Do Not Drop In: Localism and Territorialism on the Australian Coastline

When Australians think about localism and territorialism on Australian

beaches, the image that is most likely conjured up, would be the ‘Bra Boys’.

The ‘Bra Boys’ are a gang based around the beach with the major identities of

the group being the Australian Abberton brothers. Their gang is based around

a beach called Maroubra Beach. Maroubra beach is located ten kilometres

from Sydney’s Central Business District and has a long history of surfing. It

was the second beach in Australia to be named a National Surfing Reserve (it

followed Bells Beach in Victoria).

Reading different interviews that the Abberton brothers have undertaken, it is

apparent that they feel that they are some type of protector of the waves. In

an interview with the Daily Telegraph in 2005, Koby Abberton spoke about a

life guard that was assaulted and sparked the begining of the Cronulla Riots.

Abberton had said that things like that do not happen in Maroubra. That girls

go to other beaches in Sydney and get harrassed but when they go to

Maroubra it doesn’t happen. He said that he has read stuff about kids saying

that they get harrassed because they want to get out in the surf, but Abberton

says that the beach should be for Aussie kids. If the fellows responsible for

that type of behaviour came to Maroubra Beach acting all tough, he says, they

know it would be on.

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So why do the waves and the beach spark locals like the Abberton brothers to

act in this way, why do they feel that they should have more control in regards

to the behaviour on the beach compared to other people?

Two researchers Ryan Barclay and Peter West discussed the idea that

nobody owns the beach, that it is actually a shared space by the people that

turn up. However, to most local surfers, this idea would be laughable. Paul

Scott a surf media researcher says that the locals act out of a paranoia that

the breaks they have surfed for years, are being overtaken by ‘outsiders’.

During my research Clifton Evers seemed to be the prominent researcher on

the issues of localism at the beaches. He has written widely on the topic. In

“The Cronulla Race Riots: Safety Maps on an Australian Beach” he discusses

how localism is used on local beaches. “Localism works at a micro level,

similar to the way nationalism does at a macro, in that it creates an us-versus-

them situation in which “the them is never as good or as right as we are.” He

also goes on to say how local surfers continue a long tradition of spray

painting the words “Locals Only” on footpaths, rock walls and signs to let

outsiders know that particular beaches and pieces of land and breaks are

“theirs”.

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Euan Bradshaw is a newcomer to the area of Manly. He is an English citizen,

and is here in Australia for a two year working visa, like most of the other

residents in Manly. He says that he does not feel the wrath of localism at the

main beach in Manly. “I don’t feel uncomfortable at all on the beach at Manly,

I think it is because there are so many travellers here, that really, the

travellers out number the locals. We are the locals!” He did say however, that

he feels the tensions of localism when he visits smaller beaches in smaller

communities on the northern beaches when he ventures out of manly itself.

“When you visit beaches like Avalon and Newport, you can tell there is a

tighter knit community, with less travellers living there, and this tight

community feeling spews over into the beaches.” I asked him if he heard of

the Bra Boys. He said that he heard they were some Aussie Brothers that

made a film about their gang and the beach. I asked if he would visit the

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beaches if a gang like the Bra Boys was policing the waves, Euan replied

“Look, I’ve visited beaches that are supposed to be tied up in issues with

localism, and to be honest, I’ve never really had an issue, I have visited

beaches outside of the northern beaches as well, and I think its all just a lot of

talk, and no action. I’ve seen the signs, but I haven’t seen any actions to back

it up.”

So is the localism really that bad? Back to Clifton Evers in an article he wrote

in the Sydney Morning Herald titled, “False prophets of surfing bastardise our

beaches”. In this article he explores how somehow the Bra Boys intimidation

and violent tactics have been glorified and seen as a romanticisation of

brothers looking out for brothers, but explains that this is the ugly side of

localism, and that there is infact localism that has been put to good use. He

says that there are surfing "brotherhoods" who use their strength as a group

to promote goodness on their breaks, such as fighting developments that

would threaten the beaches, or even help charities abroad. He mentions such

groups as Surfrider Foundation.

Surfrider’s website says that they are a non-profit organization that are

“dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of Australia’s oceans, waves and

beaches for all people through Conservation, Advocacy, Research and

Education”. They have 29 Chapters and beach representatives all over

Australia and have connections abroad. They boast 40 000 members across

the world. While they have members from all types of age brackets, 70% of

their members are girls and guys aged between 16 and 35.

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The organisation “aims to increase awareness of many issues impacting on

our enjoyment of the coast, and to ensure that our children have similar

opportunities to enjoy it as we have today.”

It is a shame that people cannot find enjoyment in a story of goodness, such

as the Surfrider organization, but instead stories such as the Bra Boys are

glorified, romanticised, fed to the public and then it is turned into normalised

beach behavior. Making it seem like people should feel that they should

expect the wrath of daring to want to ride a wave that has been ridden more

often then someone else. If more organizations used their power such as

Surfrider for the good, the true spirit of the Australian beach and surfing would

be unveiled.

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