Spiritland - Snakepit

If you remember milk bars, FJ Holdens, bodgies, widgies, Six O'clock Rock or the Scarborough Snake Pit, then you will enjoy these old historic photos of the Scaborough Snakepit and beach. These black and white old history photos bring back the memories. All these old images where taken off the internet and are subject to copyrighted by them - click the link below the photo for the source. My thanks to the State Library of Western Australia for their assistance with references concerning the Scarborough Snake Pit.

Photos of the historical 'Snake Pit' at Scarborough Beach, Western Australia.

The Snake Pit - History

Scarborough Beach, Western Australia (WA)

Milk shakes, hamburgers, and rock and roll - the crowd soon gathers for the free entertainment at Scarborough Beach. Image source: Oceans Bar

Selected images can be purchased from the City of Stirling Local Studies Library.

The Snakepit was on the corner of Manning Street and the Esplanade in Scarborough. In 1953 Don and Rosina Errichette bought the small kiosk from Bill Williams. There was an undeveloped sand patch in the corner of the block so in 1955/56 the couple built a retaining wall and dance floor. The snakepit soon became the place for rock music and the jive, with thousands of people visiting during the summer months.

In 1959 the Errichette's moved and leased out the business including the milk bar next door. In 1969 the Snakepit closed down.

There was a time when Scarborough beach was Perth's heart of rock'n'roll, the hottest haunt for the bodgies and widgies of the 1950s and 60s. FJ Holdens crowded the streets and young revellers gathered around the Kool Korner Kafe, ready for another night of dancing in the Snake Pit down the street. Image source: The West.com.au

Teenagers had began dancing on the pavement outside a milkbar called, "Ye Olde 'Kool-Korner' Kafe", near "Dynamite's Shack". Big Don, an American submariner, a big guy built like a bouncer, came up with the idea of setting up a hamburger joint with milkshakes and a jukebox on the concrete terrace. He had the whole corner opposite the Scarborough Hotel. This area became known as The Snake Pit.

Kids travelled from all over Perth - Victoria Park, Fremantle and Midland - to be entertained by the rock'n'rollers, or to rock to the jukebox. "There was no need to put money in the jukebox. It played straight through. No one had to put money in, so there were no fights". As Andy says "You had to live it". Dancing often went on till midnight.

Kids danced, got hot, swam, cooled off, and danced again. Everyone stopped to watch the really cool dancers. You'd hear "Let's go have a look. So-and-so's going to dance now. He's a really good dancer" and everyone would traipse off. Source: History of Rock'n'Roll in Western Australia

The Snake Pit was well "policed" by the dancers. They saw it as "a happy, fun place, so they kept it under control". They saw it as special, a place for teenagers, something of their own, so they kept the peace. Andy Andros was known as "the Pit Boss" in those days. He helped diffuse conflict and organized a lot of dance partners. Because of his duties, his hamburgers and milkshakes were free, and he had his own parking spot.

The core blokes at the Snake Pit wore black jeans and black t-shirts with desert boots and black or white socks. The girls wore mainly jeans, or skirts and petticoats. They either danced bare feet, or in desert boots with iridescent pink, orange or lime green laces. When "you looked down on the Pit you'd see a seething mass of mainly black with bits of bright colour wriggling, or seething, around. This is what led to the name The Snake Pit.

So the Snake Pit was born". Occasionally there were live bands such as The Red Rockets, Bill Blaine and The Dynamics, The Saints or The Roulettes. Some of those guys are still performing today: Tony Tyler (The Zodiacs) and Peter Andersen. Source: History of Rock'n'Roll in Western Australia

Image source lost.

The old Snake Pit in its heyday. Source: The West.com.au

This is Kool Korner, which was located where Zanders is now. When this photo was taken in the late 1930s, Kool Korner was the local hub. It was demolished in 1954 to make way for a new hotel, however the liquor license was knocked back.

So it became tearooms and a boarding house known as Tyrols. The Zanders building is still the original Tyrols, making it one of only two buildings on The Esplanade predating 1987. Image source: Chronicle Scarborough

Behind Zanders was the Luna Shopping Centre, named so because that is the location of Scarborough's very own Luna Park. It opened in 1939 and included a variety of amusements and rides as well as hosting events such as cycling, trapeze and even a Beauty Competition (first prize 40 pounds). Luna Park was demolished in 1979. Image source: Chronicle Scarborough

Looking south over the car park on Scarborough Beach Esplanade in the 1950's. Source: City of Stirling Local Studies Library

Looking north over the car park on Scarborough Beach Esplanade in 1958. Source: City of Stirling Local Studies Library

Ben Burke had a sun tan oil spray booth on the beach in Scarborough. He used mutton bird oil from Tasmania. Ben also ran the rubber surf shooter hire business along with the sun tan business. Source: City of Stirling Local Studies Library

Life Savers on the beach. Image source lost.

Beach girls. Image source lost.

Swimwear of the '50s - 1952 Miss Pacific finalists Mary Clifton Smith, Pamela Jansen and Judy Worrad, stand in front of surf boards. Source: Dictionary of Sydney

Beach boys. (Not 'THE' Beach Boys.) Image source lost.