1931 - 2000

Surf lifesaver and wrestler, Alfred ‘Alf’ Wood, was born on September 14, 1931, in Bondi. He attended school at Wellington Street Bondi. Upon graduating, he began a lifelong career with the ABC, which saw him working on many music events.

At the ABC, Alf is remembered for having a good ear for music and is said to have been the radio engineer of choice for all of the ABC’s musicians and concerts. Alf also worked on transmitting radio broadcasts for ABC with politicians and many celebrities who visited Australia, on location.

Wood was the club captain of North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club (NBSLSC) from 1959 to 1969. He was ever-present at the club, leading social dances as well as Santa visits on Bondi Beach. In a time before gyms were a common profession, Alf implemented regular calisthenics classes which helped the club attract new members. Photos from 1966 show him introducing then 17-year-old Prince Charles (now King Charles III) to the intricacies of surf rescues and Malibu surfboards. Alf’s family recounts that Alf always said it was he who invited Prince Charles to the Surf Club when he was visiting Australia. Alf invited and hosted many dignitaries who visited the club while he was captain.

Wood was also a wrestler on Ringside with the Wrestlers and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name of Dr. Al Woods, Phantom, and The Doc. At the very first WCW event presented in Sydney in October 1964, he wrestled in an undercard against another local wrestler, Larry O’Day. As a member of the WCW team, his presence on our TVs on Saturday afternoons reached an Australia-wide audience who enjoyed his battles with the likes of Gorgeous George, Mario Millano, and Andre the Giant. He was described as a ‘goon’ on the show, often acting in the bad guy role.

Wood moved to Cottesloe in Western Australia in 1972, where he joined North Cottesloe Surf Club and became an examiner with Surf Life Saving Western Australia. He was also a councilor and deputy mayor of Cottesloe council in the 1980s and 1990s. Here he arranged the musical events for that shire and often presided over citizenship ceremonies hosted by Cottesloe each Australia Day. He was also one of the founders of the Somerset Sea Snakes (winter swimming club) in Perth. He died on January 15, 2000, in Cottesloe, aged 68.

Alf’s connection to Bondi and civic service ran in the family, with his nephew, Bill Morris, being a Bondi stalwart and renowned surf photographer, as well as Alf's great-grandnephew being Bondi lifeguard Luke Faddy.   

Courtesy the Wood family