Avalon Beach Historical Society

08/09/2026

MEETING REMINDER - TONIGHT

AVALON BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY

We look forward to welcoming members and their guests to the next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society on Tuesday, 8th September 2026. The meeting will start at the usual time of 8.00 pm in the ANNEXE on Dunbar Park.

The meeting will feature a short film titled ‘A Lion's Holiday’. It features a visit by 100 Aboriginal children from Brewarrina, Warren, and surrounding areas to Avalon Beach in 1971. The Avalon Lions Club arranged not only for their visit but also accommodation during their 10-day stay.

September is when you renew your membership for the coming year. You can pay with $20 cash per person at the meeting or by Direct Deposit into our bank account. If you wish to become a member of the Society, membership costs only $20 from September to September and includes 4 excellent meetings a year. Forms and details are available on the website at www.abhs.org.au or at the meeting. See less

The Avalon Beach Historical Society was formed in September 1983 with the main aim of collecting the history of our immediate area.

20/08/2026

This photo shows the 'farm' on Paradise Beach in 1926. Two younger members of the Proud family can be seen walking towards the beach, surrounded by numerous animals, including ducks, chooks, a pig and a lonely cow.

The boatshed dates back as early as 1915. It was clearly visible in a photo loaned by Nance Henry, which was reliably dated 1915.

The photo of the farm was taken from the verandah of the 'guest house', which was available to employees of Fostars Shoe Company in the 1920s. It stood on the site of the present turning circle at Paradise Beach.

18/08/2026

MEETING NOTICE
We look forward to welcoming members and their guests to the next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society on Tuesday, 8th September 2026. The meeting will start at the usual time of 8.00 pm in the ANNEXE on Dunbar Park.

The meeting will feature a short film titled ‘A Lion's Holiday’. It features a visit by 100 Aboriginal children from Brewarrina, Warren, and surrounding areas to Avalon Beach in 1971. The Avalon Lions Club arranged not only for their visit but also accommodation during their 10-day stay.

September is when you renew your membership for the coming year. You can pay with $20 cash per person at the meeting or by Direct Deposit into our banking account. If you wish to become a member of the Society, membership costs only $20 from September to September and includes 4 excellent meetings a year. Forms and details are available on the website at www.abhs.org.au or at the meeting.

07/06/2026

MEETING REMINDER
This TUESDAY, 9 JUNE AT 8.00PM in the ANNEXE on Dunbar Park. This photo is one of over 40 postcards produced by Hesketh George Swiney, that will be featured in our presentation. Can anyone help with the location of this photo? The caption reads "On the road to Palm Beach," and it is dated sometime between 1910 and 1916. Help us solve the mystery.

21/05/2026

MEETING NOTICE
We look forward to welcoming members and their guests to the next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society, which will be held on Tuesday, 9 June 2026. The meeting will start at the usual time of 8.00 pm in the ANNEXE on Dunbar Park.

The meeting will feature postcard images from Narrabeen to Barrenjoey, produced by Hesketh George Swiney, of 'The Vale Studios - Narrabeen'. Most of these postcards were produced prior to 1916, when Hesketh enlisted for war service and headed overseas.

If you wish to become a member of the Society, membership costs only $20 from September to September and includes 4 excellent meetings a year. Forms and details are available on the website at www.abhs.org.au or at the meeting.

08/03/2026

This fascinating pic shows the view west along what would have been called Clareville Road. The name Avalon Parade first appeared on A.J.Small's 'Palmgrove Estate' subdivision on Boxing Day 1921. He had envisaged it as a grand, tree-lined parade linking Avalon Beach to Clareville. The distant white fence to the left of centre marked the frontage of the property 'Gunjulla'. The culvert behind the cows (probably from Jones's dairy at North Avalon looking for a feed) indicates where the creek (draining what later became Ruskin Rowe) crossed under Avalon Parade.

01/03/2026

Reminder
Join us tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) at 8.00pm at the Annexe building, Dunbar Park. The meeting will focus on the Ovens Caves at Whale Beach, featuring drone footage, old photos, and stories about the ocean caves. Refreshments are available following the meeting. Everyone is welcome.

Avalon Beach Historical Society

17/02/2026

This amazing pic is one my dad Ron Searl took of his new wife Gwen while on their honeymoon in 1944. She is standing by the remains of the Hole in the Wall aka St Michael’s Arch on the North Av rock shelf.
They both lived and loved most of their lives together at 66 Avalon Parade and of course without any regrets.
I joined them in 1947 when I turned one!
The 10 years old single storeyed/open air surf club is barely visible in the right background along with the adolescent Norfolk Island pines.

12/02/2026

MEETING NOTICE
The next meeting of the Avalon Beach Historical Society will be held on Tuesday, 3 March 2026.

If you wish to become a member of the Society, membership costs only $20 from September to September, including 4 excellent meetings a year. Forms and details are available on the website at www.abhs.org.au or at the meeting.

30/01/2026

Upon his discharge from war service in New Guinea, Bert Cowell headed straight back to Avalon Beach. At his wife’s suggestion, he thought he would “have a go at green-grocering”. The truck he bought had no brakes, but undaunted, Bert crawled around in first gear, “and then I jumped out and shoved a brick under the back wheel”.

The only difficulty he encountered was dodging the stray cows from Jones’s dairy at North Avalon. Bert bought some produce from Sam Meek in Therry Street, and the rest was picked up from the Sydney Markets by a friend. Thanks to his daughter Nina (who still lives locally) for the photo and information.

Historian: Geoff Searl (OAM)