That Summer at Boomerang
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Duke had won the race: ‘Kahanamoku’s Swimming’, The Sun, 12 January 1915.
The criticism may not: ‘Pining for Poi’, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 28 January 1915.
Despite conjecture about: The Referee, 13 January 1915, p. 16.
‘Aloha’ Soup—Consomne Royale: Copy of original menu from C.J. ‘Snow’ McAlister Collection, Surfing Australia Archives.
The anthems, a columnist: The Referee, 13 January 1915.
Duke wended his way: Sydney Morning Herald, 11 January 1915, p. 6. While Duke is reported to have played a hula accompanied by his team members, some liberties have been taken concerning the audience reaction.
The visitors were not such: The Referee, 13 January 1915.
The Sydney Morning Herald representative: Sydney Morning Herald, 11 January 1915, p. 6.
Chapter 17: Kahanamoku in the Surf
He wasn’t the only pressman: The Sun, 12 January 1915.
The breakers were favourable: The Sun, 11 January 1915.
Chapter 18: Queensland
He headed back into town: Information on Allora in 1915 is drawn from historic features of the Allora Advertiser and contemporary issues of the Allora Guardian.
Despite the threatening weather: Brisbane Courier, 14 January 1915.
The Hawaiians took the mail: Brisbane Courier, 15 January 1915.
The first Brisbane carnival: Brisbane Courier, 18 January 1915.
While drinks were served: Brisbane Courier, 19 January 1915, p. 3.
Duke’s failure to compete: Brisbane Courier, 21 January 1915. Jim Cavill, a keen body surfer, later bought ten hectares of beachfront at a village called Elston, south of Brisbane, and built the Surfers Paradise Hotel, the first step in creating Australia’s biggest beach resort.
The City Baths, a short course: Brisbane Courier, 4 February 1915.
On a clear and starry night: At the height of its popularity around the turn of the century, the adaptable umbrella and cigar race was a feature of many rural sporting carnivals, including rodeos and swimming meets.
Chapter 19: Dee Why and Cronulla
With the Dee Why committee deadlocked: Thomas, E.J., 1962, The Drowning Don’t Die: Dee Why Surf Club 1912–1962, p. 30.
The appearance of Kahanamoku: Sydney Morning Herald, 6 February 1915.
That’s exactly what I mean: ‘City Garbage that Is Punted to Sea’, Daily Telegraph, 9 January 1915, p. 11.
It was just a watery hell: Roslyn Cahill interview with Isabel Letham, 7 March 1986.
Desperately seeking superlatives: The Referee, 16 February 1915. Forty years after his Australian tour, and more than half a century since he became the first tightrope walker to conquer Niagara Falls, Blondin was still regarded as a metaphor for athletic performance in which balance defied logic.
The Cronulla men had five: The St George Call, 13 February 1915, p. 5.
Chapter 20: Billy
From the start the race: The Referee, 16 February 1915.
Longworth explained his: Sunday Times, 24 January 1915.
At the Stockholm Olympics: The Referee, 27 January 1915, p. 16.
The sledging match continued: The Referee, 3 February 1915, p. 16.
Asked to comment on Longworth’s: The Referee, 17 February 1915.
We’ve had a fine time in Australia: The Referee, 17 February 1915.
Melbourne presented another: The Referee, 17 February 1915.
The racing was excellent: Goulburn Evening Penny Post, 18 February 1915.
When his turn came Duke: The Referee, 24 February 1915.
Part 3: Fall
Chapter 21: Honolulu Maori
Prior to departing Sydney: Evening Post (New Zealand), 17 February 1915, p. 4.
Ironically, windy Wellington: The Dominion (New Zealand), 24 February 1915, p. 7.
I did, sir, and I forwarded: NZ Truth, 13 March 1915, p. 12.
Duke Kahanamoku, accompanied: Canterbury Times, 3 March 1915.
It was in Christchurch that: The Star, 24 February 1915, p. 5, cited in Osmond, Gary, 2010, Honolulu Maori, New Zealand Journal of History, No. 44, p. 28.
There is no doubt that: The Dominion, 9 March 1915, p. 7, cited in Osmond, p. 29.
Having pleased a capacity: ibid.
The visitor entertained: Evening Post, 8 March 1915.
Tuika Kahana Moku: Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Boxes 8–9, Bishop Museum Archive.
Chapter 22: Home
Iaukea succeeds Kahanamoku: Honolulu Star Bulletin, 31 March 1915, p. 2.
It would be impossible: Honolulu Star Bulletin, 5 April 1915, p. 3.
Although the newspapers: Honolulu Star Bulletin, 9 April 1915.
Francis began by outlining: Official report to the Hui Nalu, Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Box 8, Bishop Museum Archives.
The day after Duke’s departure: Sydney Morning Herald, 24 February 1915, p. 12.
On the same day that: The Referee, 24 February 1915.
Sydney’s Indian summer: Clark, C.M.H., 1981, A History of Australia Vol V, Melbourne University Press, pp. 400–4.
Epilogue
After Duke’s departure: Isabel Letham Collection, Dee Why Library Local Studies.
Isabel began making: A Manly Biographical Dictionary, Manly Local Studies.
Isabel put together: Letters held in the Letham Collection, Dee Why Library Local Studies.
When the Niagara leaves: Town & Country Magazine, 19 August 1915.
The Niagara docked in: Honolulu Star Bulletin, 12 September 1918.
