The Australian National surfing Museum opened its doors in December 1993. Australia’s first dedicated surfing history museum was soon recognized by the International Surfing Association as “A place of surfing significance”. The ANSM is the largest museum of its kind anywhere in the world and is the only accredited surfing museum. The museum is dedicated to telling the story of Australian surfing through permanent displays and temporary exhibitions and is also the home of the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame which recognizes significant Australian surfers and the contributions they have made to industry, sport and culture. The museum is run under the auspices of the Surf Coast Shire Council and managed by a team that combines full time paid staff and enthusiastic volunteers. Situated in the heart of Torquay’s Surf City precinct the museum is open 9-5, 364 days and welcomes locals, visitors and international travelers keen to explore Australia’s rich surfing heritage.

Vision

To be the centre of Australian surfing heritage.

Purpose

To collect, preserve, document and share nationally and internationally significant items and stories of Australia’s surfing history and culture.

Values

Authenticity in the stories and information we share.
Inclusivity by representing the diversity of the Australian surfing community.
Sustainability – environmentally and economically.

STAFF

Kim Biggs

Coordinator – Australian National Surfing Museum and Visitor Information

Born and bred in Melbourne, Kim has a long association with the Surf Coast region and many fond memories of summers spent in Anglesea as a child.

Kim is a museum professional with a Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts) and Post Graduate qualifications in Museum Studies supported by many years of professional experience in the museums, tourism and arts development industries. This includes five years as Museum Director of Shear Outback: The Australian Shearers Hall of Fame in the Riverina Region of NSW, and an ongoing affiliation with the NSW Regional Arts Development Network and over ten years as part of the NSW Regional Museum Advisors Network.

Kim joined the team in July 2021.

Craig Baird

Curator

Craig Baird started his involvement with the surfing industry the day he left school, first managing the Piping Hot surf shop, then a twenty six year career painting surfboards for Rip Curl, Watercooled and other

prominent Victorian surfboard labels. He has worked alongside many of the world’s most celebrated surfboard shapers and had his work has appeared under the feet of some of the world’s best surfers. Craig started work at the museum in 1994 as a content specialist but also puts his event management, museums training and creative talents to great use to help share the story of Australian surfing.

Gary Dunne

Tours and Projects Officer

Thanks to an older brother who surfed and made boards, Gary first rode waves as a pre-teen on Sydney’s northern beaches in the late 1960s. His teenage passion for the surf helped convince his high school headmaster

to allow surfing as an “official school sport” for he and his fellow students in 1978, the world’s first school to have such a program. Co-founding Curl Curl Boardriders Club in his late teens, Gary then became a journalist in Sydney in the early ‘80s, where he persuaded the Daily Telegraph sports editor to publish a weekly column that Gary ghost-wrote with four-time world champion Mark Richards from ‘83 to ‘87. From ‘88 to ‘95, he edited Tracks - Australia’s longest-running monthly surf magazine. Almost two decades at Rip Curl’s Torquay HQ as Team Manager followed, during which he got to work closely and surf with world champions Pam Burridge, Tom Curren, Damien Hardman, Mick Fanning and Stephanie Gilmore, among many others. Four years ago he landed at the Museum, where he gets to research and talk surfing five days a week with people from all over the globe as our Projects & Tours Officer.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

  When in Torquay, the home to world famous surf location, Bells beach, a must see, is the iconic Australian National Surf Museum. With a vast selection of surfing memorabilia from the early board styles, through to the latest design shapes, it traces the history of surfing in infinate detail, with the aid of classic movie footage, plus a myriad tactile, hands on items from the past, to capture the imagination of young and old alike. 😎

Paul Armistead
3/24/2019

  A long overdue visit ...

Elaine V. Hare
2/01/2021

  Love this museum! Small but everything about australian surfing you can find here!!! wnjoyed watching the surf board maker too!

Frances Salazar
5/15/2021
  Always worth a visit while in Torquay. It really helps to understand how surfing is really entrenched in the Australian culture and history, especially in this specific region.

Marco Celon
3/03/2020

  Love this museum! Small but everyrhing about australian surfing you can find here!!!

Frances Salazar
4/11/2021

  What a gem in Torquay! Great place to learn about the history of the Sport, showcasing how the surfboard design evolved over the years. They have few kids activities - balance the surfboard, decorate chalk surfboards, kinetic sand pits and a cool green-screen photo booth. Definitely worth checking out on a cold day!

Piotr Rochala
7/18/2018

Australian National Surfing Museum

77 Beach Rd
Torquay VIC 3228
Australia

OPENING HOURS

9am – 5pm
7 days a week
364 days a year
(Closed Christmas Day)

ADMISSION

Adult $12,
Student/Pensioner Concession $8
Child (aged 16 and under) $8
Family $25.

PLEASE NOTE: General admission prices are for self-guided tours with no time limit.

Group Discounts
Please see Education / Group Tours for details.

CONTACT DETAILS

03 5261 4606
ansm@surfcoast.vic.gov.au
77 Beach Road
Torquay Victoria 3228