RUN, RABBIT, RUN
1978 world surfing champion Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew may have just paddled into the ride of his life, as he runs as Labor candidate for Burleigh in the Queensland election
When a teenage Rabbit Bartholomew stood in front of a bulldozer to try and save his beloved Kirra Point back in 1972, he could have hardly known it was the first act in an extraordinary life of surfing and activism.
1978 world surfing champion, UN Ambassador for the Ocean, National Coaching director of Surfing Australia, President of the Association of Surfing Professionals, Member of the Order of Australia (AM) – the remarkable journey of that freckly, sunburnt teenager has reached its logical conclusion with the news that Rabbit is running as the Labor candidate for the seat of Burleigh in the upcoming Queensland state election.
“When Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gave me the call and said, ‘I'd like you to be my selection as a captain's call for the seat of Burleigh’, I said yes immediately,” Bugs told the crowd at a recent fundraiser. “I'm really stoked to be part of the Premier's team and really stoked to be running. It's a difficult time in the Nation, a difficult time in Queensland.”
Rabbit has a long history of political and environmental activism since that fateful stand-off at Kirra Point and today combines his well-honed street smarts with the statesmanship of a respected surfing elder. He remains passionate about a range of topics, from ocean conservation to opportunities for youth, small business to public transport.
“My activism started in 1972 when I stood in front of the bulldozer when the first rock was coming out to build the Kirra Big Groyne,” he says. “As I was standing there, and looked up in the cabin, it was my sister Wendy's boyfriend. He'd just got a job at the council and I looked at him and thought 'Oh my God, this guy's feeding me'. (Much laughter). That didn't work. They built the groyne.”
Thankfully the northerly sand flow eventually trickled around the Kirra groyne and the mighty point break roared back to life. And Rabbit’s learnt plenty about campaigning on behalf of his community in the nearly five decades since.
“In the 1980s, I joined a group. There was a beautiful group of wise elderly people, led by the great Don McSween, a 92-year-old man. They came from the Gold Coast Protection League and they were getting a bit on, the youngest person on the committee was 86 years of age,” Rabbit recalls. “An amazing group of people who were looking for some young, fresh recruits and invited myself, my great, dear friend Denis Callinan, and others to join. We formed as Groups Against Sewage Pollution and we ended up as a team of warriors, these elderly warriors – I love them so much – and we really created a stir and caused a referendum about sewage pollution and better upgraded sewage treatment on the Gold Coast.”
Unsurprisingly, the ocean has remained the focus of his activism and the threats have come thick and fast on the Gold Coast, where development always continues apace. “Another thing we did was when there was a plan to build a marina at Kirra, in 1991. We were so concerned about it we formed a group called the Kirra Environmental Protection Trust (KEPT) … Barry Bond from Kirra, the late great Wayne Deane, myself and several volunteers said, let Kirra speak for itself and that was the birth of the Kirra Pro. Billabong backed it and we had these incredible years at Kirra when the famous point break spoke for itself. It was such a world-famous event and no mention of a marina again.”
And when Rabbit’s old mate, 1988 world longboard champion Andrew McKinnon led the charge for a World Surfing Reserve around the Gold Coast’s renowned southern point breaks, Rabbit was right by his side. “Andrew’s proposal for the World Surfing Reserves came next, and now through Sports and Housing Minister Mick de Brenni and the Premier we're going for legislation for full protection from Burleigh to Snapper, and that will be a world-first. Queensland and the Gold Coast will be the leader in the world in legislation to truly protect, because protection can only come through legislation, because in a change of government, a change of council, and if the LNP get in somewhere along the line (they could) go, ‘Well, you know what, that's out’. So, we're not going to let that happen.”
But it would be a mistake to consider Rabbit as a candidate only concerned with beach and ocean issues. There are big local issues such as the proposed light rail from Burleigh to the Airport and the border restrictions for those close to the Gold Coast and Tweed border for him to grapple with. And while surfing might be his first love, sport in general and youth issues particularly loom large on his personal radar.
“I love the coastal environment but what I really want to stand for and make a difference with is youth. I want to be an advocate for youth,” he says. “Youth is our future. We've got to give hope to youth and build platforms for youth so they can find their passion. We can talk about law and order, we can talk about crime, but let’s go back to the root of it: Youth making really good options that make positive outcomes in their life. We must build that. Sport's part of it. If elected, I am definitely going to go looking for parcels of land to make more green space for sporting fields … We need youth to believe in something and to believe in the future. We need them to identify if their passion is to get an apprenticeship, to go to TAFE, to go to university, to further their lives, to make something of their lives and not give in to the hopelessness that can overcome them.”
And in a neat bit of historical serendipity, if Rabbit is successful he will earn the title MP for Burleigh, enshrining his timeless link to his old friend and rival Michael Peterson.
There are two upcoming fundraiser events open to all to support Rabbit’s campaign.
Sunday 27th September 6pm–8pm at The Collective, Palm Beach $40.00 at the door includes food menu, raffle prizes, auction items, t-shirts, and free stickers.
Saturday 10th October 6pm –10pm at Mo’s Desert Barn, West Burleigh. It is $20 entry and will have screenings of some of Rabbit’s classic surf movies plus his youngest son Keo’s band Scrappz’ first official gig.
