49-519: The Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club is an Australian winter swimmers club, located at the southern end of Bondi Beach in Sydney , New South Wales . The swimming club was established in 1929 and has a small museum on the first floor. A defining characteristic of the Club is a rule that to maintain membership it was mandatory that swimmers compete on three Sundays out of four for a period of five years. Water Polo by
98-414: A ballroom, cabaret theatre, an auditorium and a cafe. Tunnels leading from the two courtyards passed underneath Marine Parade (now Queen Elizabeth Drive) to a pair of concrete groynes which opened onto the beach. The pavilion was not officially opened until the end of 1929. However, by October 1928 the project was sufficiently completed to allow people to use the dressing accommodation. The council placed
147-466: A bathing shed in 1903. Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club was established in 1906. People went to the beach for a picnic, but they seldom went swimming. Waverley Council agreed to the construction of two dressing sheds in 1905 – one for men and one for women (the ladies' shed is shown in the centre photo below) – although it soon became apparent that these sheds were not adequate, as they seem to have lacked roofs. One lady complained in 1910 that people passing in
196-550: A commercial area along Campbell Parade and adjacent side streets, featuring many popular cafes, restaurants, and hotels, with views of the beach. Pacific Bondi Beach is a shopping centre that features Woolworths Metro , QT Hotel and 22 stores. It was built on the old Swiss Grand Hotel. The Hotel Bondi is a landmark on Campbell Parade. It was built from 1915 to the 1920s and was designed by E. Lindsay Thompson. It combines Italianate , Federation and Free Classical elements and has been described as an "important landmark building in
245-539: A gentle 4 (with 10 as the most hazardous), the southern side is rated as a 7 due to a famous rip current known as the "Backpackers' Rip" because of its proximity to the bus stop. Many backpackers and tourists do not realise that the flat, smooth water is a dangerous rip current, and tourists can be unwilling to walk the length of the beach to safer swimming. The south end of the beach is generally reserved for surfboard riding. Yellow and red flags define safe swimming areas, and visitors are advised to swim between them. There
294-452: A kiosk and surf sheds, three lavatory blocks, a band stand, parks to surround the buildings and increased car and pedestrian facilities. A competition was held to design the structures and was won by the architectural firm of Robertson and Marks. The foundation stone marking the commencement of the project was laid in May 1928. In October The Sydney Morning Herald photographed the building, which
343-564: A series of large waves struck the beach and pulled people wading on a sandbank into the sea, a day that became known as "Black Sunday". Bondi Beach was a working class suburb throughout most of the twentieth century with migrant people from New Zealand comprising the majority of the local population. Following World War II, Bondi Beach and the Eastern Suburbs became home for Jewish migrants from Poland, Russia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany. A stream of Jewish immigration continued into
392-644: Is an outstanding beach cultural icon of Australia, together with the beach, park and surf lifesaving club. The structure is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register 01786 as well as by Waverley Council . The building has also been listed by the Heritage Council. According to the National Trust it "has come to represent the Australian culture of beach bathing and outdoors living". The pavilion
441-451: Is an underwater shark net ; however, it does not stretch the entire beach, it is made up of overlapping sections. Many other beaches along the same stretch of the coast have similar shark nets. Pods of whales and dolphins have been sighted in the bay during the months of migration (March–May, September–November). Fairy penguins , while uncommon, are sometimes also seen swimming close to shore or amongst surfers in southern line-up. In 2007,
490-409: Is the centre for major festivals performances throughout the year. It has a state heritage listing. Numerous festivals and events such as the annual Miss Bondi beauty pageant have made Bondi Beach a popular destination among travellers. The beach has long captured the attention of poets including Les Murray , Joanne Burns and Brook Emery . The Vans Bowl-A-Rama skateboarding competition is held at
539-497: The Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit photo shoot was set at Bondi Beach, with 1,010 women wearing bikinis taking part. In 2011, Waverley Council implemented Wi-Fi to Bondi Beach users. Service is free with limits on access periods and downloads per use. The cost of setup was estimated to be between $ 34,000 and $ 50,000 with annual costs of $ 25,000. Local business as well as The Bondi Chamber of Commerce supported
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#1732852779189588-638: The Sydney Morning Herald : Bondi now boasts not only the most up-to-date surf bathers' accommodation in the State but also the Commonwealth. It is provided with facilities for 1000 bathers and [the building] is divided into two sections providing accommodation for 750 men and 250 women. Bathers' compartments are separated by asbestos sheet partitioning and the floor is wholly of concrete to ensure cleanliness. Besides shower-baths and other necessities for bathers
