Carole Draffen winner of Miss Gidget competition

Carole Draffen grew up in Nollamara near Amelia Street which she recalls as being a plank road. Carole was always at North Beach Surf Life Saving club down on the sand, which is now gone.

Carole was inspired by the Gidget movie, which helped to promote the growing surf culture and beach parties of the time.

Carole was doing a modelling course with Joyce Spiers school and thought she would enter the competitions for bikini girls, in the era when the bikini was emerging as fashionable swim wear, although she was not permitted to wear one by her parents.

TV was just starting up in the 1960s and was only black and white. Carole worked at Plaistowes and had a good friend she worked with called Maxine Sims. They decided to audition for a show called Stairway to the Stars and practised at lunchtime in the strongroom so no one would hear them singing. They auditioned for Max Bostock at TVW Limited, Channel 7, who said ‘well girls that was very nice but let me tell you, you won’t win Stairway to the Stars but we have a new show coming up called Teenbeat you can come in for that, if you learn to harmonise and do some more singing lessons you will be fine.’ Carole went on to have more singing lessons, she recalls that her teacher was certified blind.

Carole recalls knowing the Arbuckle family and James Arbuckle was a boyfriend of hers. Wanneroo Road was the great divide she recalls, between East and West and you never went South of the river.

Carole married a mechanical engineer and went to live in Dianella, moving to Melbourne for a while, before returning to WA to live in Duncraig and then Kallaroo. Her son lives near Trigg and is a surfer.

Carole became a library technician graduating in 1979 and worked at Tuart Hill high school in the library which then became Tuart College. Carole also worked at St Mary’s school as a library technician.

At the age of 50 Carole learnt to tap dance, formed a troupe called the Silver Taps who performed locally at different venues including the Tivoli Theatre.

As told to ECBussell 11/12/2025