The Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Memorial Park and Statue

Object detail

Date

1994

Description

The Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Memorial statue was developed by Warringah Council and Harbord Diggers Club to commemorate the Duke's surfing exhibition at Freshwater Beach on December 23, 1914. This is widely regarded as the most significant day in the development of surfing in Australia as it signifies the beginning of the popularisation of the sport.

During his stay on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, ‘The Duke’ - as he became known - constructed a board from solid sugar pine and with it famously performed ‘Hawaiian-Style surf shooting’.

Isabel Letham was a local 15 year-old girl watching one of The Duke’s demonstrations. As legend has it, The Duke beckoned Isabel to join him for an attempt at tandem surfing, marking her as one of the first Australian women to attempt board riding. The board Kahanamoku used is retained by the Freshwater Surf Club.

Artist/Maker and Role

Barry Donohoo (b.1935, d.1997) - Artist

Media

Life-size bronze statue embedded into sandstone boulder

Accession number

PA0013

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Artist/Maker

Barry Donohoo (b.1935, d.1997)

Collection type

Public Art

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Manly Art Gallery & Museum’s online collection will continue to grow and develop over time. Some items may be lacking details or may not be attributed to their author due to a lack of available documentation and we welcome input from the public. Northern Beaches Council acknowledges the intellectual property and moral rights of the artists, makers and authors. If you would like to discuss permissions and/or any of the information presented, please contact the team at artgallery@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au.

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