637-513: The Sydney central business district , in the local government area of Waverley Council , in the Eastern Suburbs . In the 2021 Australian census the population is around 15,353. Bondi , North Bondi and Bondi Junction are neighbouring suburbs. Bondi Beach is one of the most visited tourist sites in Australia, and the location of two hit TV series Bondi Rescue and Bondi Vet . Before
686-414: 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 Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club claims to be the world's first surf lifesaving club, and North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club is a federation club. Both clubs were founded in 1907. Bondi members invented
735-526: The surf reel and many other icons of lifesaving. Surf lifesavers from both clubs were involved in the largest rescue ever on a single day, known as 'Black Sunday'. Bondi holds the most Australian Surf Lifesaving Championship gold medals in R&;R (rescue & resuscitation) and North Bondi holds the most gold medals in March Past. The Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club origin dates back to 1929 and owes its origins to
784-402: The 21st century and the area has a number of synagogues and a kosher butcher. The multicultural migration funded and drove the growth of the suburb throughout the 1990s into the turn of the century, moving it steadily from its working-class roots towards an upper/middle-class enclave similar to its neighbours of Rose Bay and Bellevue Hill which was listed as the most expensive postcode in
833-471: The Aboriginal clans who lived further from Sydney Harbour southwards to Shoalhaven . The word Bondi , also spelt Bundi , Bundye , and Boondye , originates from the word for a loud thud, such as the sound of waves breaking over rocks, but is also associated with nulla nulla , or fighting sticks, which make a loud noise when they hit something. The first record of bondi by European-ancestry Australians
882-469: The Bondi Beach townscape." It has a state heritage listing. The Beach Road Hotel, originally opened in 1956 and was formerly The Regis and prior to that The Rex , is on the corner of Glenayr Avenue and Beach Road. Bondi Pavilion is a community cultural centre, located right on Bondi Beach, which features a theatre, gallery, rehearsal, meeting and function rooms, art workshop, and studios. Bondi Pavilion
931-654: The Sea in November, and the Winter Magic Festival that attracted 60,000 visitors in 2016. In addition to many activities, the Bondi Beach Markets is open every Sunday, and a food market every Saturday, at Bondi Beach Public School. Many Irish and British tourists spend Christmas Day at the beach. An Oceanway connects Bondi to South Head to the north and other beaches to the south up to Coogee . Bondi Beach hosted
980-640: The Sea is held there every year by Australian Water Polo , with the Australia men's national water polo team taking on various international all star teams. The Bondi Icebergs Club was a location for a Jim Beam advertisement. The Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club compete against Cronulla Polar Bears Winter Swimming Club, South Maroubra Dolphins Winter Swimming Club, Clovelly Eskimos Winter Swimming Club, Maroubra Seals Winter Swimming Club, Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club, Coogee Penguins Winter Swimming Club, Bronte Splashers, Wollongong Whales and Cottesloe Crabs in
1029-547: The United States 2.7%, South Africa 2.4%, and France 2.2%. The census recorded that 72.1% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Spanish 4.4%, French 2.9%, Italian 1.9%, Portuguese 1.8% and Russian 1.3%. The most common responses for religion in Bondi Beach were No Religion 51.2%, Catholic 18.4%, Judaism 7.6% and Anglican 6.0%. Bondi Pavilion The Bondi Surf Pavilion in Sydney , New South Wales (NSW), Australia ,
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#17328527791891078-471: The Winter Swimming Association of Australia Championships. 33°53′42″S 151°16′28″E / 33.895134°S 151.27434°E / -33.895134; 151.27434 Bondi Beach Bondi Beach ( / ˈ b ɒ n d aɪ / ) is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney , New South Wales , Australia. Bondi Beach is located 7 kilometres (4 miles) east of
1127-458: The advertisement shown below, outlining the attractions of Bondi. The official opening of the Bondi Beach improvement scheme was held on 21 December 1929. The Sydney Morning Herald outlined the event in detail: A great crowd attended the official opening of the Bondi Beach improvement scheme by the Mayor of Waverley (Alderman D Hunter) on Saturday afternoon. Bondi was permeated with music all through
1176-627: The arrival of Europeans in the Port Jackson area, the Waverley and Bondi areas were inhabited for tens of thousands of years by Aboriginal Australian peoples, who left evidence of their habitation in the form of paths, rock carvings, artefacts, and shelters. The eastern beaches were home to the Bidjigal , Birrabirragal , and Gadigal people. The name "Bondi" is derived from the Dharawal language , spoken by
