Born Subiaco WA
17 July 1928 – 25 March 2006
Don Morrison and the ocean went together for four decades during which he established himself as one of the country’s outstanding performers in the surf lifesaving movement.
He joined the Cottesloe Surf Lifesaving Club at the age of 10 and earned his first certificate (the qualifying) in 1941. That was the start of a surf career that was to be carved at home and abroad, both in the water and on shore as an administrator.
Morrison won the national senior surf belt title four times (1948,50,52,53 and had six minor placings between 1948 and 1959. He added Australian team titles for WA in the rescue and resuscitation event in 1958 and 1963, interstate surf belt championships in 1951 and 1958 and three minor placings in the national surf race championship.
Morrison represented Australia in four teams, touring New Zealand, Hawaii, and South Africa and competing in the Royal Surf Carnival at Bondi in 1954. He was in 16 WA teams from 1947 to 1963 and claims to excellence in the blue ribbon event, the surf belt race, were confirmed by his performances.
He won the WA title in 1948 and added the national crown in the same year. He was runner-up in the national event in 1949 but made amends with his second Australian crown in 1950, only to slip to second spot a year later. He bounced back to win again in 1952 and 1953 and fulfil his dream of defending the national title.
Morrison was a dominant man of the WA scene winning 10 surf belt titles, the first eight in succession, and five State surf race titles. He retired as a competitor in 1965, turning to veterans’ events and judging.
As an administrator, Morrison gave outstanding service. From being a committee member at Cottesloe in 1942 (as a 14-year-old) he went on to serve as treasurer, chief instructor, captain, president and gear officer. At State level he joined the Board as an examiner in 1952 and served in a variety of roles at home and overseas, including selector, finance, instruction, rescue service and public relations over three decades.