Marcus Shaw, Bells Beach
Photographer
Barrie Sutherland
Date20 September 1964
Object number00033221
NamePhotograph
MediumSilver gelatin print on glossy paper
DimensionsOverall: 295 x 210 mm
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Marcus Shaw
DescriptionBlack and white photograph by Barrie Sutherland of surfer Marcus Shaw at Bells Beach, Victoria. Marcus Shaw is credited as one of the very first surfers to ride Bells and was influential to future riders who surfed the waves at the now world famous location.
Barrie Sutherland was an avid surfer and said watching Shaw surf at Bells Beach made a lasting impression on him. Shaw became known for his bottom turns on big waves and it is one of these that Sutherland captures in this shot from 1964.
HistoryBarrie Sutherland began surfing himself in the 1950s at Torquay, Victoria, Australia and spent the following years surfing and photographing the waves along Victoria's Great Ocean Road. While primarily a surfer, Sutherland's images from those formative years in Australian surfing history capture the essence of distinctive conditions of the region and the pioneers who braved them. Throughout the 1960s, Barrie worked with the major Australian surfing magazines of the time and was appointed staff photographer at Surfabout Magazine.
Marcus Shaw became known as the 'Master of Bells', establishing himself with a reputation as a fearless big wave rider, who perfected a bottom turn technique. Shaw was also one of the early group of riders who started to make their own surfboards, leading eventually to the formation of the lucrative industry that exists today.
SignificancePhotographer Barrie Sutherland surfed at Bells Beach from 1959 and his work is the most complete photographic record of the early years of surfboard riding at the iconic Bells Beach, venue for the world's longest running surfing contest.
c 1960
c 1964
