	{"id":184817,"date":"2026-04-19T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/?p=184817"},"modified":"2026-04-16T08:59:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T22:59:10","slug":"holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Holy grail&#8217; Bells collection searches for new home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">FOR 15 years, Lee Johnson has quietly guarded a remarkable slice of surfing history, kept largely out of sight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>But as the crowds drift away following this year&#8217;s Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Johnson has reached a turning point: his collection is too significant to remain hidden in a private vault.<\/p>\n<p>Driven by a sense of stewardship, he is preparing to part with it, with plans to reinvest the proceeds into the coastal communities that shaped his life.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185016\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185016\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-185016 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/Thebells50archive.20_60995_tn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"764\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185016\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A 2003 signed Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach poster. Photo: Supplied.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Known as the Bells 50 Archive, the collection was curated to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bells event in 2011, bringing together a carefully assembled suite of memorabilia in what Johnson describes as his &#8220;holy grail&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>He is seeking to partner with a charity gala or auction house to find the collection&#8217;s next custodian.<\/p>\n<p>Under his vision, proceeds would be shared between the Surf Coast and Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Clubs, reflecting a family connection that stretches back more than 70 years.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185018\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185018\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185018\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/TheBells50Archive.Si_61021_tn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"396\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185018\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signed Oakley surfing posters. Photo: Supplied.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The connection runs deep. Johnson&#8217;s grandfather, Ray, was a foundational pillar of the Ocean Grove club, credited with establishing the Nippers program in Victoria and founding the annual Rip to River run.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson&#8217;s father, Glen, followed as a club champion and lifelong surfer.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He taught me that the ocean isn&#8217;t just a playground, but a heritage to be protected,&#8221; Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Growing up in the shadow of these traditions, I learned that surfing is not just a sport, but a community asset. The Bells 50 Archive was curated with that same spirit of service.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185019\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185019\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185019\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/TheBells50Archive.Si_61098_tn.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"1040\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185019\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The signed Wayne Lynch x Rip Curl surfboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This archive is not merely a collection of modern artefacts; it is a continuation of a 70-year family commitment to the Victorian Surf Coast.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The centrepiece of the collection is a 50th anniversary Skye Bourton surfboard, which Johnson won in the lead up to the 2011 Rip Curl Pro through an supermarket competition.<\/p>\n<p>History wasn&#8217;t just made in the water; it was etched into the item.<\/p>\n<p>The surfboard was signed by 21 surfing legends including Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Bethany Hamilton.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185031\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185031\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-185031\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/TheBells50Archive.Ho_61056_tn-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"545\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185031\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The centrepiece of the entire collection &#8211; a 2011 50th anniversary Bells Beach surfboard. Photo: Su<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I spent that day on the sand, in queues witnessing the ink hit the board in real-time. It is a living time capsule,&#8221; Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;While the tribe gathered, Sally Fitzgibbons was busy charging toward her first Bell and Kelly Slater was playing his usual game of hide-and-seek with the fans.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It sparked a broader mission: to track down items that captured the spirit of Bells&#8217; half-century milestone.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_185020\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-185020\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-185020 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_3300_49542-1-1-rotated.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"1200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-185020\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lee Johnson (right) with his father Glenn Johnson holding some of the memorabilia at Bells Beach. Photo: Nathan Rivalland. Insert: A 2003 signed Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach poster. Photo: Supplied.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The archive now includes signed pieces from seven-time world champion Layne Beachley, vintage items tied to Wayne Lynch, Nat Young and Barton Lynch, as well as memorabilia bearing the signatures of Stephanie Gilmore and Kelly Slater.<\/p>\n<p>Among the most personal pieces is what Johnson calls the archive&#8217;s &#8220;soul&#8221; \u2013 a Wayne Lynch x Rip Curl hand-shaped surfboard.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was my very first surfboard, lent to me by my father,&#8221; Johnson said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A signature remains visible on the foam \u2013 a birth certificate from one of surfing&#8217;s master craftsmen \u2013 hand signed for my dad by Wayne at Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club&#8217;s 50th anniversary.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To have the board I learned on be a genuine, hand-shaped piece of Australian surfing history is the foundation upon which this archive is built.