In the early 1800s swimming at Sydney's beaches was a controversial pastime. Convicts were forbidden from bathing in Sydney Harbour because of "the dangers of sharks and stingrays, and for reasons of decorum". By the 1830's sea bathing was a popular activity despite being officially banned between 9.00am and 8.00pm.
During the 1900s these restrictive attitudes began to relax and the beach became associated with health, leisure and democracy - a playground everyone could enjoy equally.
A popular spot
There is clear evidence - in the form of significant Aboriginal rock carvings in particular - that Aboriginal people occupied sites in the area now known as Waverley in the period before European settlement. An important type of tool was first found in the region and is still known as the Bondi point.
The indigenous people of the area at the time of European settlement have generally been referred to as the Sydney people or the Eora (Eora means "the people"). One theory describes the Eora as a sub-group of the Darug language group which occupied the Cumberland Plain west to the Blue Mountains. However, another theory suggests that they were a distinct language group of their own.
There is no clear evidence for the name or names of the particular band(s) of the Eora that roamed what is now the Waverley area. Most sources agree on the Cadigal but there are sources which name the Biddigal and Birrabirragal bands as well.
A number of place names within Waverley - most famously Bondi - have been based on words derived from Aboriginal languages of the Sydney region.
From the mid-1800s Bondi Beach was a favourite location for family outings and picnics.
The beginnings of the suburb go back to 1809, when the early road builder, William Roberts, received from Governor Bligh a grant of 81 hectares of what is now most of the business and residential area of Bondi Beach
In 1851, Edward Smith Hall and Francis O'Brien purchased 200 acres of the Bondi area that embraced almost the whole frontage of Bondi Beach, and it was named the "The Bondi Estate." Between 1855 and 1877 O'Brien purchased Hall's share of the land, renamed the land the "O'Brien Estate," and made the beach and the surrounding land available to the public as a picnic ground and amusement resort.
Waverley was the second Sydney suburb to become a municipality. This happened on June 13, 1859, when Sir William Denison, who was the Governor-General and also the Governor-in-Chief of the Colony of New South Wales, proclaimed the establishment of "The Municipality of Waverley". At one of its earliest meetings, in December, 1859, the new Waverley Council divided the Municipality into three wards (or sections), and named them Bondi, Waverley and Nelson. Later a fourth ward was added and called Lawson. Now those wards are named Bondi, Waverley, Hunter and Lawson.
As the beach became increasingly popular, O'Brien threatened to stop public beach access. However, the Municipal Council believed that the Government needed to intervene to make the beach a public reserve. It was not until June 9, 1882, that the Government acted and Bondi Beach finally became a public beach.
The first tramway reached the beach in 1884. In 1902 a man named Joe Gocher flouted Section 77 of the Police Offences Act which prohibited bathing between 9.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. Following this, sea bathing was allowed without fear of prosecution.
Waverley Council built the first surf bathing sheds in about 1903 and by 1929 an average of 60,000 people were visiting the beach on a summer weekend day. The opening of the pavilion that year attracted an estimated crowd of up to 200 000.
By the 1930s Bondi was drawing not only local visitors but also people from elsewhere in Australia and overseas. Advertising at the time referred to Bondi Beach as the "Playground of the Pacific".
Bondi Beach hosted the beach volleyball competition at the 2000 Summer Olympics. A temporary 10,000-seat stadium, a much smaller stadium, 2 warm-up courts, and 3 training courts were set up to host the tournament.
Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run, the largest running event in the world, which is held each year in August. The race attracts over 63,000 entrants who complete the 14 km run from the central business district of Sydney to Bondi Beach. Other annual activities at Bondi Beach include Flickerfest, Australia's premier international short film festival in January, World Environment Day in June, and Sculpture By The Sea in November. In addition to many activities, the Bondi Beach Markets is open every Sunday.
The surf lifesaving movement
The increasing popularity of sea bathing during the late 1800s and early 1900s raised concerns about public safety and how to prevent people from drowning. In response, the world's first formally documented surf lifesaving club, the Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club, was formed in 1907. Surf patrol members wearing their distinctive red and yellow quartered caps first appeared at Bondi that summer. Many key features of surf rescue were established in those early years, including several Australian inventions.
