David Wilson
Contributor
My attention has now turned to mid-20c diving equipment "down-under", in the sense of the world's antipodes and Australia in particular. And here I must declare a personal interest. My first diving mask was purchased in a North East England store during the late 1950s but manufactured in Australia: a triangular green Turnbull Searaider like the one in the vintage ad below:
I treasured that mask for many years before substituting a model made in England with a more comfortable featheredge face seal.
Before proceeding to a review of Australian masks, snorkels and fins from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, I also have to state up front that I have travelled widely without crossing the Equator. So when I write about matters Australian, I speak from the second-hand experience of my online and printed research findings and not with the eyes of somebody who has actually visited the country. So I expect to be frequently corrected during this thread by those of you who know Australia better than I can possibly do.
I am going to begin this thread with a review of the basic underwater products of an enterprise based in the most populous city in Australia and indeed Oceania: Sydney. The M. D. Turnbull group of companies, based in the southeast suburb of Mascot, made and distributed "polystyrene and rubber products, including surfboards, drink coolers, portable ice boxes, rubber spearfishing equipment, rubber thongs, semi-pneumatic tyres and a wide range of rubber and polystyrene products for both industrial and consumer markets (The Age, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Wednesday, Jan 1, 1969).
Here's a Turnbull company timeline I compiled earlier:
1954. Non-adjustable open-heel Turnbull Swim Flippers, “Australia’s most popular and successful fin,” on sale on page 5 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Fishing and Aquatics Equipment List 1954.
1955. Adjustable open-heel Turnbull “Multi-fit” Swim Flippers, “Australia’s most popular and successful fin,” on sale on page 3 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Sports Equipment List 1955.
1956. Turnbull Swim Equipment advertisement on page 4 of C.Y.C.A. Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 1956 programme: “De-Luxe” Mask, Turnbull “Searaider” Mask, Swim Fins, Multi-fit Adjustable Flippers, Super Flippers, “Rocket” Speargun and Snorkel Range manufactured by Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. of Mascot, Sydney, Australia. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 29 of June/July 1956 issue of Triton. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Turnbull Rocket Gun, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of August/September 1956 issue of Triton. “Fit Turnbull and feel safe”.
1957. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Multi-fit adjustable swimfins, Giant Super Flippers, diving masks, snorkel tubes and Turnbull Rocket Gun, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of March/April 1957 issue of Triton. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Searaider mask and Super Flipper, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of August/September 1956 issue of Triton. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 1 of December 1957 issue of Royal Naval Diving Magazine. Turnbull among underwater brands available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 13 of Sep/Oct 1957 issue of Triton.
1958. Non-adjustable open-heel Giant Turnbull Fin, “widely used in Australia,” on sale on page 6 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Sports Equipment List 1958. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Searaider mask and Super Flipper, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of January/February 1958 issue of Triton. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 29 of March/April 1958 issue of Triton.
1959. Sea Raider mask, De Luxe mask with snorkel and protective goggles available from sole distributors of Turnbull underwater swimming equipment Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 33 of May/June 1959 issue of Triton.
1960. Sea Raider mask, De Luxe mask with snorkel and protective goggles available from sole distributors of Turnbull underwater swimming equipment Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 22 of Jan/Feb 1960 issue of Triton. Turnbull Pacific Super Fins, “a really powerful fin”, available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 24 of Jan/Feb 1960 issue of Triton. Turnbull Super Fin available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 5 of May/June 1960 issue of Triton.
1962. Airdive equipment of Melbourne, Australia, distribute Baby Swim Fins, Continental Flippers, Searaider Masks, Deluxe Wide Vision Mask, Ocean Survey Mask, “S”, “J” and “L” snorkels made by Turnbull.
1962. Turnbull Swim Equipment advertisement on page 20 of July/August 1962 issue of Australian Skindivers Magazine: New. Giant Continental Flippers. For maximum comfort and propulsion specially designed for large fittings, wet suits and sandshoes. Made out of a special salt-water floating-quality rubber with the famous foot comfort and paddle rigidity. A special ankle strap with a rustproof buckle is added for absolute security. In blue only. Manufactured by Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. 18 Ricketty St., Mascot, Sydney.
January 1969. Hanimex, the Australian owned worldwide photographic equipment maker and trader, enters the polystyrene products and rubber products fields with acquisition of the capitals of the Turnbull group of companies.
October 1970. Hanimex Pty. Ltd. advertises in Sydney Morning Herald for experienced rubber moulder at Mascot plant, whose products include rubber swim equipment.
1976. Turnbull Continental and Giant full-foot fins equipment, available from Greens Watersports of Bristol according to advertisement on page 157 of July/August 1976 issue of Triton. Nock & Kirbys advertisement in Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Oct 24, 1976, p. 82, for Hanimex Junior Swim Flippers, Continental Fins, masks and snorkels.
Sadly, information remains unforthcoming about the timing of other events in the evolution of the Turnbull family of companies (Turnbull Holdings Pty. Ltd., M. D. Turnbull Distributors Engineering Pty. Ltd., Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. and South Pacific Surf Boards Pty. Ltd). If anybody knows the dates of either the birth or the demise of M. D. Turnbull, late of 18 Ricketty Street, Mascot, Sydney, I'd be grateful for the details. To whet the appetite, I have scanned a Turnbull catalogue and posted it online at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw7z_4bLjOOEcVVBT09INkJqNEU. You may be surprised to learn which leisure items other than underwater gear were manufactured and distributed by the company.