If Isabel was upset: Mike Jay letter from Isabel’s personal correspondence, Letham Collection, Local Studies, Dee Why Library. A ‘mash note’ was a steamy love letter. Judging from Jay’s reference, his relationship with Isabel was not just professional.
Isabel’s legend seemed: Victoria Colonist, 23 September 1918.
On 11 November, Isabel: Interview with Roslyn Cahill, 7 March 1986.
While it wasn’t the glamorous: Los Angeles Record, 14 October 1919.
Isabel’s work at UC Berkeley: Letham Collection, Dee Why Library Local Studies.
In 1929 Isabel was: The Bulletin, 14 August 1929, p. 46, and Sunday News, 30 June 1929.
Duke was to return twice: Interview with Roslyn Cahill, 7 March 1986.
He was still this beautiful: ibid.
In 1986 journalist Geraldine Doogue: The Bulletin, 20 December 1986.
Most of 1916 was spent: Nendel, p. 103.
The Red Cross team consisted of Honolulu: Brennan, p. 111.
The perception of the tour: New York Times, 18 September 1918, cited in Nendel, p. 107.
How Duke came to be: Brennan, pp. 112–15.
With just twenty: ‘Resolution of American Olympic Athletes August 1920,’ Duke Kahanamoku Collection, Box 3, Bishop Museum Archives, cited in Nendel, p. 116.
When they arrived: Hall and Ambrose, p. 18.
After the Games: Nendel, pp. 130–33.
When they finally met: Hall and Ambrose, p. 22.
Duke’s loss to Johnny: Nendel, p. 185.
In 1927 he was back: Hall, p. 61.
Sargent Kahanamoku recalled: Oral History series interview with Sargent Kahanamoku, Outrigger Canoe Club, 1984, by Kenneth Pratt.
Julia Kahanamoku’s health: Hall and Ambrose, p. 104.
In 1940, while Doris: Hall and Ambrose, pp. 108–12.
The Wilder McVays gifted: Brennan, p. 244.
Tommy Adrian sailed: Manly Dictionary of Biography, Manly Local Studies.
Despite being in the shadow: Australian Dictionary of Biography.
After hosting Jack and Charmian London: Del Piano, pp. 65–66.
George continued to work: Verge, pp. 102–4.
Acknowledgements
This is my fourth book with Hardie Grant, an
d publisher, Fran Berry, has been a constant voice of encouragement and reason throughout. Non-fiction editor Rose Michael has been my guide through this project and has shown great patience and understanding, as has my editor, Alexandra Nahlous.
Since most of the action in Boomerang took place in Sydney and Honolulu, these have been my primary research bases. In Sydney I again made extensive use of the State Library of New South Wales and the Mitchell Library, while Tina Graham at Dee Why Library’s Local Studies unit was an invaluable ally in opening up the Isabel Letham Collection and other aspects of local history, and Ray Moran at the Manly Surf Life Saving Club’s surfing museum guided me through that wonderfully unruly collection of historical gems. I am also indebted to Stephen Bennett and George Webster at Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club for facilitating access to the club’s historical records, while Allan Leaver of the Thirlmere Train Museum provided invaluable detail about Sydney’s trains and trams of the period.
In Honolulu I found the Duke Kahanamoku Collection in the Bishop Museum Archive a priceless resource, and I thank Tia Reber and Bishop historian DeSoto Brown for their assistance. The private archive of the Outrigger Canoe Club was made available to me through the club’s Historical Committee, in particular Barbara Del Piano and ‘Baby Dave’ Rochlen. Tim De La Vega made available his photo archive and Fred Hemmings provided personal insights into the character and style of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku.
In the process of researching my previous book, Surfing Australia, I was given access to the archives of Surfing Australia, courtesy of Andrew Stark and Norm Innis, as well as to the personal archives of former SA chief executive Alan Atkins, all of which provided me with an excellent canvas on which to build. Within this archive I also found a wealth of personal correspondence of surfing pioneer C.J. ‘Snow’ McAlister, a contemporary of Isabel’s, which helped peel back another layer.
The numerous secondary sources I have mined for information and insights are credited elsewhere, but special mention must go to Duke historians (the late) Joseph L. Brennan, Sandra Kimberley Hall, Greg Ambrose and James D. Nendel. For Australian history, Geoff Cater’s surfresearch.com.au again proved a wonderful starting point, while Gary Osmond’s essays, ‘Myth-making in Australian Sport History: Re-evaluating Duke Kahanamoku’s Contribution to Surfing’, and ‘Honolulu Maori’ were helpful. For information and insights into Isabel Letham, I found myself going back, again and again, to Roslyn Cahill’s 1986 interview transcript (held in the Letham Collection). This unedited ramble gave me a real feeling for Isabel’s speech mannerisms, her sense of humour, and most importantly, her indomitable spirit.
Friends have been generous with their hospitality during the long research period, providing room, board and encouragement. In Sydney I thank Susan Cummings, Judy Bray and Graham McConnell, Rachel Newling and Harry Hodge. In Honolulu, thanks to Mark Cunningham and Katye Killebrew.
Special thanks, as always, to my wife, Jackie, for patience, understanding, love, coffee, wine and proofreading, and to my extended family for being my rock.
Phil Jarratt
Published in 2014 by Hardie Grant Books
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Cataloguing in publications data is available from the National Library of Australia
That Summer at Boomerang
ISBN 9781743581001
Cover design by Debaser
Jacket photos courtesy Warringah Library local studies