Bernard began surfing at the age of 6 on a 17-foot hollowed paddleboard, earning him the nickname of Midget when comparing his height to his board.

In 1962, at the age of 17, Midget was the first Australian to win a major surfing title when he won the Makaha International which was then regarded as the unofficial world championship.

Midget won the first official world championship in Manly in 1964 making him a household name in Australia. Other career highlights include: 

• Australian National Titles winner in 1964 and 1965
• Peruvian international small waves competition winner in 1966
• Second in the World Championships in 1968 and 1970 held in Puerto Rico and Australia respectively
• Bobby Brown Memorial winner in 1968 Australia

In 1965, Midget founded his own label, Farrelly Surfboards, building surfboard blanks and becoming an influential shortboard designer.

Midget received the following awards in recognition of his contribution to surfing:

• Australian Hall of Fame in 1985
• Surfing Walk of Fame, California USA in 2007
• Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2017 for significant service to surfing as a competitor and industry pioneer at the national and international level, and to surf life saving

After retiring from pro-surfing Midget continued surfing at North Narrabeen and Palm Beach.