[Previous entry: "STRANDED WHALE (1967)"] [Next entry: "LOVELY FATHOM MAGAZINE DIVE GEAR MODEL"]
12/06/2009: "A DAY IN THE LIFE OF UNDERWATER MODELS"
When we were young guys living in the City of Sydney, there were lots of pretty girls. The plan was to turn one into another Valerie Taylor (as a diving wife or girlfriend).
Trouble was, few models could put up with pounding small boats, wet hair, and winter diving.
There was a fancy dress Press Ball at a 5-star hotel, so an underwater photographer friend, Richard Swansborough and I sought a pair of models to accompany us.
I knew two girls who lived almost next door to each other at Darling Point on Sydney Harbour, the ball was at The Chevron nearby in Kings Cross, too easy.
Our senior magazine and newspaper journalist friends would take note (we hoped) when we arrived with this pair, the most photographed cover girls in Australia.
So what did our underwater models choose for their fancy dress costumes that night?
Bed sheets with eye holes cut in them. They went as ghosts!
Nobody knew who they were. The best looking girls at the ball kept themselves covered up all night!
As for underwater models, Valerie Taylor is still the Queen of them all.
A SAD STORY: I received an email from Valli two weeks ago, followed up with phone calls to her and Jackie. After years as a top model in Europe she's now an artist and private art teacher back in Australia living near Nelson Bay.
At first chance I suggested Valli contact Sandra Greentree (the stunning Sea Hornet spear gun model from Fathom magazine days), Sandra's last known address was near to Valli at Nelson Bay.
Valli called back in tears.
