Revered surfboard designer and intersex advocate dies in house fire

A woman who died in a Wollongong house fire is being remembered as a pioneering surfboard designer and a passionate advocate for gender-diverse people.

Kyra Jonsun, 71, died after flames enveloped her Coniston home at about 5:30pm on Sunday.

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated, but police have confirmed it is not being treated as suspicious.

Her death is the sixth caused by structure fires across NSW this winter.

'Possessed by brilliance'

Jonsun — who was born intersex and transitioned to a woman — is believed to have imported the first snowboard to Australia in the early 1970s.

At the time she was known as Richard "Nat" Palmer.

She was revered in the surfing community as an innovative board designer, kneeboarder, and photographer.

Surf historian Stu Nettle said Jonsun brought the Winterstick snowboard to Australia in the 1970s after a trip to America.

He said it was just one example of how she was "always ahead of the curve".

"There's lots of different threads of her life that come together and they all generally meet in surfing," Mr Nettle said.

"She was revered in that community with what she created, like working with flexible materials, different fin shapes, creating kneeboards at a time where they were right out on the bleeding edge of wave riding.

"She glassed the first channel-bottom surf board in Australia."

That was likely done at John Skipp's factory, which opened in 1970 on the Princes Highway in Wollongong.

Mr Skipp said he would leave work at 5pm and return in the morning to find Jonsun still there.

"[She] had a key and didn't have to answer to me — [she'd] go in any time of the day," he said.

"[She] would come in whenever he had a new idea."

Illawarra surf photographer Mick McCormack, whose images hung on the walls of the Wollongong Gallery next to Jonsun's, remembered her as being humble, despite being "possessed by brilliance".

"She was a very astute, smart, intelligent person who could have been a dentist, doctor, lawyer, whatever, but she just fell in love with surf photography," he said.

"She would take boards she shaped to Hawaii and would successfully ride Pipeline and acted like it was no big deal.

"She was just pleased with the fact the boards worked."

'Cornerstone' of the trans community

Jonsun is remembered as wearing her identity as a badge of honour.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance president Claire Murphy said Jonsun often spoke at pride gatherings and volunteered her time to a variety of events.

"Sharing her life story was always a highlight for Kyra," Ms Murphy said.

"There were milestones along the way, like changing her birth certificate details and gender markers in May. It was amazing.

"She was a cornerstone of the elderly trans community. A lot of people will feel her absence."

Towards the end of her life, Jonsun underwent chemotherapy after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

She is remembered as a "vibrant" and authentic person who cared deeply about social justice and environmental issues.

"Life was not always easy for Kyra as she faced a difficult battle with cancer, yet she maintained her remarkable positive outlook," Ms Murphy said.

"She simply got on with living her life to the fullest."