Swanbourne Beach

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PerthWA  Australia

About 300m North of the main beach is the nude beach. Always had people there in summer though busier on the weekends before the breeze comes in. Large dunes area just of the beach of you're looking to be naughty. Mainly gay men but sometimes women and couples. orth Swanbourne beach has been...

4.00 (3 reviews)

Swanbourne Beach

Perth, WA Australiahttps://www.fbwa.iinet.net.au/swanny.html

About Swanbourne Beach

About 300m North of the main beach is the nude beach. Always had people there in summer though busier on the weekends before the breeze comes in. Large dunes area just of the beach of you're looking to be naughty. Mainly gay men but sometimes women and couples. orth Swanbourne beach has been used for nude bathing since before the Second World War. In 1981 the title of Lot 357 was transferred from the Commonwealth to State ownership and although some groups have tried to disrupt nude use, the long history, popularity, and vigorous campaign of the North Swanbourne Beach Users Association has protected its status. Lot 357 is only 350m long, however the beach for some 2km north of this is still military land and available for nude use except if the firing range is in use (look for the guard towers with red flags).FBWA notes that in January, 2008 Nedlands Council erected a sign on the southern boundary of Lot 357 (see photo above) stating that the area north of the sign may be used for clothing optional bathing. This official recognition of North Swanbourne's special status is welcomed and it is hoped that Council will see fit to place further signs at the beach access, both to direct nude bathers to the free beach, and to let others know that they may encounter nudity on this beach.Despite these changes the legal status of the beach as an area for nude bathing remains a little unclear. By erecting the sign Nedlands has effectively made nude bathing legal north of the sign on Lot 328. However, Council does not administer Lot 357, which has not been officially approved for unclad bathing by the State Government. The conclusion that FBWA draws from this is that as long as you are 275m north of the beach access, and north of the "Clothing Optional Beach" sign erected by Nedlands Council, you should be OK (see the title plan). It is understood that the State Government wishes to transfer responsibility for the beach to Nedlands Council, at which point Lot 357 would become a Reserve. However Nedlands has evidently been unwilling to accept the transfer unless Lot 357 has existing legal free beach status. With the sign on the beach however, this may change.In 2007/08 there were proposals to build a marina, and associated development behind the beach at Swanbourne, however the City of Nedlands Masterplan for the Swanbourne-Allen Park area is expected to recommend preservation the bushland areas. Swanbourne Beach Olympics restarted in 2008, after a 3 year gap. See the News item, and get the details for the 2009 event. Read all about the Swanbourne Olympics. For a historical perspective of North Swanbourne beach over the past 30 years, see our Swanbourne Olympics Archive page.