How many Australian surfers knew that our national surfboard champion of 1939 was locked up during World War 2 because he was born in Germany?
Harry Wicke was born in 1914, the same year Duke Kahanamoku first came to Australia, so his lifespan is literally our Century of Surf. He had an Australian mother and a German father and the family moved to Australia in 1927 when Harry was just 13.
He quickly became a keen surfer, built himself some of the first locally made hollow boards and proved just about unbeatable in paddle races in 1939, largely because of his knee paddling technique and his super light hollow boards. He easily qualified for the Australian team for the Pacific Games in Hawaii in 1939 but, with war brewing in Europe, he was denied a passport by the Australian government because of his German ancestry and kicked off the team.
Once war broke out, in a systematic round up of German nationals, police came to his home and arrested his foster brother. When they spotted young Harry, they figured they might as well arrest him too. He spent three years in a Prisoner of War camp in Tutura, in northern Victoria, and upon his release he was denied membership of Manly Surf Club, where he was formerly a member, though they have since made him a life member.
Remarkably, Harry is still alive at the age of 99, having recently moved from a retirement village at Victoria Point, on Moreton Bay, to a nursing home in Bundaberg. Remarkably, too, Harry sounds like a man who knows what it means to get barreled.
I spent a lot of time with Harry during the research for Century of Surf – I never imagined I would be able to learn about surfing during the 1930s from someone who lived through it. Harry’s sharp as a tack and was pleased to tell his story, which he had kept secret for decades. He was the first person to receive an advanced copy of the book and seemed happy with the finished product.
Meeting Harry really opened my eyes to just how much of our history remains untold and how significant stories of our past can easily be lost to the sands of time. So happy to get to know you, Harry, and thanks for trusting me with your story.
For the full story of Harry Wicke and many more, check out Tim’s book, Australia’s Century of Surf.
