Manly is the birthplace of surfing in Australia with over a 100 year surfing heritage. The NSR stretches over 4 kms. It is the site of the first legal bathing (1902), the first surf club (1903), first body surfing and first surf boat (1907), Duke Kahanamoku’s famous board surfing demonstration (1915), first world surfing championships (1964) and home to two world surfing champions Barton Lynch and Layne Beachley.
The Most Popular Beach in Australia
Manly National Surfing Reserve will extend from Harbord Point south to Fairy Bower and include Freshwater Beach, Queenscliff-North Steyne-Manly beaches together with the smaller Shelly Beach around to the Bower.
The recognition of Manly and Freshwater beaches as National Surfing Reserves has confirmed what many locals in my community already knew – that we have a place of unqualified beauty deserving of preservation and celebration.
Hon. Mike Baird MP, Treasurer, Member for Manly and Chairman of Manly NSR
Freshwater Beach was the site of Duke Kahanamoku’s famous surfing demonstration in 1915 which inspired Australians to take up surfing, while the world’s first surfing championships held at Manly, attracted a record crowd of 40,000 – surfing in Australia never looked back. Besides the many popular beach breaks, it also hosts the famous Queenscliff Bombora, Frenchmans Reef and the infamous Fairy Bower site of some of the largest waves ridden in Australia. Today Manly remains the most popular beach in Australia, with surfers ever present amongst the many beach breaks and out at the Bower.
Nominated for NSR in 2009.