Early Australian spearfishing and scuba history links

[АлександрД]

Please, read second line in my sign
Is anybody know why I have great gratitude to Edward ('Ted') Francis Eldred from Australia?

Spoiler: answer

Because this was invented by him, and it was first in the world:

FIRST SINGLE HOSE REGULATOR!

It was just later, when J-Y Cousteau bought his company and patents (I try to find this info in internet, but as I understand - Ted did not patented his Porpoise)

 

[АлександрД]

his first "baby"

with his grandson

Ted Eldred, Australia
some more about him

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

 

[Kay Dee]

Today I chanced upon three separate online sources of interesting information about the early days of underwater swimming in Australia. Here's what I found:

Thanks for posting the links David. A REAL "blast from the past" for me!

 

[Compressor]

Today I chanced upon three separate online sources of interesting information about the early days of underwater swimming in Australia. Here's what I found:

1. A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME.
"A journey through time: The beginning of amateur sport scuba diving in Australia". Useful information about events and developments during each decade since World War II.

2. History | Underwater Skindivers and Fisherman's Association.
A variety of topics from the history of Australian spearfishing.

3. DIVER OF FORTUNE: 2013.
A blog about Wally Gibbins, one of Australia's diving pioneers. I found scans here of pages from a short but fascinating catalogue of spearfishing gear designed and manufactured by another spearfishing pioneer from "Down Under", Bill Heffernan; fascinating at least for me because I'm collecting data about early combined masks and snorkels.

I am hoping that these sources are of interest to others as well, particularly those who want to research the history of diving around the world.

Thank you David. I wish to visit Australia some day.
It was a great read and loved the pictures.

 

[David Wilson]

Glad I was able to shed some additional light on the early Australian diving scene by posting these links. I've never been to Australia either, but what I've read about it leads me to believe that it's a really fascinating country to visit.

I only wish my posting had shaken loose a little more information about the history of Australia's Turnbull company, which manufactured basic diving equipment other than scuba for the home market and exported such gear to the UK as long ago as the early 1950s before British firms such as E. T. Skinner (Typhoon) started production of their own. While the history of scuba gear development worldwide is now fairly well covered by a community of collectors and enthusiasts, there is still too little information around about the early manufacture of basic underwater swimming equipment such as fins, masks, snorkels or even diving suits.

 

[Sam Miller III]

What an absolutely great informative historical post !

So many memories of people and equipment

It seems like I knew Wally Gibbons all my life- He was well known and respected in the early California diving tribe. I did meet him once at the 2000 Fathers of Spearfishing and Free divers gathering. We sat down and had a short chat about some mutual Aussie friends who were no longer with us.

What an event it was -- never to be duplicated again ! Spearfishermen and Free divers from all over the world gathered for a last big gathering -- the last hurrah of the tribe.

To attend you had to be nominated and approved and verified by two other Fathers. I was one of three from Orange County California, the other two were Omar Wood and the late Ron Merker (@drbill s basic instructor)

That was 18 years ago, most are gone now -diving in that big reef in the sky-- but what great memories ! We all, at last, gathered in one place and for about 12 hours had the opportunity to reminisce.

All had began diving in the 1920, 1930s and 1940s when equipment was crude or homemade, there were few books, no dive magazines, no instructional organizations -- we all had been privileged to have been a witness and a participant to the development of diving from its geneses to 2000

Once again a big THANK YOU David for posting -- such great memories for a very old man

Sam Miller, 111

 

[Sam Miller III]

​

 

[Sam Miller III]

What an absolutely great informative historical post !

So many memories of people and equipment

It seems like I knew Wally Gibbons all my life- He was well known and respected in the early California diving tribe. I did meet him once at the 2000 Fathers of Spearfishing and Free divers gathering. We sat down and had a short chat about some mutual Aussie friends who were no longer with us.

What an event it was -- never to be duplicated again ! Spearfishermen and Free divers from all over the world gathered for a last big gathering -- the last hurrah of the tribe.

To attend you had to be nominated and approved and verified by two other Fathers. I was one of three from Orange County California, the other two were Omar Wood and the late Ron Merker (@drbill s basic instructor)

That was 18 years ago, most are gone now -diving in that big reef in the sky-- but what great memories ! We all, at last, gathered in one place and for about 12 hours had the opportunity to reminisce.

All had began diving in the 1920, 1930s and 1940s when equipment was crude or homemade, there were few books, no dive magazines, no instructional organizations -- we all had been privileged to have been a witness and a participant to the development of diving from its geneses to 2000

Once again a big THANK YOU David for posting -- such great memories for a very old man

Sam Miller, 111​

 

[David Wilson]

A postscript to my first message in this thread to report a "discovery within a discovery". I refer to the second source I chanced upon: History | Underwater Skindivers and Fisherman's Association. I have since delved further within this website, which resulted in the discovery of a huge archive of scanned issues of the Australian Skindivers Magazine dating from 1958. The period ads in these journals have helped me quite a bit in my efforts so far to reconstruct the timeline for a history of the Australian diving equipment manufacturer and distributor M. D. Turnbull Pty Ltd based in Sydney, New South Wales. I'll post more here about the latter when I've organised my existing printed source materials about the Turnbull company. Have any of our Antipodean friends anything to share with us to complement what I've found so far? Anything welcome, particularly personal anecdotes and reminiscences.

