by Phil Jarratt
Beyond soaking up its history in this pleasant manner, I have used several excellent research libraries: Manly Surf Club’s Surf History Museum; Manly Local Studies, Manly Library; Warringah Local Studies, Dee Why Library (custodians of the Isabel Letham Collection); and the archives of Freshwater Surf Club. For more general research and access to newspaper files, the State Library of New South Wales and the Special Collections of the Mitchell Library have been my home away from home.
In Honolulu I have mined the Duke Kahanamoku Collection in the Bishop Museum Archive, as well as its numerous other resources; I have spent many days in the newspaper microfilm files of the Hawaii Pacific Room at the Hawaii State Library; and I felt honoured to be given special access to the private archives of the Outrigger Canoe Club, courtesy of its History Committee. As in Manly and Freshwater, I found that wandering around the Honolulu docks or the beachfront at Waikiki gave me a sense of place of a hundred years ago, while, I am pleased to say, nothing brought the era back to life more than a sunset cocktail in the Banyan Courtyard of the Moana Hotel.
Duke Kahanamoku has had several biographers over the years and I have drawn on all their works, but I am particularly grateful to Sandra Kimberley Hall, a Freshwater girl like Isabel, who took the time in person and via email to explain many facets of her voluminous research. I am also indebted to James D. Nendel, whose definitive 2006 work, Duke Kahanamoku: 20th Century Hawaiian Monarch, is worthy of much wider distribution.
In addition to the sources listed in ‘Notes’ below, I have used the following titles as references:
Blake, Tom, 1935, Hawaiian Surfboard, Paradise of the Pacific Press.
Day, A Grove, 1965, Stories of Hawaii by Jack London (introduction), Mutual Publishing.
Warshaw, Matt, 2003, The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Harcourt.
Warshaw, Matt, 2010, The History of Surfing, Chronicle Books.
Notes
Part 1
Chapter 1: Kalia
Paoa crouched behind the hau tree: This entire scene is imagined but is informed by the oral histories of the early beach boys collected by the Outrigger Canoe Club and the University of Hawaii, and by Joseph L. Brennan’s accounts of Duke’s childhood, Duke, The Life Story of Duke Kahanamoku, Ku pa a Publishing, 1994, pp. 16–24.
Honolulu at the turn: Mid-Pacific Magazine, Vol 4, No. 2, 1911, ‘The Story of Hawaii’.
Although it was little more: Greer, Richard A., 2001, ‘Grog Shops and Hotels: Bending the Elbow in Old Honolulu’, The Hawaiian Journal of History No. 28, p. 83.
Since the Chinatown fire: Schmitt, Robert C., 1979, Some Construction and Housing Firsts in Hawaii, Hawaii State Department of Planning, p. 17.
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku and his father shared a name: Hall, Sandra Kimberley, 2004, Duke, A Great Hawaiian, Bess Press, p. 5.
Now the haole was: Nendel, p. 10.
On the day that: Hall, 2004, p. 9.
According to Halapu’s: Kahanamoku, Duke Halapu, Kahanamoku Family Book, Hawaii State Archives, p. 316.
While Halapu enjoyed: Kalakaua, King David, 1888, The Legends and Myths of Hawaii, Webster, pp. 26–27. R.M. Daggett’s introduction provides an interesting insight into not just Kalakaua but most of the 19th century Hawaiian monarchs.
In the new republic: Fuchs, Lawrence H., 1961, Hawaii Pono—a Social History, Harcourt, p. 14.
Halapu and Julia: Brennan, Joseph L., 1994, Duke, The Life Story of Duke Kahanamoku, Ku pa a Publishing, p. xi.
In 1891 Lorrin: Thurston, Lorrin A., 1936, Writings of Lorrin A Thurston, Honolulu Advertiser Press, pp. 82–84.
By the end of: Hall Sandra Kimberley, and Ambrose, Greg, 1995, Memories of Duke, Bess Press, p. x.
In most Honolulu: Brennan, p. xi.
Halapu modified his: Kahanamoku, S., 1984, Oral History project, Outrigger Canoe Club, 1984.
On 12 August 1898: Mrantz, Maxine, 1980, Hawaii’s Tragic Princess, Aloha Graphics, p. 35.
Chapter 2: Waikiki
In addition to: Walker, Isaiah Helekunihi, 2011. Waves of Resistance, University of Hawaii Press, p. 58.
In fact, Prince: Santa Cruz Sentinel, 25 June 1885.
The families of: Brennan, p. xi.
