A 1,800ft rock pinnacle, jutting out of the Pacific was scaled for the first time, back in 1965, by a climber from Rossendale.

David Whitham sent a telegram home to Gregory Fold in Helmshore to give news of his success.

He was with a party which scaled the lonely peak, Balls Pyramid off the coast of New South Wales and then celebrated with champagne at the top.

David was an old boy of Haslingden Grammar School, and the great grandson of a former Mayor of Haslingden.

At the time he was a chief instructor at an outward bound school ‘down under and along with fellow climbers was taken by boat to within 50 yards of the rock but had to swim the rest as there was nowhere to land.

The stretch of water was known to be patrolled by sharks.