In the meantime, I'm going to reproduce below all the online sources of free PDF downloads of early diving magazine issues I know about, including the Australian Skindivers Magazine I mentioned above. Hope they are of use and interest to others.

1. Australian Skindivers Magazine
For a bit of context, read first "A brief look at Australian Skin and Scuba diving periodicals" at Magazine | Underwater Skindivers and Fisherman's Association. Then follow the link at the bottom of the page to https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_GphfzMEbApS1YtZjBXcnUtSUU. At that location, you will find over 50 editions of the magazine beginning with numbers from the 1950s.

2. The Historical Diving Societies of America, Italy and Sweden
(a) Historical Diver/The Journal of Diving History, USA (1993-2015): Browse by Issuing Agency - Aquatic Commons.
(b) HDS Notizie, Italy (1995-2017): HDS NOTIZIE | The Historical Diving Society Italia.
(c) Signallinan, Sweden (2009-2017): Signallinan – SDHF.

3. Skin Diver
The first, December 1951, issue of Skin Diver magazine can be downloaded from here: http://tinyurl.com/oo24y2c. I have posted a scan of my own print copy of the November 1956 "Exposure Suits" edition of Skin Diver magazine at https://tinyurl.com/y75c9lzb. Any others?

4. The London Diver
The London Diver magazine, Volumes 1-2 (May/June 1959 - Sept/Oct 1960). 8 issues. Location: http://tinyurl.com/nasf9xg.

5. Royal Navy Diving Magazine
Royal Navy Diving Magazine, Volumes 1-16 (July/Sept 1951-December 1970). Volume 1 Number 1 is 5 months older than the first issue of "Skin Diver"! Location: RN Diving Magazines.

6. Revue Française de Plongée
Seven issues (2001-2010) of French-language Revue Française de Plongée diving research magazine produced by France's national university diving group Groupement National de Plongée Universitaire (GNPU). Location: Revue Française de Plongée (RFP).

7. TauchHistorie
Seven full-text issues of the German-language diving history magazine TauchHistorie from 2013 to 2016 can be downloaded in PDF format from: Zeitschrift TauchHistorie.

8. Спортсмен-Подводник
A complete run of the former USSR's Russian-language skin and scuba diving magazine Спортсмен-Подводник (transliterated as "Sportsmen-Podvodnik" and translated as "Underwater Sportsman") has been posted online for free download. Scans of every issue of the journal between 1962 and 1991, documenting Soviet diving across the sixties, seventies and eighties are available from: Спортсмен-подводник. Журнал о подводном плавании. ВСЕ сборники СПОРТСМЕН-ПОДВОДНИКа ..

Do you know any other online sources of past issues of historical diving magazines? Please share!

 

[Sam Miller III]

David,
There are many many more diving magazines that were published since the American magazine "Skin Diver : a magazine for spear fishermen and skin divers" (SDM) was published in December 1951

About 40 years ago the late Bob Finch began a dive magazine collectors group which was comprised of dive magazine collectors from all over the world.

Periodically Bob would produce a document titled "Our List" which was a very detailed listing of all dive related periodicals published through out the world. It began as a simple list but as time passed it became a rather large document. I am fortunate to have collected all of :Our List" bound them and have them packed away .

My only interest was the American dive magazines which I religiously collected and library bound. I began with SDM (including most dive catalogs of the same year). Water world, Water Bug, Dive, American Diver, California diver, Aquarius, Dive training, Discover Diving, plus numerous others.. As I recall 13 American titles in total and all are in Mint condition (My Library will be passed on to Son Sam IV who is a NAUI (Life) Instructor, PADI Instructor, SSI Pro 5000, ER & Hyperbaric Doctor )

Currently my dear wife has made the decision that my setting room and my library needs a good cleaning, new book cases, new chairs, new reading lamps - a total remodel - which we are now in the middle of doing - which is good - the rooms certainly need attention of my wife.

Just yesterday I uncovered a stash of old Christmas cards--Many were from the late Chuck and Jere Blakeslee. dear friends for 60 years and the founders of Skin Diver magazine.- At one time the tribe was very small and we were like birds of a feather , we stuck together - Oh ! Memories of times past.

Please continue the good work and great posting - it is appreciated and needed especially for those who think diving began when they stuck their toes in the mud hole, pulled it out and exclaimed "what a great diver am I "

Thanks again for your fine post and the memories

Sam Miller, 111