1940's

Fish – spearing is the latest craze among Coogee Surf Club members.

Even these cold mornings young Don Millar is in and under the water at daybreak, spearing fish for breakfast.

Millar yesterday was proclaimed champion of Coogee Surf Club when he speared three fish (two morwong and a sergeant baker) in almost as many minutes.

Armed with spear gun, goggles and a lead belt that takes him to the sea bed, Millar always gets a catch.

He lies on the bottom to catch flathead and sergeant baker, and swims about to spear morwong and blackfish.

He dives from the rocks and swims out to about 25 feet of water.

A nine–foot tiger shark came at Coogee surfer Jack Cannot yesterday, as he was fishing with a spear–gun over a submerged reef.
Said Cannot: “It was about 10 feet away when I first saw it. I first thought it was a bit of floating seaweed.”
But this shark was too big to tackle with a spear gun at close quarters. Mr. Cannot beat a retreat.

Prompt killing of the small shark that got into Coogee bathing pool last week was possible because of Coogee’s new craze for underwater fish spearing.

Gear for this sport is the invention and patent of Mr. Frank Cunliffe of Coogee. And you have to be an ace swimmer.

The weapon is a polished steel spear almost 4ft. long and half an inch through. A piece of rubber like a thick tourniquet forms a shanghai which holds the end of the spear.

The spear carries two barbs.

Price of the outfit is six pounds. Mr. Cunliffe makes them now.

Underwater the spear will shoot 30ft. For a shark it has a range of five to 10 feet.