Founded in 1956, Bennett Surfboards has been a part of the Australian surf industry for longer than any other manufacturer. Hailing from Brookvale, the birthplace of surfing in Australia as we know it, Barry started building plywood and balsa surfboards when he was 25.
Bennett Surfboards opened its doors as a dedicated surfboard and blanks manufacturer back in 1960. Since then, Barry has been involved in every aspect of Australian surfing, from the surf lifesaving hollow wooden board days to the ultra-light blanks and longboard revolution. Dozens of iconic surfboard shapers have worked under the Bennett Surf label, such as Gary Lopez, Ron Grant, Bill Cilia, Greg Clough, Russell Head, Mickey Mack, Frank Williamr, Nat Young, Doug Bell, Ben Aipa, Neil Purchase, Bob McTavish, Geoff McCoy, Wayne Burton and Peter Cornish – just to name a few. You could say Barry was one of the original entrepreneurs of surfboard shaping in the country, as he guided many leading surfers and shapers and helped launch surfing as a mainstream culture in Australia. Purely because he loved it so much, Barry worked full time in his beloved surfboard factory until he was 90 years old.
When he passed away in August 2022, his son and grandson, Greg and Tom Bennett, formally took over the business with a passionate focus on continuing to supply quality surf craft to their customers. Due to the family’s strong links to the surf lifesaving movement, they continue to supply paddle boards and rescue boards to local and overseas clubs.
To this day, they still trade out of 180 Harbord Road in Brookvale, and maintain their reputation for expertly crafted boards through renowned surfboard shapers such as Billy Tolhurst, Mark Rabbidge, Steele Lewis and Sam Tehan.
The company remains as Sydney’s premier longboard outlet with a showroom full of their range along with an impressive showcase of vintage surf craft. Most importantly, Bennett Surf Co. continues to keep Barry’s great legacy alive and keep their customers stoked with every ‘BB’ board, as they have done since the 1950’s.
