If you lived in Cronulla in the mid-1980s, there was a good chance you would have seen the ogling onlookers of mostly young lads gathering beachside to see one very famous Aussie model in a one-piece green swimsuit.
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Australian Supermodel Elle Macpherson was pictured alongside lifeguards, who were her no doubt very pleased extras, in 1986, at South Cronulla.
But this wasn't a random celebrity spotting. The model and crew were shooting a tourism promotion, according to some of the former budgie-smuggling local lifeguards. It was around the time she also shot a TAB Cola advertisement.
The photos were taken by a then-teen shire local Dean Herbert, who posted his images to the Cronulla Surf Museum Facebook page, drawing cheeky yet reminiscent responses from those who recall the scene.
Dean, who was 16 years of age at the time, remembers the day well.
"There was a surf competition on at The Point, and someone said Ellie Macpherson is down at South Cronulla. I took my camera with my long lens and started shooting photos - as any 16-year-old boy would," he said.
"I was about 40 or 50 metres away at the time. The camera man shooting the ad at the time said 'that boy with the camera get out of here'.' I guess I was in the way."
The year of 1986 was a major one in Elle's career. She was 22 years old at the time. She snagged her first of many Sports Illustrated covers, and Time magazine gave her the nickname 'The Body'. The Aussie tourist board also apparently became so taken with her that they offered her a role as an ambassador for the nation.
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