1960s

For those not in the know – and that would be anyone under 70 – The Stomp was a dance style embraced by teenagers and 20-somethings in the early 1960s. The steps were pretty simple: bend knees, raise one foot, stomp it rhythmically on the floor, then lift the other and repeat. Arm movements were freestyle, heads were vigorously shaken and there was no physical contact with your partner – if you had one. Many stompers added steps – a kick here, a twirl there. A lot of space could be covered and a great deal of energy expended.

The all-ages, alcohol-free Stomp was held at Bondi Surf Bathers Lifesaving Club on Sunday evenings, with a live band playing loud and fast. Surf music was all the rage, with numbers such as Bombora and Wipeout! complementing the sound of waves crashing nearby.

The Stomp also featured at North Bondi SLSC cabarets on Saturday nights. Alcohol was served there, so you had to be 18+ to attend.

Bondi likes to claim ownership of Sydney’s first beach Stomp, but Maroubra quickly stole our thunder, thanks to super-cute local teen, Little Pattie, having a huge hit in 1963 with her double-sided single Stompin’ At Maroubra and He’s My Blond-headed Stompie Wompie Real Gone Surfer Boy.

White T-shirts and sweatshirts were popular, as the ultraviolet strobe lights caused them to ‘glow’ in a strange, other-worldly fashion. An unfortunate side effect soon became apparent – dandruff also glowed purple!

Several local councils refused permits to hold Stomps, citing possible damage to old buildings. Waverley Council knocked back requests three times in 1963 fearing for floors and foundations, before allowing the Bondi Stomp to go ahead. They were wise to be cautious – as buildings shook to their foundations beneath hundreds of stomping feet and those who attended remember that the very walls seemed to vibrate.

Most notably, eastern suburbs secondary schools, private and public, were single sex at the time, so the Stomp provided an opportunity to meet members of the opposite sex.

Some claimed The Stomp originated in California, but it seems most likely that it was brought to Australia by a group of surfers returning from Hawaii. But for the hundreds of young people who came to Bondi to stomp the night away, its origins were irrelevant – all that mattered was that it was fun!

Image courtesy Trove, (1963, September 11). The Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), p. 3 (TEENAGERS' WEEKLY).