Elliston, South Australia, has a population of only 308 people, according to the last census. But down at the shore of Waterloo Bay, on the edge of the town, there are a few more souls that are still surfing this earthly plane around Blacks Wave.
Here you will find Blacks – a notorious wave that is a deadly challenge. Blacks also has the reputation of being the most haunted surfing spot in the world. It’s not just named after the deep, dark, channel of water, or the grey, foreboding cliffs that surround the shoreline.
Blacks has a far more sinister history that should deter anyone from heading into the water.
The Deadly Coastline
The coast at Waterloo Bay is extremely challenging, even for world-class surfers that compete professionally.
You probably won’t see the best surfers of all time, like Brazil’s Italo Ferreria or Australia’s Taj Burrow popping down to give Blacks a go. But in 2019, Jamie Powell and Ash Livingstone travelled to Elliston to conquer Blacks Wave. Not only did they have to worry about the 10ft monster wave; the ocean is also frequented by great white sharks.
With some trepidation, Powell took on the first wave. Livingstone looked on in horror as his friend was sucked under, and the leg rope and his surfboard snapped in two. Powell was pulled further down with the next wave towards his death.
Livingstone paddled over 100 meters to rescue his friend on that dark day, terrified that he too would be taken by the waves – or by the sharks. The friends escaped the deadly Blacks Wave, but many people haven’t been so lucky.
A Dark Past
It isn’t the dark waters that have given Blacks its name: there is a far more sinister history.
In 1839, settlers from Europe arrived in Elliston, hoping to trade and export wool. However, when they arrived, they found that the area was already inhabited by an Aborigine encampment.
The settlers weren’t willing to let Elliston go without a fight, however, and returned with whips, guns and horses, ready to start a war to claim the land as their own. It was one notorious incident that really tipped the balance.
The settlers accused two Aborigine hunters of stealing their sheep. The matter was brought before a judge, who found the hunters guilty and they were hanged.
Over the Cliffs
The Aborigines were infuriated by the judge’s verdict – a group of them lured the judge out of his home and hung him as an act of revenge.
This fueled a tragedy. The settlers rounded up more than 250 Aborigines and drove them towards the cliffs by shooting at them and threatening them with whips. They all fell to their deaths – men, women and children alike.
The sharks made short work of their bodies, and it was even reported that skulls were seen rolling around on the beach below. This massacre is what gave Blacks Wave its name. A monument stands on the cliffs as a memorial.
Elliston isn’t the place where you would want to go for a lovely afternoon surfing in the sunshine. This is the most haunted surfing spot in the world, and it has a dark and tragic past.