In this 1960's TV report there is a rare interview with Paula Stafford Australia's swimsuit pioneer. While most of Australia were still arguing about women wearing pant suits and mini skirts, Paula created fashion that freed women from the constructs of Australian morality and put Australia on par with the leading fashion movements in Europe.

7 Days Surfers Paradise popularity explodes – video Transcript

If you stand on the beach at Surfers Paradise and look seawards, it looks pretty ordinary. No different in fact from a hundred others down the coast in New South Wales. The surf is usually flat, hardly a board riders paradise.

But if you turn round and look inland, then Surfers certainly is different.

All this has happened in a comparatively short time, in the last ten years in fact. Because so many Australians have made it their most popular holiday resort. But why do they come here? What's it got that other places haven't got? Why do you come up here? To get grown and relax and meet the boys. Oh I like the climate up here, I reckon that's really good. Is it the place to let your hair down there? Well I suppose so, yes. The beaches are beautiful, the climate, can't complain about that. I love the sunny climate and the casual way of living I especially enjoy.

Oh you're a fantastic place, it's pretty wild sort of place really. Well because I think there's something about the place, it's a certain atmosphere that seems to make you come back all the time.

Excuse me, why do you come down to Surfers Paradise? The men, what's your name? Whatever brings them to Surfers, there are plenty of people waiting to catch them when they come. Hotels and motels sharp for custom with bright signs and neon lights. Guests are lured by the promise of TV in every bedroom. And in spite of the beach, every hotel seems to have a swimming pool.

You can live cheaply or in the height of luxury, providing you have the money.

You can swim and barbecue for 12 months in the year, and the cash rolls in for 12 months in the year. How long have you been running a motel? Eight years. Is there much money now? Reasonable, lot of fun. You make a good living there. I enjoy every bit of it, yes. What sort of people come here? We get a mixture, we have honeymoon couples. At the moment we've got about 15 honeymoon couples. We've had the Premier of Victoria, Premier of New South Wales, and several other notables.

Do they settle into the casual life up here? Very much so, and that's what they love about it. It is not tied up to any routine or regulation. They kick their boots off, get their feet down on the grass, and that's it. You wouldn't earn them from anybody else? You couldn't pick them. And another thing, we do the work. We just roll their pyjamas up and go down on the beach. When they come back, pronto, their room's ready for them again. Some of them don't even bother to roll their pyjamas up and go down to the beach in them. It's been said some go down without them.

Maybe you can't pick politicians, or notable, in the casual way that passes the clothing at Surfers. Although it is possible to be overdressed, but at least you can pick the honeymooners.

We're from Adelaide. Why did you come to Surfers? Well, we came here on our honeymoon to get a bit of sun. How do you think it compares with the beaches back in Adelaide?

We haven't seen very much of the beaches yet. Others haven't got so far, but are equally happy studying the local fort. Do you think lots of girls come down here mainly to meet boys? Oh, I wouldn't say that. I mean, you can meet boys in lots of places.

Do lots of boys come here to meet girls? My word. Are you one of them? Yes. Good luck. Say yeah. But even lovers have to eat some time, and at Surfers you eat an unrelenting diet of barbecued steak and chicken. If the food leaves something to be desired, the waitresses certainly make up for it. How do you like being served by a waitress dressed like that? It should be more of it. There is more of it. Lots more of it. Bikinis are standard wear for girls at Surfers. They wear them on the beach and in the streets, in restaurants and beer gardens, in the sun and even in the rain.
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Paula Stafford interview segment

I believe that you were more or less the pioneer in Australia of bikinis. Yes, I was in some respects. What do you mean in some respects? Well, I made them in the very early days, and that was 20 years ago. And they were called then? French swimsuits in those days, and they subsequently were called bikinis. Have you any idea what portion of bikinis would be worn up here? I would say three to one, three bikinis to one one-piece swimsuit. And what about the other beaches of Australia? The rest of Australia, there'd be ten one-piece swimsuits to every bikini, or even more in favour of the one-piece swimsuits. Because there are so many beaches where bikinis are frowned on.