The Waikiki scene: Mid-Pacific Magazine, Vol 2, No. 4, 1911.
In those days: Kahanamoku, Louis, 1985, Oral History project, University of Hawaii, p. 863.
The surf of Waikiki: Thoms, Albie, 2000, Surfmovies, Shore Thing Publishing, p. 10.
The haole was George: Verge, Arthur C., 2001, ‘George Freeth, King of the Surfers and California’s Forgotten Hero’, California History Magazine, Summer/Fall edition, p. 83.
Paoa went to school: Hall, p. 27.
Relieved of the: Duke’s diploma sighted in Box 1, Kahanamoku Collection, Bishop Museum.
‘Paoa, come sit: The conversation is invented, and while it is known that Duke, Freeth and Ford met in this way, it is not known that Jack London did.
Paoa observed the group: Steiner, Judge Harry, 1968, Old Time Members, Oral History Project, Outrigger Canoe Club.
Born in Florence: Noble, Valerie, 1980, Hawaiian Prophet, Exposition Banner, p. 28.
Ford wasn’t everyone’s: Hawaiian Star, 22 August 1908.
Charmian Kittridge: London, Charmian Kittridge, 1917, Our Hawaii, Macmillan, p. 53.
Tough, gruff: Day, 4, London, Jack, 1907, ‘Riding the South Seas Surf’, Woman’s Home Companion, October.
The Londons split: Thurston, pp. 105–11.
Chapter 3: Huge Deal
The man was Hugh: Van Straaten, Frank, 2004, Huge Deal, the Fortunes and Follies of Hugh D. McIntosh, Lothian, pp. 10–17.
With the powerful: ibid.
Ford sat on his towel: ‘Australia through an American’s Eyes’, The Red Funnel, Vol 6, No. 5, June 1908, pp. 466–70.
A week later Ford found: ibid.
Hunter, too, was excited: Sydney Morning Herald, 14 December 1911, p. 9.
Ford cruised his way: Noble, p. 53.
If Ford needed another ally: ibid.
Working around Burton: Noble, p. 54.
Like many entrepreneurs: Van Straaten, pp. 22–23.
But while the sailors: ibid.
Johnson had been to Australia: ibid.
On a steamy Boxing Day: Van Straaten, p. 33.
Chapter 4: The Club
Despite these minor rumblings: Walker, p. 60.
Like many of the young beach boys: Cottrell, William ‘Knute’, Old Time Members, Oral History Project, Outrigger Canoe Club, 1968.
In an old autograph book: Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Box 8, Bishop Museum Archives.
Duke’s swimming continued: Brennan, p. 21.
The first Hawaiian swim meet: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 13 July 1911.
Before the swim events: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 13 August 1911.
As the realisation: Brennan, p. 8.
Although this was not: Nendel, James D., 2006, Duke Kahanamoku, 20th Century Hawaiian Monarch, Penn State University, p. 85.
No less than five watches: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 13 August 1911.
Supporters in Honolulu: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 25 January 1912.
Just a week later: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 3 February 1912.
Donations now flooded in: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 8 February 1912.
This was the first time: Brennan, p. 38.
In the first race he swam: Nendel, p. 46.
In fact, Duke had: ibid.
When Kahanamoku first: San Francisco Call, 13 July 1913.
Chapter 5: Our Cecil
Because competition was: Carlile, Forbes, 1963, Forbes Carlile on Swimming, Pelham, pp. 126–88.
Although he was regarded: Rushall, Brent S., 2009, Swimming Science Bulletin, San Diego State University, Section 2.
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br /> While still at boarding school: ibid.
In 1905 he won the: Carlile, p. 127.
In Athens he finished: The Lone Hand, 1 March 1916.
Continuing his European tour: ibid.
Meanwhile Healy continued: ibid.
Healy further cemented: Sydney Morning Herald, 31 January 1911.
The 1912 Olympics were modelled: Bergvall, Erik, 1913, Full Report of the Fifth Olympiad, Swedish Olympic Committee, pp. 26–27.
The Stockholm Games also coincided: Weiss, Gordon, 2012, ‘100 Years ago in Stockholm’, The Global Mail, 12 July.
In Australia the Olympic: Cochrane, Peter, 2010, ‘Australia’s First Olympic Ladies Swimming Team’, National Centre for History Education website, 8 August.
By 1905 Kellerman was: ibid.
Chief among them: ibid.
In February 1912 Fanny: The Referee, 18 February 1912, p. 8.
