The broad white marble headstone commemorated the duos unfortunate death while John Pollock was serving as a volunteer surf life saver. While the white marble, ornate headstone doesn't give the immediate cause of death - shark attack, and subsequent attempt at rescue, it does have the following inscription:
PUBLIC MEMORIAL TO
NORMAN JAMES GIRVAN, aged 19 years.
Youngest Son of Mr and Mrs ROBERT GIRVAN.
And JOHN DOUGLAS POLLOCK, aged 24 years.
Only Son Of Mrs ANNIE BRINKLEY And the Late CHARLES POLLOCK.
[POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED SILVER MEDALLION OF S.L.S.A AUSTRALIA,
FOR MERITORIOUS BRAVERY.]
Members of Kirra Surf Life Saving Club, Who
Met Their Deaths at Kirra Beach, Coolangatta,
October 27th 1937. [Life-saving reel]
The direct implication from the drawing of a typical surf life-saving reel and harness on the headstone is, that their deaths were directly involved from their volunteer activities, in the surf.
From the Monuments Australia website there is more information given on the circumstances of their deaths.
"Norman Girvan (19) and John Pollock (24) were members of the Kirra Lifesaving Club when they were attacked by possibly two sharks in October 1937. Norman Girvan disappeared and John Pollock had his left arm almost torn off in the attack and he was also badly mauled. Joe Doniger, a fellow lifesaver, bravely swam out and helped him to shore but although his arm was amputated he died later in hospital.
"The tiger shark which measured 11ft 9in had a girth of 6ft 2in, 20in jaws and which weighed 850lb was caught and shot the next day. It contained parts of a human body which were believed to be those of Norman Girvan. Girvan was killed on his birthday."
That webpage also has an excerpt from the Sydney Morning Herald the popular broadsheet neewpaper of NSW, from 6 October, 1938, about the placement of this headstone (that sits above the original, and unreadable now, and much smaller tablet) in 1938. It follows:
"The memorial at the Tweed Heads cemetery to the late Norman Girvan and Jack Brinkley, victims of a shark tragedy at Coolangatta will be unveiled on October 30, the nearest Sunday to the anniversary of their deaths. The Mayor of Coolangatta and the president of the Kirra Surf Club, Alderman W. S. Winders, will unveil the memorial, and the Revs. E. A. Ferguson (Presbyterian) and W. H. Evans (Anglican), to whose churches the boys belonged, will conduct a service."
Address: Adelaide & Florence Streets, Tweed Heads Cemetery, Tweed Heads, 2485, Australia
Visited: 1124, Sunday, 16 September, 2018