Farmer, B. and Short, A.D., 2007. Australian surfing reserves: rationale and process for recognising iconic surfing locations, SI 50, (Proceedings of the 9th International Coastal Symposium, 99 – 103, Gold Coast, Australia, ISSN 0749.0208
Australia has a wide range of world-renowned surfing sites. They are spread around the 13 200 km long southern half of the continent from Fraser Island in the east around to North West Cape in the west. This southern coast has 5700 beaches, which prior to 2006 only one of which had been afforded surfing reserve status, namely Bells Beach in 1973. There are however more than 20 well-recognised iconic surfing sites that also deserve recognition and dedication as a surfing reserve. This paper will address the renewed and to date, very successful process of ensuring the remaining top Australian surfing sites are officially recognised and declared surfing reserves. The declaration of a surfing reserve achieves three purposes: it formally recognises the site as an area of surfing significance and quality surf; it recognises the long and close links between surfers and the surf and it will assist in the long term preservation of the site for future surfers. This paper addresses the following: the nature of and rationale for surfing reserves; the selection process; the reserves dedicated to date and those listed for possible future dedication.
