Legendary Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku in Hawaii. Source: News Limited
LONG before Wayne Bennett was born in Allora, the small Darling Downs township played host to another iconic figure who revolutionised his sport.
Almost 100 years ago, the small town outside Warwick was the first port of call on a Queensland tour by Hawaii's Olympic swimming gold medallist Duke Kahanamoku, the board-rider who created waves of passion for surfing around the world.
Allora is more than 200km from the kind of surf that Duke taught Australians to master but it was on the Darling Downs where he made a splash for the first time in Queensland.
As thousands of surfers hit the beach over the Australia Day weekend they can thank the Big Kahuna for introducing the world to the sport he loved above all else.
He first came to the world's attention at the 1912 Olympics, a raw-boned powerhouse who won the 100m freestyle in the cold waters of Stockholm Harbour, beating Sydney's Cecil Healy, who was representing the combined Australasian team.
Duke was persuaded to come Down Under for a series of swimming meeting in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria and arrived late in 1914. The local swim stars also asked him to teach them how to ride his board like the surfers in Hawaii.
Duke standing in front of his famous board. Source: News Limited
This year marks the centenary of Duke's arrival and the real birth of Australian surfing.
There had been a few other Australian board riders at the time, such as Tommy Walker, but it was not until the Duke showed the Aussies how it was really done on a 250cm board made of local sugar pine that "surf shooting'', as it was called at the time, really took of in this country.
In a special exhibition of board riding at Sydney's Freshwater Beach on the day before Christmas 1914 Duke transformed himself into what one newspaper called a "human motorboat'' as he surfed even while standing on his head.
"As he rose on the next wave one could see his long dusky body stretched flat on his surf board, which was heaving and tossing like a cork on the face of the ocean,'' The Sunday Times reported.
"A moment or two later there was a wild whoop of joy from the Hawaiian native, who could be seen scrambling on to his knees. He got there at last, paddled frantically for a few yards, and then stood up. For a fraction of a second he poised, and then, giving the board beneath him a dexterous twist with his foot, shot over the surface of the water at a tremendous rate of speed.
"So lightning-like was the movement that all one could see was a dark figure flying through space. What a picture he presented as he stood upright, the breakers curling beneath him, a smile on his face.
"To balance himself on the board he simply places the left leg forward. The right is behind in a diagonal position. In such a posture he has complete control of the craft, and can, by using his feet, twist it in any direction he wishes. He can even wheel it round in the water like a flash.''
Duke's board before it was put on display at Freshwater Surf Club in July last year. Source: News Limited
Duke left Sydney on the mail train for his Queensland leg of the tour. The Brisbane Courier reported that he was the star performer at the Allora Swimming Club's 1915 New Year Carnival in the muddy Dalrymple Creek, winning the 440-yard race off a minute handicap in front of the whole town's population of 300. Hawaii's second best swimmer, George Cunha, won the 100 yards sprint.
According to Phil Jarratt's marvellous new book That Summer in Boomerang the pair then checked into Brisbane's Gresham Hotel on the corner of Adelaide and Creek Streets before two swimming carnivals at the South Brisbane Dry Dock, another at the South Brisbane Baths and a river cruise that culminated with a game of touch football against some youngsters at St Lucia.
Duke then visited Maryborough and Rockhampton, where he also showed locals the tricks of body surfing on Keppel Bay. His final Queensland stop was at Mount Morgan where he and George cut down the locals in the handicap events on the Dee River.
He then gave more surfing exhibitions on Sydney's beaches and made teenager Isabella Letham his first surfing student in Australia.
By the time Duke left Australia on his way to more Olympic medals in Antwerp and Paris his star pupil, Claude West, a coffin builder, had became Australia's first great surfing champ, shaping his boards like he did casket lids.
He dominated the sport until 1925 and sett the bar for Midget Farrelly, Mark Richards, Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore and Mick Fanning to follow.
As well as every other Australian who ever caught the perfect wave for the ride of their life.
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