Where do you live normally? Melbourne. Would you wear that costume down in Melbourne? No. Why not? Oh, well, here it's more done than in Melbourne. I mean, they're all wearing them, so why not? I might be a bit old-fashioned, but I think if anybody wants to get out in a pair of bikinis to show anything off, well, if they've got anything to show off, people will see it just the same. Well, I don't say that they wear them to show something off, because thousands of girls haven't got anything to show off.

And you can't understand, they'll let her say that. Well, beauty's in the eye of the beholder, isn't it?

What do you think of surfers? The most. The most, huh? Yeah, yeah, better. It's not squares, Will. No. How old are you? Sixteen. Well, now, what do you think of surfers? Surfers are a pretty terrific place. Too much. Too much, that's right. Too much. What's your opinion of all the bikini girls here? We love them.

I was just wondering what we've been doing all night. What have you been doing all day? Well, like a number. [Laughter] You know what we want to know? Yeah. Well, we got talking at Surfers Bear Garden at 11 o'clock, say, and that's where we've been. Not all of us. Is it 4 o'clock? Are you 21 yet? Yes, my own. I've been 21 for six years.  I didn't have much of a start at drinking, in fact.

Strictly speaking, boys and girls under 21 are not allowed to drink in Queensland. But at Surfers, they somehow seem to reach that age earlier than elsewhere.

Bear Gardens are, in fact, the chief entertainment for most visitors, young or old. Though liquor is considerably dearer, even than in Brisbane. No one seems to know why, but they drink it just the same.

Other entertainment is certainly meager. I particularly miss that you'd like to see imported to Surfers or developed here. Yes, I'd like to see the, oh, entertainment that would cater to, say, an older group. So far, the entertainment here caters to the teenager. I've found that it's a little dead after 10 o'clock, but this suits me. I'm quite ready to get a beer at that stage. You're prepared to die at 10 o'clock? I'm prepared to die at 10 o'clock, yes. Is that an old New Zealand habit? Well, it's a good story anyway.

The night sky is filled with promises which are hardly fulfilled in practice. Most restaurants have no license, and you can only get a drink if you bring your own bottle with you.

You can, of course, watch the animated signs, or visit the local fun parlors and shooting arcades. There are also hot dog stalls and bowling alleys. But if you want something more sophisticated, there's always the paradise room at the hotel, where there's a nightly floor show.

If you think that's sophisticated.

And a lucky guest may be invited onto the stage to help out with the show.

You can also watch Hawaiian dancing. Although what Hawaiians are doing in Queensland is not easily apparent. Still, they look nice. And you can also eat a luau feast, if your stomach is strong enough.

There's not much doubt about hers. Some guests, inspired by this example, shake their dinner down with a hula hula.

But if you have any ideas of disturbing the nighttime piece of surfers, you'd better watch out for Johnny Catcher, the self-appointed marshal of the town. You have to wear a gun? I can't see one or two. No, I don't carry a gun. I don't believe in it.

It's not called for here because you can't start shooting here. If you start shooting a gun off, you might hit a tourist, you know? Still, most people are satisfied with their holiday at surfers, even if they have a few criticisms. Well, what sort of a time have you had in surfers? Well, we've had a wonderful time. The weather's been marvelous.

What did you think of the accommodation? I thought it was absolutely first class. The accommodation... Expensive? No, it wasn't expensive. It's quite cheap. All the amenities you get, I think some poor with anywhere else in the world. What about entertainment? I think the entertainment's a little scratchy. I mean, all there seems to be in surfers is one or two penny arcades, a couple of pubs and one or two restaurants. How did you find the surfers at Sydney Cider? I think it's pretty flat. I don't know how you got its name.

And neither does anyone else. The name "Surfer's Paradise", a touch of inspiration by some unknown genius, is poetic license.

Surfers has lots of sun, lots of sand, but very little surf. But does it really matter?