A group of Cabins etched in NSW surfing history are at threat of being demolished and could leave the last remaining permanent tenant without a home.
The cabins, located at Cunjurong Point on the south coast of NSW, were built by Don Hearn in the early 1960s. Since their construction, thousands of surfers have used them as a peaceful sanctuary and a place to stay while heading to surf the nearby Green Island.
Don, who served in Papua New Guinea and Libya during World War II, passed in 1991 and the lease was given to a lady called Lexi Meyer who is approaching 70-years-old. For the last 32 years she has managed the cabins which have continued to act as a safe haven for many visiting surfers and other holiday makers.
A group called “Save Don Hearns Cabins” has started an e-petition in order to try and get the matter raised in the NSW parliament.
In a poster encouraging people to support the group, they said: ‘Over 60 years ago Don Hearn built six simple cabins on the NSW South Coast. They were built for surfers and artists as a place to escape the rat race. Even today, the only “mod cons” are a toaster, a kettle, a stove and a bar fridge. No TVs, wi-fi. No soaps or pillows. Now the government wants to bulldoze this iconic South Coast haven. It’s one of the last places to offer affordable holidays for country people, city people, young families and groups of all kinds.’
Lexie said the land is leased to her by the government on a month by month basis, leaving her with a consistently uncertain future.
‘For the last 22 years I’ve not been able to advertise anything because I don’t know where I’ll be next month, let alone next year. If they chose to evict me then I’ll be homeless and unemployed. I’ve spent over half my life at the cabins. The legacy of the cabins is more important than me and if I had any certainty I would have employed young people, trained them up so they could take over the management from me.
‘My mission in life is to get people to stop, reconnect with themselves and their environment. It’s a low cost place for people who can’t afford holidays elsewhere. Surfers are always coming here, we have all types of people that use the facilities.’
To learn more about Save Don Hearns Cabins and to sign the e-petition, click here.