From Bondi, the surf lifesaving movement spread initially through New South Wales and then to the rest of Australia and the world. With the reassuring presence of surf lifesavers on duty, beaches became places of exhilarating swimming and surfing rather than potential tragedy.
Along with the digger and the bushman, the surf lifesaver holds an iconic place in Australia's cultural imagery. The lifesaver grew to become an accepted feature of the beach and a symbol of what was seen to be good about being Australian.
This was powerfully reinforced by the dramatic events of "Black Sunday" at Bondi in 1938. Some 35,000 people were on the beach and a large group of lifesavers were about to start a surf race when three freak waves hit the beach, sweeping hundreds of people out to sea. Lifesavers rescued 300 people. The largest mass rescue in the history of surf bathing, it confirmed the place of the lifesaver in the national imagination.
Australian surf carnivals further instilled this image. Particularly popular during the inter-War years and immediately after World War II, these displays of pageantry, discipline, strength and skill drew large crowds and even royal attention. A Royal Surf Carnival was held at Bondi Beach for Queen Elizabeth II during her 1954 tour of Australia.
The encouragement of pre-adolescent members, or "Nippers", during the 1960s was another important development of post-war surf lifesaving in Australia.
Today, Surf Life Saving Australia is one of the largest and most successful nationwide associations of volunteers dedicated to protecting the safety of beach goers. Surf lifesavers have rescued over 520,000 people in the 80 years since records have been kept.
What's the difference between Lifeguards and Lifesavers?
Lifeguards are the "boys in blue" on Bondi Beach who patrol 365 days a year. The 35 Lifeguards are paid professionals employed by Waverley Council. They have have ultimate responsibility for beach safety on Bondi and perform the majority of rescues.
Bondi's volunteer Lifesavers wear the traditional red and yellow. The Surf Life Saving Association volunteers patrol on weekends and public holidays during the summer months. Both services have long and proud traditions, with many Lifeguards coming up through the ranks of local surf clubs. Lifeguards and Lifesavers work hand in hand to ensure surf safety on one of the world's busiest beaches.
How many rescues are there at Bondi?
It's difficult to predict the daily frequency of rescues at Bondi as weather and water conditions, school holidays and fluctuating tourist numbers affect the number of rescues performed. Lifeguards can perform anywhere from no rescues on one day to over 200 rescues on another day. Weekly, it can range from 10 to 400 rescues. On average, each year, Lifeguards rescue about 2,500 very grateful people. Of the total rescues performed at Bondi, Lifeguards perform about 80% while the remainder are performed by volunteers from the Bondi and North Bondi surf clubs.
History of Lifeguards
The term "lifeguard" has only been used since about 1994. Prior to that the Council staff who patrolled the beach were known as "Beach Inspectors". The first Beach Inspector, Dennis 'Dinny' Brown was appointed in 1913 to look after swimmers at Bondi Beach. Beach Inspectors and Lifeguards have been an integral part of Bondi's long and colourful history.
Sharks and shark nets
Since 1937, not one person has died from a shark attack at Bondi. However there are still regular shark sightings at Bondi. Swimmers are alerted to the presence of sharks when they are detected, but the first line of defence for many decades have been shark nets.
Shark nets are used on open ocean beaches in Qld and NSW. They are simply a straight, rectangular piece of net suspended in the water between buoys. They are anchored at either end, usually about 200 metres from shore, in about 10 metres of water. Most shark nets stretch about 200 metres along the beach and down to a depth of 6 metres. Floats at the top and sinkers at the bottom keep the net upright in the water. The mesh holes are 50cm wide; small enough to entangle sharks, and other large marine species, but big enough to leave smaller fish alone. The nets, however, are not intended to form a complete barrier, and sharks can still get through. The nets act as a deterrent by interrupting the territorial swimming patterns of sharks. In a typical 20km stretch of coastal surf beach, a strip of net will be set up every couple of kilometres along the beach.