1225-427: The beach during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and became a local celebrity for his lifestyle and poetry recitals to visitors. Residents and tourists put together a "save the caveman" petition to allow him to continue residing but under certain rules. In 2009, he was arrested and charged for the rape of a tourist. While he was in custody, Waverley Council under then-mayor Liberal Sally Betts removed his belongings from
1274-405: The beach was established in 1884. The Waverley Council was responsible for building the first surf bathing sheds on the beach in 1903. By 1929 an estimated 60,000 people were visiting the beach on a summer weekend day. The opening of the pavilion in the same year attracted a huge crowd of 200,000. On 6 February 1938 five people drowned and over 250 people were rescued or resuscitated after
1323-661: The changing rooms, lockers, former Turkish baths and courtyard were demolished. In their place a new netball court, an art gallery, a gymnasium and an amphitheatre were constructed. In 1978 the building was officially reopened as the Bondi Surf Pavilion Community Centre. On 22 June 1993, the Australian Heritage Commission added the Bondi Beach area to the Register of the National Estate. Today
1372-520: The cliff. In September 2011, charges against Jhyimy were dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions over concerns of the reliability of the witness. Waverley Council has not offered recompense for his eviction from his home or loss of belongings. In March 2020, the Government of New South Wales closed Bondi Beach after a number of people there exceeded Australia's outdoor-gathering limit imposed to slow
1421-423: The country from 2003 to 2005. Bondi Beach was long a centre for efforts to fight indecency in beach attire. The beach was a focal point of the 1907 Sydney bathing costume protests , organised to oppose proposed dress standards for beachgoers. The Local Government Act, Ordinance No. 52 (1935) governed the decency of swimming costumes and was in force between 1935 and 1961, and resulted in public controversy as
1470-530: The day and evening. There were brass bands, fife and drum bands and bugle bands and when there was no band playing loud speakers took their place. A little after noon King Neptune landed from a surf boat in front of the pavilion where he was welcomed by the Mayoress. His majesty brought a number of balloons and these were eagerly struggled for by hundreds of children. The beach was alive with surfers and sea nymphs, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts and thousands of spectators. It
1519-497: The desire of a band of dedicated local lifesavers who wished to maintain their fitness during the winter months. They formed the Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club and drew up a constitution and elected office bearers. Included in the constitution was a rule that to maintain membership it was mandatory that swimmers compete on three Sundays out of four for a period of five years. The Bondi Skate Park opened to
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1568-604: The first floor, where the Esplanade Cabaret had been, was requisitioned by the American Red Cross and the U.S. military to become an officers' club until the end of the war. After the war, dances were organised at the pavilion, and the proceeds went to disadvantaged Australian returned soldiers. In 1948 the pavilion obtained a liquor licence. By the mid-1950s utilisation of the pavilion had begun to decline, as changes in bathing costumes from heavy material to nylon reduced
1617-404: The front of the building is devoted to the purposes of a tea-room which is capable of holding a large number of persons while wide verandahs on the seaward side are also designed for tea parties. Surf bathing had become a mass leisure pursuit after World War One. In 1923 Waverley Council commenced the implementation of the Bondi Beach and Park Improvement Scheme. The scheme included provision of
1666-546: 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. 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. In mid-1882, Bondi Beach became a public beach. The first tramway to
1715-869: The local team the Sydney Roosters , officially the Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club (ESDRLFC). Bondi Beach is the end point of the City to Surf Fun Run which is held each year in August. The race attracts over 63,000 entrants who complete the 14 km (9 mi) run from the Sydney central business district 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, Sculpture by
1764-507: The need for changing rooms. In 1955 the council reported a substantial operating loss for the building. During the 1950s and 1960s the ground floor refreshment rooms were still in use and operated by lessees; however, the main hall and auditorium were rarely used. In the early 1970s old Palm Court Ballroom space was transformed into a theatre, the Bondi Pavilion Theatre, which was opened in 1974 by Gough Whitlam . In 1977 and 1978
1813-415: The north end of the beach until the 1960s when a sewage treatment plant was built. In the mid-1990s the plant was upgraded & a deepwater ocean outfall was completed to meet water quality standards. In March 2007, Waverley Council started proceedings to evict a hermit who was living in squalor on a cliff overlooking the beach. Peter James Paul Millhouse, calling himself Jhyimy "Two Hats" Mhiyles, came to