Despite the lack of: Daily Telegraph, 15 February 1912, p. 16.
Chapter 6: Stockholm
The 164: Bergvall, p. 168.
In the weeks leading up: Brennan, p. 52.
Despite feeling like: ibid.
One of the first tasks: Bergvall, pp. 211–12.
Healy later wrote: The Referee, 9 December 1914.
Duke shook Healy’s hand: ibid.
Although Saturday 6 July: Bergvall, pp. 307–10.
The official press office: Bergvall, p. 716.
Who was to blame: Bergvall, p. 717.
The program called for: The Lone Hand, 1 March 1916.
The official report: Bergvall, p. 718.
So where were the Americans: Brennan, p. 55.
In the change rooms: Bergvall, p. 718.
The following evening: Bergvall, p. 726.
With the swimming events: Bergvall, p. 724.
The following day Duke: ibid.
Chapter 7: Duke
Just a few days after: Brennan, pp. 72–73.
The New York Herald: New York Herald, 16 August 1912.
Far from being homesick: Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Box 7, Bishop Museum Archives.
After a transcontinental: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 2 October 1912.
The welcome home luau: Brennan, p. 81.
But if the Kahanamokus: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 12 July 1912.
In Scotland Healy was: ‘Surf Bathing Abroad’, The Lone Hand, 1 March 1916.
Healy finally sailed: Daily Telegraph, 8 November 1912.
While somewhat overstating: ibid.
Healy had toured: The Sunday Times, 3 February 1913.
Back in Sydney Hill chaired: Daily Telegraph, 12 October 1912.
The following May, Duke: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 19 May 1913.
A Sydney Morning Herald representative: Sydney Morning Herald, 26 May 1913.
In fact, since his return: Nendel, p. 100.
The Honolulu press didn’t: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 19 August 1913.
Fuelled by a growing rivalry: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 29 January 1913.
Reversing the flow: Philadelphia Enquirer, 3 February 1913.
Sordid revelations about: San Francisco Call, 26 March 1913.
Duke was mobbed: Pacific Coast Advertiser, 19 August 1913.
Duke had been honoured: Los Angeles Athletic Club website.
George Freeth is one: Verge, p. 98.
Following his record-breaking: Los Angeles Tribune, 14 July 1913.
A prettier century dash: ibid.
Almost a year to: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 19 August 1913.
On 18 September 1913: Daily Telegraph, 18 September 1913.
On New Year’s Eve: Sydney Morning Herald, 31 December 1913.
Chapter 8: The Hui
The first major fundraiser: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 14 February 1914.
As much fun as the follies: Walker, p. 72.
One carnival spectator: Daily Telegraph, 28 February 1914.
Hill telegraphed Baker: ‘A.R. Gurrey, The Genesis of Surf Photography’, by Joel T. Smith and Sandra Kimberly Hall, Surfers Journal, Vol 14, No. 2, Spring 2005, pp. 48–55.
According to turn-of-the-century: Lowe, Arthur, 1958, Surfing, Surf-Shooting and Surf-Lifesaving Pioneering, self-published, p. 51.
At Manly in 1907: Red Funnel, Vol. 6, No. 5, June 1908, pp. 466–70.
Under the headline: Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 18 March 1910.
Percy Hunter, Paterson’s boss: Skiing in Australia. Mid-Pacific Magazine, Vol 1, No. 1, pp. 11–15.
Since Charles Paterson cannot: The Referee, 9 February 1939, p. 15.
Walker apparently took: Daily Telegraph, 27 January 1912, p. 21.
In early 1913 it was: Sydney Morning Herald, 24 January 1913.
As the AAU officials tried: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 30 June 1914, p. 9.
The second element was: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 2 July 1914, p. 11.
The club committee was starry-eyed: Los Angeles Times, 21 July 1914, p. 14.
Just before midnight: Del Piano, Barbara, 2007, Outrigger Canoe Club: The First 100 Years, Outrigger Canoe Club, p. 23.
Duke returned to California: Los Angeles Times, 16 October 1914.
On Saturday 7 November: Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 10 November 1914, p. 2.
Part 2: Summer
Chapter 9: Boomerang
‘Do you think so, Claude?’: Transcript of Isabel Letham interview with Roslyn Cahill, 7 March 1986.
Through the early spring: The Referee, 22 November 1914.
Built by Robert D. Lewers: Gordon, Gwen, 2001, Harbord, Queenscliff and South Curl Curl 1788–2000, Warringah Shire Council, pp. 13–14.
