Many an urban legend abounds about the origins of the now-iconic QBC (Queenscliff Boardriders Club) Love Heart which shines resplendent dawn, noon, dusk and night on Queensie headland, and the true history of its genesis is as spellbinding as the local wave-powered ensemble it represents.
The initial lick of paint came in the pitch black of evening, mere hours before the final of the Coke Classic, way back in 1987, before the recession we had to have and the disappearance of Manly Laser Zone. Jack of being bullied by other Boardriders clubs, a trio of cocky QBC roosters hatched a plan. Kicking off with a healthy dose of Dutch courage, downing schooies at The Charlie Bar, the troika of guerrilla artistes set off to make their mark, figuratively and literally, on the surf wars of the 80’s, synonymous with Boardrider clubs all over Australia, and particularly on the Northern Beaches.
The moon shone bright. Sea mist hung low. Planning complete. The stage was set supremely for DIY headland decorations. Crossing the sand, walking the rock platform, before penetrating the wormhole tunnel at the point, our heroes then scaled back along the sandstone walls to find the cliff patch they’d decided upon which would serve supremely as the ultimate QBC Love Heart resting place. A binder undercoat was lathered thick and fast as swell crashed on the cliff below before they headed back to the pub to let the binder dry.
From the Charlie Bar balcony, they could see the fluorescent white heart haloed in the moonlight. The thrill of the endeavour made them jittery. Paranoia levels instantly skyrocketed. Did the pub swillers know what they were up to? Some more Dutch courage and back they tramped, taking meticulous care to paint the final coat in fluoro pink on the 2 metre high heart, adding “MEZ BAINY KINGO”, the QBC favourites to win the comp the following morning.
“Other clubs had skulls and cross bones as their logo, but we were individuals,” says one of the original painters. “We liked to break the perception of surfing culture.” Prior to the paint job the heart was recognised by other clubs as QBC’s logo. They had plastered it to rival’s hang outs and worn it on t-shirts to contests. It was a finger to the rival taunts of their sexuality, “We were turning it around from being called poofters all the time, to QBC loves you.” Bravely changing the script of such derogatory taunts is not lost on me if not monumental for the time.
Competition day became a mystery whodunnit, everyone talking about the heart. Who was responsible?! Would there be any repercussions?! Well, the original three are still a mystery to most and no repercussions have ever come about. A serial complainer to the Manly Daily wrote on many occasions about the hideousness of the graffiti. Manly council couldn’t do anything because it was on Warringah land and no one in Warringah council could see it, a fortuitous loophole not part of the preprepared plan. Today Northern Beaches Council features it in their PR material and travel websites promote it as a place to see.
When the paint flecks off and the beloved heart looks a bit shabby, QBC grommies are initiated with brush and paint back to the cliff again. “The heart is the only physical thing to bind the club together. We have no dedicated clubhouse, but we’ve been a club since 1978. It should be heritage listed.”