1862-479: The notion as locals and visitors are able to connect with local business, events and other community and council events. In 2012 the Mayor of Waverley Sally Betts said that for the 2 million visitors annually, Wi-Fi offers access to local events and business information. Bondi Beach is represented in one of the most popular sporting competitions across Australia, the National Rugby League competition, by
1911-497: The pavilion is still a community centre where the accomplished French born dancer Jeanine Claes did teach from 1985 till 2001. It has a theatre, a gallery and rehearsal, meeting and function rooms. Many cultural and film festivals are held at the building, and shops, changing rooms and toilets are still available to the public but the Pavilion has been the subject of controversial development proposals that residents argue would change
1960-510: The public in 1991 with only two skate ramps. In 2004, the council sought consultation with the skating community for input on how best to upgrade the site. The end result was the construction of a bowl with a 12-foot (3.7 m) deep end and a 5-foot (1.5 m) shallow end, rated 4 out of 5 stars by Skateboard Australia . The bowl was designed by Chad Ford and built by the company Zalem. The park has been hosting BOWL-A-RAMA , an international skating competition, since 2004;. Bondi Beach has
2009-528: The skate bowl in February every year. Bondi Beach has been used as a location for numerous films, television series, music videos, and a video game: Bondi Beach is often considered to be one of Sydney's most densely populated suburbs, with a population density of 10,386/km in 2023. According to the 2021 census , there were 11,513 residents in Bondi Beach, of whom 48.7% were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 10.6%, New Zealand 2.9%,
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2058-559: The spread of the coronavirus in New South Wales. Bondi Beach has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Bondi Beach was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008. Bondi Beach is about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) long and receives many visitors throughout the year. Surf Life Saving Australia gave different hazard ratings to areas of Bondi Beach in 2004. While the northern end has been rated
2107-424: The tram could see those in the sheds dressing and undressing. Consequently, Waverley Council asked for tenders for the structure and accepted a bid for £3,000 submitted by Taylor and Bills. The new sheds were completed in 1911 and were affectionately dubbed 'The Castle' or 'Castle Pavilion' in reference to the distinctive turrets. The new dressing shed is pictured below (far right photo) and was described in detail in
2156-459: The two-piece " bikini " became popular after World War II. Waverley Council 's beach inspectors, including the Aub Laidlaw , were responsible for enforcing the law and were required to measure the dimensions of swimwear and order offenders against public decency off the beach. While vacationing in Australia during 1951, American movie actress Jean Parker made international headlines when she
2205-561: Was constructed in 1928–29, and is managed by Waverley Council. It includes the Bondi Pavilion Theatre , opened in 1974. Sea bathing gradually changed from a restricted dangerous activity in NSW to a popular pastime in the later 19th century. Bondi Beach was opened to the public as a pleasure grounds for picnicking in 1855. The beach was dedicated as a public reserve in 1882, and Waverley Council built and opened ocean baths there in 1889 and
2254-468: Was escorted off the beach after Laidlaw determined her bikini was too skimpy. The rule became increasingly anachronistic during the 1950s and was replaced in 1961 with one requiring bathers be "clad in a proper and adequate bathing costume", allowing for more subjective judgement of decency. By the 1980s topless bathing had become common at Bondi Beach, especially at the southern end. Sydney's Water Board maintained an untreated sewage outlet not far from
2303-402: Was estimated that there were between 160,000 and 200,000 people present, the marine drive, promenade and the sands being covered by a dense mass of pleasure seekers. A photo of some of the beach improvements is shown below. Some of the material commissioned by the council to promote Bondi is also shown. The Bondi Pavilion was well utilised for about two decades after its opening. During the war
2352-456: Was made between 1899 and 1903. In 2005 the road builder William Roberts received a grant of land in the area. In 1851 Edward Smith Hall and Francis O'Brien purchased 200 acres (0.8 square kilometres) of the Bondi area that included most of the beach frontage, which was named "The Bondi Estate". Hall was O'Brien's father-in-law. Between 1855 and 1877 O'Brien purchased his father-in-law's share of
2401-450: Was still under construction, as shown below. The pavilion was a very ambitious project. It had extensive dressing cubicles, which were originally in two courtyards on the ground floor of the building. One courtyard was for men and the other for women, and the individual changing booths were constructed in rows in each courtyard. These rows within the courtyards can be seen in the photograph above. It also had Turkish and hotwater baths, shops,
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