When Australian surf documentaries are discussed, Morning of the Earth usually dominates the conversation. Yet a year earlier, another film had already captured the spirit of the country’s surfing culture. Getting Back to Nothing, released in 1971 and directed by Tim Burstall, is an engaging documentary that combines first-class surfing footage with an insightful look at the people and lifestyle behind the sport.
Much of the film centres on the 1970 World Surfing Championships at Bells Beach, Victoria, where the world’s best surfers gathered to compete on one of Australia’s most famous breaks. Rather than simply presenting a sporting event, Burstall explored surfing as a philosophy and a way of life. Interviews with leading surfers, including Nat Young, Midget Farrelly, Rolf Aurness, Peter Drouyn and a young Michael Peterson, reveal a generation embracing freedom, travel and a close connection with the ocean. The result is a documentary that now serves as a valuable time capsule of Australian youth culture in the early 1970s.
An equally important part of the project was its soundtrack album, issued by the independent Fable label. Founded by record executive Ron Tudor, Fable had become one of Australia’s most successful independent labels, nurturing local artists at a time when home-grown music was gaining greater recognition.
The soundtrack reflected that philosophy, featuring original recordings by Hans Poulsen, Bruce Woodley, Billy Green. Their warm blend of folk, country influences and acoustic pop gave the film a relaxed, reflective atmosphere that perfectly complemented the surfing sequences.
The soundtrack album opens with Hans Poulsen singing the title song:
Track listing
A1: Hans Poulsen – Getting Back to Nothing
A2: Billy Green – Double Stoke
A3: Bruce Woodley – No Surf Blues
A4: Billy Green – Bell’s Beach Stomp
A5: Bruce Woodley – Setting the Tempos
A6: Billy Green – The Crowd at Bell’s
B1: Hans Poulsen – Surf’s Up
B2: Billy Green – Soul Surfing
B3: Bruce Woodley – Pa’s Song
B4: Hans Poulsen – Bomb Out Baby
B5: Bruce Woodley – Noise of the Tube
B6: Billy Green – Speed
B7: Hans Poulsen – Getting Back to Nothing (reprise)
Although it was overshadowed by the hugely successful Morning of the Earth soundtrack the following year, Getting Back to Nothing occupies an important place in Australian music history. It demonstrated that a locally produced surf film could be matched with an all-Australian soundtrack, helping showcase the country’s emerging songwriting talent.
Today, original Fable LP pressings are highly regarded by collectors, while the film itself remains an evocative record of an era when Australian surfing, music and filmmaking were all coming of age.
OTHER AUSTRALIAN SURF FILMS OF THE 1970s
Australia enjoyed something of a golden age of surf filmmaking during the 1970s. While Getting Back to Nothing (1971) helped document the competitive side of surfing, several other films explored the emerging “soul surfing” movement, placing as much emphasis on lifestyle, music and travel as on the waves themselves.
The best known three films:
Morning of the Earth (1972) is undoubtedly the best known and most influential Australian surf film of the decade. Directed by Albert Falzon and David Elfick, it followed surfers searching for perfect waves in Australia, Bali and Hawaii while living close to nature. Its soundtrack, featuring artists including Tamam Shud, Brian Cadd and G. Wayne Thomas, became the first Australian soundtrack album to achieve Gold status and is now regarded as one of Australia’s finest albums.
Crystal Voyager (1973) took surf cinematography to another level. Produced and directed by David Elfick, it centred on legendary kneeboarder and innovator George Greenough. The film is famous for Greenough’s revolutionary inside-the-wave camera footage and its breathtaking 23-minute finale, set to Meddle’s epic closing track, Echoes, by Pink Floyd. It became an international cult classic and helped redefine what a surf film could be.
Highway One (1977) is less well known but has developed a cult following. Made by Steve Otton, it follows a group of surfers travelling Australia’s coastline while screening Morning of the Earth in country towns. Combining surfing, road-trip adventure and the van culture of the era, it provides another fascinating snapshot of 1970s Australian youth.
Several shorter films by Australian surf pioneers also appeared during the decade. George Greenough’s experimental works, including The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun (1970), were enormously influential, although they were generally shorter productions rather than full-length theatrical features. His innovations in underwater and inside-the-wave filming changed surf cinematography forever and directly influenced Crystal Voyager.
On Bang a Gong:
G Wayne Thomas: Morning of the Earth
Richard Clapton: Capricorn Dancer (from Highway One)
Fable: Australia’s little record label that punched above its weight
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