323; Miles Niddrie, miles@learntosurfnewcastle.com Mob 0404 839 585; Geoff Brinkworth, oceanfire@gmail.com Mob 0408 685 011.
