420 Dive Log Australasia OCTOBER 2026

Strait. The hero, Rafferty, a traditional helmet pearl diver, scorns the introduction of the new-fangled scuba system until he becomes trapped under the sea whilst helmet diving for pearl shell. He is eventually rescued by co-star the late Charles ‘Bud’ Tingwell, using an Australian-made Lawson Lung scuba set, after which Rafferty concedes there just might be a future for scuba equipment in the pearling industry. It was a change in pearl diving methodology, which was actually played out in real life in the Australian pearling industry of the 1950s, when divers moved away from the copper helmet system and into to Australian-made PORPOISE and SEA BEE scuba and surface-supplied hookah units. ‘ King of the Coral Sea’ is a thrilling movie and the underwater action was brilliantly filmed by underwater cameraman Noel Monkman, along with Australian scuba pioneer Wally Gibbins who stood in as stuntman for ‘Bud’ Tingwell. Gibbins had been employed as a diving consultant for the movie and took with him to Thursday Island, four sets of the

Sydney-made Lawson Lung chest-mounted scuba demand regulators. The film’s underwater action scenes, especially a fight scene between actor Rod Taylor and the villain, still appear as crisp today as they were back when the film was released in 1954. A simultaneous premiere of the film was made at two cinemas on the 17 th July 1954, one in the glitz and glamour of Melbourne, the other in more humble surroundings on Thursday Island. Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh had earlier been treated to a sneak preview of the film during their March 1954 Australian tour. The accompanying images show actor ‘Bud’ Tingwell with the chest-mounted Lawson Lung scuba apparatus, flanked by Chips Rafferty and diver Noel Monkman on the film set at Thursday Island. Also depicted is Monkman with his trusty state-of-the-art movie camera. If you would like more information about diving pioneers, contact the Historical Diving Society Australia-Pacific by email at: info@historicaldivingsociety.com.au or visit our website www.historicaldivingsociety.com.au or Facebook https://m.facebook.com/groups/1 20950924589540/

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DIVE LOG Australasia #420 Oct ‘ 26

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