WALLY GIBBINS

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

VINTAGE PICTURES (Personal collection)

Wally when aged about 42 returned to the spearing competitions he'd shunned for good reasons.

Probably the first spearfishing trophy in Australia - the Chesty Bond trophy won by W. Gibbins for the heaviest fish in a special competition. Engraving says "Blue Groper 45 and (unreadable in the photo) possibly 'quarter' pounds. May 1951 In effect this would make it an unclaimed NSW spearfishing record as well.

CLASSIC. Speared Mulloway, 1950s (pre wetsuits). Forester's Beach, Central Coast of New South Wales.
Published in People Magazine, picture of Wally Gibbins courtesy of Jeff Carter

Friday, 11 January 2013

CMAS World Championships French Polynesia (Tahiti)

1966

First fish picture after winning the world title, Ron Taylor at Montague Island with Yellowtail Kingfish.

FOOTNOTE: A common account on the Maori wrasse capture has it that Ron Taylor 'lost' this big fish and was helped to find it again by one of the English team. This is to imply that a diver of Ron Taylor's experience, couldn't relocate a cave that he'd just left. The UK diver who shouted or said words to the effect 'the fish is here' was in all probability making an incidental remark. This does not prove Taylor was confused. That Taylor didn't know where his speared fish with broken spear-line attached, was holed-up. According to Taylor's account of the incident, he broke the spear-line in haste as time was running out. This could hardly constitute 'losing' a fish while the first spear was attached. It would be highly unlikely that Taylor didn't know where the cave was and required someone to help him. On the other hand, maybe there was confusion in those final minutes and maybe the UK diver did help by marking the location of the cave?

Skin Diver Magazine (above left) featured the World Championships 1965 (see story below).

WORLD FEDERATION OF DIVING - France website

(Above) Ron's column in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

Ron arriving home from New Caledonia and Tahiti. Sydney airport press conferenc

Miss Tahiti (in the year 2044) Made with AI in June 2024

Friday, 10 August 2012

SAWTELL MUSEUM MEMOIR

(Nephew, Malcolm McLeod died following a self-inflicted shooting accident at Wally's home).

The home was later taken over by the bank when a professional fishing venture failed. The cellar was a museum open to visitors.

Malcolm McLeod working on "Barrier Reef' TV series.

John Harding and John C. Fairfax visit Wally at his former Sunday market where he sold sea shells and items collected from the sea.

Fathom magazine issue 3 page 27 (1971)

BIG SHOULDER GUN

Sawtell N.S.W.

Wally Gibbins had a skin diving career that spanned the Pacific Ocean. He salvaged non ferrous metals from Japanese war ships in deep water, often using high explosives contained within the ships the blow them open. Today some tourist dive companies regard his outstanding career as vandalism, failing to recognise the pioneering aspects of diving.

Spear fishing was a hobby in which he excelled at a time when few others were anywhere near matching his skills or exploits.

Also a keen shell collector his knowledge was admired by academics of this field, especially when he found numerous Gloria maris, the rarest sea shell in our part of the world and released by mail his 'price list' based on lengths of each specimen. Experts were dumbfounded at the time.

The large 'shoulder gun' was useful, Wal explained his tequnique. 'tuck the butt under your arm thus allowing a particularly fast horizontal swing to be made underwater - i.e. when aiming at fast swimming large fish'. Many friends were unable to load one of Wal's large guns.