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30038\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30038\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30038 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/04\/IMG_3298_49646-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30038\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The &#8220;holy grail&#8221; collection is centred around the signed 2011 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach surfboard. Photo: Nathan Rivalland.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Following the success of the Rip Curl 2026 heritage campaign, there is a documented surge in demand for physical artefacts that bridge the gap between this golden era and the modern world tour.<\/p>\n<p>For Johnson, the next step isn&#8217;t about the value of the collection, but what it can continue to represent.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;By partnering with a charity and the Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club, we are ensuring that the history of our coast continues to protect and support its future,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR 15 years, Lee Johnson has quietly guarded a remarkable slice of surfing history, kept largely out of sight. But as the crowds drift away following this year&#8217;s Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Johnson has reached a turning point: his collection is too significant to remain hidden in a private vault. Driven by a [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":184869,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-184817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&#039;Holy grail&#039; Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Own the &quot;holy grail&quot; of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;Holy grail&#039; Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Own the &quot;holy grail&quot; of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Armstrong Creek Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Nathan Rivalland\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Nathan Rivalland\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Nathan Rivalland\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf7cb8dfe63a187785b4e65994914833\"},\"headline\":\"&#8216;Holy grail&#8217; Bells collection searches for new home\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":762,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/TNGS-11.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/\",\"name\":\"'Holy grail' Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/TNGS-11.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"Own the \\\"holy grail\\\" of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/TNGS-11.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/TNGS-11.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":630,\"caption\":\"Lee Johnson (right) with his father Glenn Johnson holding some of the memorabilia at Bells Beach. Photo: Nathan Rivalland. Insert: A 2003 signed Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach poster. Photo: Supplied.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/news\\\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"&#8216;Holy grail&#8217; Bells collection searches for new home\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/\",\"name\":\"Armstrong Creek Times\",\"description\":\"Free local news\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Armstrong Creek Times\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/ACT-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/prod\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/36\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/ACT-Logo.png\",\"width\":1140,\"height\":103,\"caption\":\"Armstrong Creek Times\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/bf7cb8dfe63a187785b4e65994914833\",\"name\":\"Nathan Rivalland\",\"description\":\"Nathan Rivalland is a journalist with the Times News Group. He covers community news, lifestyle and sport across the Surf Coast, Bellarine and Geelong.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\\\/armstrongcreektimes\\\/author\\\/nathanrivalland\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'Holy grail' Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times","description":"Own the \"holy grail\" of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"'Holy grail' Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times","og_description":"Own the \"holy grail\" of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.","og_url":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/","og_site_name":"Armstrong Creek Times","article_published_time":"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":630,"url":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Nathan Rivalland","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Nathan Rivalland","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/"},"author":{"name":"Nathan Rivalland","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#\/schema\/person\/bf7cb8dfe63a187785b4e65994914833"},"headline":"&#8216;Holy grail&#8217; Bells collection searches for new home","datePublished":"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/"},"wordCount":762,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/","url":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/","name":"'Holy grail' Bells collection searches for new home - Armstrong Creek Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-18T18:00:00+00:00","description":"Own the \"holy grail\" of surfing history. The Bells 50 Archive, featuring signed legend memorabilia, is now seeking a new home for charity.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/TNGS-11.jpg","width":1200,"height":630,"caption":"Lee Johnson (right) with his father Glenn Johnson holding some of the memorabilia at Bells Beach. Photo: Nathan Rivalland. Insert: A 2003 signed Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach poster. Photo: Supplied."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/news\/holy-grail-bells-collection-searches-for-new-home\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"&#8216;Holy grail&#8217; Bells collection searches for new home"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/","name":"Armstrong Creek Times","description":"Free local news","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#organization","name":"Armstrong Creek Times","url":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/ACT-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/ACT-Logo.png","width":1140,"height":103,"caption":"Armstrong Creek Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/#\/schema\/person\/bf7cb8dfe63a187785b4e65994914833","name":"Nathan Rivalland","description":"Nathan Rivalland is a journalist with the Times News Group. He covers community news, lifestyle and sport across the Surf Coast, Bellarine and Geelong.","url":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/author\/nathanrivalland\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184817"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/armstrongcreektimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=184817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}