Scott Dillon

Scott Brewster Dillon (born 19 August 1928) is an Australian surfer. Dillon was born on Bondi Beach where his father was Secretary and Treasurer at Bondi Surf Life Saving Club for many years. Bondi SLSC was the premier surf life saving club in Australia for several years. Scott joined Bondi SLSC at aged 16 and remained a member for several years until he left for adventures overseas.

A memorable day on the beach said Scott was when “Vince Wilson and I were surfboard riding off Ben Buckler (the northern headland) when the shark meshing boat pulled in their net to discover a four-meter white pointer shark trapped. The large shark proved difficult to remove and was bleeding following injuries caused by the boat crew. Alive when it finally escaped.

Several tiger sharks attracted by the blood then attacked and ate this injured potential maneater”.

The story and a photograph taken was published as front page news (Sydney "Daily Telegraph" 15 January 1949) and made celebrities of the two young surfers.

Scott remembers other shark incidents from that era when large sharks were regularly off the beach at night. “Every morning you’d see the carcasses left on the beach of five or six large sharks caught during the previous night”.

“I had a toothpick – a 16 foot hollow plywood board. The shark fishermen working from the beach often had me paddling their baits out beyond the surf as they were unable to cast that distance.

That’s how thick sharks were back then, 58 years ago. Almost every bait would catch a shark. They’d use a four pound Australian salmon – not much good to eat, as bait. The sharks were all big things – eight footers or more. All swimmers took greater risks in those days”.

“The elements proved the biggest danger with more drowning by far than shark attacks, sharks always grabbed the headlines and still do this today”.

Scott became known as designer and builder of surfboards starting at Bondi in 1956 then moving some months later to the northern Sydney beach suburb of Brookvale where he opened his first surf board making factory.

Many leading surfers began their career by shaping and finishing surfboards at the Scott Dillon’s factory. Brothers Bob, Peter and Jimmy Pike, Mick Dooley, Bob McTavish, Warrick Smith, Ron"“Little Kiss”" Wade, Robert Kennerson and especially Gordon Merchant - founder of international surf clothing company "Billabong".

Future world champion Robert “Nat” Young rode Scott Dillon’s surfboards for several years from 1963

The pinnacles of Scott Dillon’s own surfing career were his big wave conquests at the Queenscliff bombora 1963 and monster surf, Bare Island 1963-64.

He was photographed regularly on big swells at Fairy Bower, and also North Narrabeen in the era 1963 to 1969.

Scott Dillon traveled toHawaii 1963-64 with surf stars he was able to partially sponsor. Bob Pike, Mick Dooley.

Also in the team was surf photographer Jack Eden. They attended the Makaha International Titles which ended with the entire Australian surf team rejected (in the organizers opinion) for late entries.

The disqualification was not popular. It made front page news in Australia.

American Joey Cabell won the main event that year.

It is not commonly known that Scott was a successful boxer for many years winning several bantamweight titles 1951 to 1953.

He was runner-up in the Australian titles to select who would be representing Australia for the 1952 Olympic Games, Helsinki, Finland.

This great disappointment inspired Scott to try his talent elsewhere.

Boxing in Canada was preceded with professional spear fishing for coral trout and other reef fish in the virgin waters of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for several months.

Scott had been a pioneer spearman in Australia with companions founder of Undersea Products Don Linklater, Andy Armstrong, “Gelignite” Jack Murray, and prize fighter Tony Maddigan.

This group often speared fish off the rocks at Bondi, North and South Head and in Sydney Harbor in the era 1956 to 1957.

Scott had learned his free diving skills during his year of professional spearing in Ceylon and also the Mediterranean way back in 1952, making him today, the most senior of the legendary Australian spear fishermen.

(It was recently learned Scott had began his spear fishing a few years before ally Gibbins – long regarded as the longest surviving master of the talent in Australia).

In addition to his ocean adventures, Scott Dillon became a high ranking speedway driver at the Sydney Showground and Liverpool Speedways. He was team captain for interstate contests in midget speed cars and sedans 1966 to 71.

Scott moved to Coffs Harbour on the mid North Coast of New South Wales and returned to surf board building for several years.

He also conducted surf safari type tours to Bali and Hawaii many times leading groups of young surfers and their girlfriends on adventures seeking waves and fun.

In 1999 he opened the unique and successful Legends Surf Museum where he is today the curator. Antique surf boards, surf culture and shark attack history is displayed with a personal commentary provided.

The museum has become a stopover must for bus loads of young international surfers on the Kings Cross to Byron Bay 5-day tour.

Scott has ceased full-time board manufacturing and now concentrates on rebuilding quality antiques for museum display only.

In 2004 Scott was inducted into the Surfing Hall of Fame as one of the true original six legends of the Australian surfing industry.