William Nixon, who would later: ibid.
Perhaps mindful of a potential: ‘Sun-baking, Surf-bathing and Camp Life in New South Wales’, 1908, The Red Funnel, April.
Matilda Ruth Walsham, the first: Van Sommers, Tess (ed), 1993, Never Step on the Swan and Other Stories, Warringah Council, pp. 1–4.
It was into this rapidly changing: Letham papers, Local Studies, Dee Why Library.
Travelling on to Sydney: ibid.
Jeannie Letham was 27: Transcript of interview with Isabel Letham, conducted by Roslyn Cahill, 7 March 1986. Letham Papers, Local Studies, Dee Why Library.
Chapter 10: He’s Here!
Francis was a year younger than Duke: Nendel, p. 99.
Duke had been meeting: San Francisco Call, 6 August 1913.
Tommy Adrian, considered the new Cec: ‘Australia’s modern swimmers and ocean baths’, Australia.gov.au.
Although the Hawaiians: Birmingham, John, 2000, Leviathan, the unauthorised biography of Sydney, Random House, pp. 232–33.
In Europe, and even: Sydney Morning Herald, 19 July 1891.
Duke took a few steps: ‘The Duke Reaches Sydney’, The Referee, 16 December 1914, p. 1.
Chapter 11: Isabel
The second engagement was: Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 1914, p. 13.
The Venetian Carnival, established: Curby, Pauline, 2001, Seven Miles From Sydney, Manly Council, p. 183.
While these images: Huntsman, L.F., 1998, ‘In Margins and In Longings’, The Beach in Australian Life and Literature, Sydney University.
Manly answered back: ‘Manly Water Chute’, manly.nsw.gov.au.
Not everyone was completely: ‘The Surf: Manly and the Beaches of the Old World’, by H. Hemmer, The Lone Hand, 1 January 1915, pp. 87–91.
Chapter 12: Kahanamoku Did Not Show
Francis Evans stared at: Sydney Morning Herald, 22 December 1914, p. 12.
Hill pushed the document: Daily Telegraph, 16 December 1914.
The following afternoon The Sun: The Sun, 23 December 1914, p. 5.
A mere few hours later: Th
e Sun, 24 December 1914, p. 6.
While the beer and: The Referee, 30 December 1914, p. 16.
Chapter 13: Christmas Day
It was perfectly silent: Daily Telegraph, Saturday 26 December 1914.
Next on the agenda was: Francis Evans, ‘Report to the President and Members of the Hui Nalu,’ 1915, Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Box 6, Bishop Museum Archives.
Chapter 14: Boxing Day
It had been the quietest: Daily Telegraph, Saturday 26 December 1914.
But if Christmas Day had: Daily Telegraph, Monday 28 December 1914.
Once the men had exchanged: ‘Domestic Environments’, by Peter McNeil, Glorious Days: Australia 1913, National Museum of Australia, 2013. There are no known descriptions of the interior of the Letham home at Foam Street, but I have been informed of taste and style of the period by Mr McNeil’s fascinating essay.
Chapter 15: Showtime
Duke picked up: Daily Telegraph, 29 December 1914.
Even Cecil Healy, who had: The Lone Hand, 1 March 1916.
McIntosh continued: The Lone Hand, 1 June 1915. Mary Fitzmaurice Gill’s profile of McIntosh forms the factual basis of my more colourful description of Huge Deal’s adventures in Europe.
In the absence of the: SydneyAnglicans.net, ‘Sydney Anglicans at War’, posted February 2005.
‘He looks very fit,’ Jeannie shouted: ‘No training necessary for Duke Kahanamoku, America’s Swimming Ace’, The New York Evening World, 17 July 1920.
Writing in The Referee: 6 January 1915.
Saturday at the Domain Baths: The Bulletin, 6 January 1915.
Chapter 16: You Can’t Smash Records Every Time
Cecil Healy’s eyes came: Town & Country Journal, 6 January 1915.
The news had been slow: The Bulletin, 6 January 1915.
Surf shooting is a new pastime: The Sun, 8 January 1915, p. 6. Corbett’s lengthy article, ‘A Great Surf Shooter—Kahanamoku Talks’, from which these direct quotations are taken, purported to be an accurate transcript of the conversation, however, the voice and vocabulary is most unlike other examples of Duke’s recorded conversation.
When he finally could get a word in: The Referee, 24 February 1915.
It took only a matter: ‘How Duke Kahanamoku Was Beaten By T Adrian’, The Referee, 13 January 1915.
