Albany surfers joined dignitaries and community members at Middleton Beach to mark one year of the Southern Ocean Surf Reef last week, reflecting on the long journey to see the project completed.

A crowd gathered on the sand in front of the reef for a sausage sizzle put on by members of Albany Boardriders and to celebrate its first anniversary.

Many of the familiar faces who advocated for the reef for years attended the celebration, reflecting on the many unsung heroes of the campaign and the community’s unflagging passion for the project.

Advocate Tony Harrison thanked the community on behalf of those original members of the Albany surfing community who had since died and never got to see the artificial reef finished, or the enjoyment it brought surfers.

Peter Bolt, known by many as the face of the Midds Reef campaign, said everyone who was involved, from keen surfers to the mayor and councillors, should be proud of the result.

City of Albany mayor Greg Stocks agreed the reef was something to be proud of.

“I walk along this beach every week, and what I see is young people who have a new appetite for surfing,” he said.

“Young girls and young boys knocking off from school — there’s no phone, no iPad.

“They’re out there in nature, enjoying what beautiful surf and conditions that Albany has to offer.

“I think it exceeded expectations in terms of its performance. There’s almost never a day that I’ve walked this beach and someone’s not surfing.

“We’re continuing to try and improve the liveability of Albany, and this is a key asset.

“We had to move a couple of rocks in the first year to make it a little safer, make sure it’s a bit more user-friendly, but we haven’t had to paint it, fertilise it, we haven’t had to mow it, and we’re one year into a 100-year project.”

Kane Holtom travelled down to Albany to represent Surfing WA at the event.

“It’s an extraordinary effort, and I think it makes this one-year anniversary worth celebrating,” he said.

“It is already delivering exactly what Albany needed: a wave close to town, a new local hub for the surfing community.

“Midds Reef is proof of what happens when a community refuses to let a good idea go.”