I treasured that mask for many years before substituting a model made in England with a more comfortable featheredge face seal.
Before proceeding to a review of Australian masks, snorkels and fins from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, I also have to state up front that I have travelled widely without crossing the Equator. So when I write about matters Australian, I speak from the second-hand experience of my online and printed research findings and not with the eyes of somebody who has actually visited the country. So I expect to be frequently corrected during this thread by those of you who know Australia better than I can possibly do.
I am going to begin this thread with a review of the basic underwater products of an enterprise based in the most populous city in Australia and indeed Oceania: Sydney. The M. D. Turnbull group of companies, based in the southeast suburb of Mascot, made and distributed "polystyrene and rubber products, including surfboards, drink coolers, portable ice boxes, rubber spearfishing equipment, rubber thongs, semi-pneumatic tyres and a wide range of rubber and polystyrene products for both industrial and consumer markets (The Age, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Wednesday, Jan 1, 1969).
Here's a Turnbull company timeline I compiled earlier:
1954. Non-adjustable open-heel Turnbull Swim Flippers, “Australia’s most popular and successful fin,” on sale on page 5 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Fishing and Aquatics Equipment List 1954.
1955. Adjustable open-heel Turnbull “Multi-fit” Swim Flippers, “Australia’s most popular and successful fin,” on sale on page 3 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Sports Equipment List 1955.
1956. Turnbull Swim Equipment advertisement on page 4 of C.Y.C.A. Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 1956 programme: “De-Luxe” Mask, Turnbull “Searaider” Mask, Swim Fins, Multi-fit Adjustable Flippers, Super Flippers, “Rocket” Speargun and Snorkel Range manufactured by Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. of Mascot, Sydney, Australia. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 29 of June/July 1956 issue of Triton. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Turnbull Rocket Gun, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of August/September 1956 issue of Triton. “Fit Turnbull and feel safe”.
1957. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Multi-fit adjustable swimfins, Giant Super Flippers, diving masks, snorkel tubes and Turnbull Rocket Gun, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of March/April 1957 issue of Triton. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Searaider mask and Super Flipper, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of August/September 1956 issue of Triton. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 1 of December 1957 issue of Royal Naval Diving Magazine. Turnbull among underwater brands available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 13 of Sep/Oct 1957 issue of Triton.
1958. Non-adjustable open-heel Giant Turnbull Fin, “widely used in Australia,” on sale on page 6 of Lillywhites Ltd of Piccadilly Circus, London Underwater Sports Equipment List 1958. Turnbull underwater swimming equipment, including Searaider mask and Super Flipper, available from Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 29 of January/February 1958 issue of Triton. Turnbull among underwater brands available from Andrews & Dalton of Hounslow, Middlesex according to advertisement on page 29 of March/April 1958 issue of Triton.
1959. Sea Raider mask, De Luxe mask with snorkel and protective goggles available from sole distributors of Turnbull underwater swimming equipment Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 33 of May/June 1959 issue of Triton.
1960. Sea Raider mask, De Luxe mask with snorkel and protective goggles available from sole distributors of Turnbull underwater swimming equipment Grays of Cambridge according to advertisement on page 22 of Jan/Feb 1960 issue of Triton. Turnbull Pacific Super Fins, “a really powerful fin”, available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 24 of Jan/Feb 1960 issue of Triton. Turnbull Super Fin available from J. G. Fenn of Stoke on Trent according to advertisement on page 5 of May/June 1960 issue of Triton.
1962. Airdive equipment of Melbourne, Australia, distribute Baby Swim Fins, Continental Flippers, Searaider Masks, Deluxe Wide Vision Mask, Ocean Survey Mask, “S”, “J” and “L” snorkels made by Turnbull.
1962. Turnbull Swim Equipment advertisement on page 20 of July/August 1962 issue of Australian Skindivers Magazine: New. Giant Continental Flippers. For maximum comfort and propulsion specially designed for large fittings, wet suits and sandshoes. Made out of a special salt-water floating-quality rubber with the famous foot comfort and paddle rigidity. A special ankle strap with a rustproof buckle is added for absolute security. In blue only. Manufactured by Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. 18 Ricketty St., Mascot, Sydney.
January 1969. Hanimex, the Australian owned worldwide photographic equipment maker and trader, enters the polystyrene products and rubber products fields with acquisition of the capitals of the Turnbull group of companies.
October 1970. Hanimex Pty. Ltd. advertises in Sydney Morning Herald for experienced rubber moulder at Mascot plant, whose products include rubber swim equipment.
1976. Turnbull Continental and Giant full-foot fins equipment, available from Greens Watersports of Bristol according to advertisement on page 157 of July/August 1976 issue of Triton. Nock & Kirbys advertisement in Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Oct 24, 1976, p. 82, for Hanimex Junior Swim Flippers, Continental Fins, masks and snorkels.
Sadly, information remains unforthcoming about the timing of other events in the evolution of the Turnbull family of companies (Turnbull Holdings Pty. Ltd., M. D. Turnbull Distributors Engineering Pty. Ltd., Turnbull Rubber Pty. Ltd. and South Pacific Surf Boards Pty. Ltd). If anybody knows the dates of either the birth or the demise of M. D. Turnbull, late of 18 Ricketty Street, Mascot, Sydney, I'd be grateful for the details. To whet the appetite, I have scanned a Turnbull catalogue and posted it online at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw7z_4bLjOOEcVVBT09INkJqNEU. You may be surprised to learn which leisure items other than underwater gear were manufactured and distributed by the company.