Bondi Beach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bondi BeachSydney, New South Wales |
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Aerial view of Bondi Beach
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 Bondi Beach
Location in Sydney
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| Established | 1851 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2026 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 21 m (69 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1.22 km2 (0.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 7 km (4 mi) E of Sydney CBD | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Waverley Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Vaucluse | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wentworth | ||||||||||||||
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Bondi Beach is a super famous beach and a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's about 7 kilometres (4 miles) east of the Sydney city centre. Bondi Beach is part of the Waverley Council area in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. It's home to over 11,000 people. You might have seen it on TV shows like Bondi Rescue or Bondi Vet!
Contents
What's the Story Behind Bondi Beach?
How Did Bondi Get Its Name?
The name "Bondi" comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "noise made by sea waves breaking on the beach." This is pretty much what we call "surf" today! Some records also say it means "place where a fight using bondi sticks took place."
When Did Bondi Beach Become Public?
In the early 1800s, a road builder named William Roberts got land here. Later, in 1851, Edward Smith Hall and Francis O'Brien bought a large area, including most of the beach. O'Brien eventually owned it all and called it "The O'Brien Estate."
He let people use the beach for picnics and fun. But as it got more popular, he thought about stopping public access. Luckily, the local council stepped in. In 1882, Bondi Beach officially became a public beach for everyone to enjoy!
Early Days and Big Crowds
The first tram line to the beach opened in 1884, making it easier for people to visit. In 1903, the Waverley Council built the first surf bathing sheds. By 1929, about 60,000 people would visit the beach on a sunny summer weekend! A new pavilion opened that same year, attracting a massive crowd of 200,000.
"Black Sunday"
On February 6, 1938, a sad event happened. It's known as "Black Sunday." A series of huge waves hit the beach, pulling many people into the sea. Five people drowned, but over 250 were bravely rescued or brought back to life.
A Diverse Community
For most of the 1900s, Bondi Beach was a working-class area. After World War II, many Jewish migrants from places like Poland, Russia, and Germany made Bondi Beach their home. This mix of cultures helped the area grow and become the lively place it is today. You can still find synagogues and kosher shops in the area.
Keeping the Water Clean
For a long time, untreated sewage was released near the beach. But in the 1960s, a treatment plant was built. Then, in the mid-1990s, the plant was improved with a deepwater pipe to make sure the water was clean and safe for swimming.
Beach Closure in 2020
In March 2020, the NSW Government temporarily closed Bondi Beach. This was because too many people were gathering there, which went against rules to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
What Makes Bondi Beach Special?
How Long is Bondi Beach?
Bondi Beach is about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) long and gets tons of visitors all year round.
Is it Safe to Swim at Bondi Beach?
Surf Life Saving Australia rates different parts of the beach for safety. The northern end is pretty calm, rated a 4 out of 10 (10 being most dangerous). But the southern side is rated a 7. This is because of a strong rip current called the "Backpackers' Rip." Many tourists don't realize that calm, smooth water can be a rip and very dangerous. It's always safest to swim between the yellow and red flags, which show where lifeguards are watching. The south end is usually for surfing.
What About Sharks?
There's an underwater shark net at Bondi, but it doesn't cover the whole beach. Many other beaches nearby have similar nets. You might even spot whales and dolphins migrating in the bay during certain months (March–May, September–November). Sometimes, tiny fairy penguins are seen swimming near shore too!
Bondi's World Record
In 2007, Bondi Beach set a Guinness World Record! 1,010 women wearing bikinis took part in the largest swimsuit photo shoot ever.
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Free Wi-Fi at the Beach
Since 2011, you can get free Wi-Fi at Bondi Beach! This helps both locals and visitors connect with local businesses and find out about events.
Fun Things to Do at Bondi Beach
Sports and Events
Bondi Beach is home to the Sydney Roosters rugby league team, a popular Australian sport. The beach is also the finish line for the City to Surf Fun Run every August. Over 63,000 people run 14 km (9 mi) from Sydney's city centre to Bondi Beach!
Other cool events include Flickerfest (a short film festival), World Environment Day, Sculpture by the Sea (where amazing sculptures are placed along the coast), and the Winter Magic Festival. You can also visit the Bondi Beach Markets every Sunday and a food market every Saturday at Bondi Beach Public School. Many tourists from Ireland and Britain even spend Christmas Day at the beach!
Olympic Beach Volleyball
Bondi Beach was super important during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. It hosted the beach volleyball competition! A special stadium with 10,000 seats was built just for the event.
Lifesaving Clubs
Bondi Beach has two famous surf lifesaving clubs: the Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club and the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. Both were started in 1907. Bondi members even invented the surf reel, which is a key tool for saving lives. Lifesavers from both clubs were involved in the massive rescue effort on "Black Sunday."
Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club
The Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club started in 1929. A group of dedicated lifesavers wanted to stay fit even in winter. So, they formed a winter swimming club! To stay a member, you had to swim on three out of four Sundays for five years. That's dedication!
Bondi Skate Park
The Bondi Skate Park opened in 1991. It was upgraded in 2004 with a cool bowl, which is rated 4 out of 5 stars by Skateboard Australia. Since 2004, the park has hosted Vans Bowl-A-Rama, a big international skating competition.
Shopping and Eating at Bondi Beach
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Bondi Beach has a busy area along Campbell Parade with lots of popular cafes, restaurants, and hotels. You can enjoy amazing views of the beach while you eat! The Pacific Bondi Beach is a shopping centre with a supermarket, a hotel, and many other stores.
The Hotel Bondi is a famous building on Campbell Parade, built in the early 1900s. It's a beautiful landmark. The Beach Road Hotel is another well-known spot.
The Bondi Pavilion is a community and cultural centre right on the beach. It has a theatre, art gallery, and rooms for meetings and workshops. It's a hub for many festivals and performances throughout the year.
Bondi Beach in Pop Culture
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Bondi Beach has been featured in many movies, TV shows, and even video games!
- The Block, an Australian home renovation show, filmed its first season here in 2003.
- Bondi Rescue is a real-life TV show about the lifeguards who keep the beach safe.
- Bondi Vet is another real-life TV show about veterinarian Chris Brown.
- The video game Tony Hawk's Underground 2 has a level based on Bondi Beach.
- The American hip hop group People Under the Stairs filmed part of their music video for "The Wiz" on Bondi Beach.
- Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire, an animated movie, included scenes at Bondi Beach.
- The popular TV show Modern Family featured Bondi Beach in its "Australia" episode.
- In the 1930s and 40s, gymnasts would entertain beachgoers with acrobatics on the sand. This was called "beachobatics"!
Who Lives at Bondi Beach?
Population Facts
Bondi Beach is one of Sydney's most crowded suburbs. In 2021, there were 11,513 people living there. About half of the people (48.7%) were born in Australia. Many others came from England (10.6%), New Zealand (2.9%), the United States (2.7%), South Africa (2.4%), and France (2.2%). Most people (72.1%) speak only English at home, but you'll also hear Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese.
Famous People From Bondi Beach
Some well-known people who have lived in Bondi Beach include:
- Rose Byrne, an actress
- James Packer, a businessman
- Michael Clarke, a famous Australian cricketer
- Larry Emdur, a TV presenter
Other Things Named After Bondi
- Bondi blue is a blue-green colour. It got its name because it's the colour of the water at Bondi Beach! It was famously used for the first iMac computer in 1998.
- Bondi Burgers are served at Oporto restaurants, which started in North Bondi.
- There's also a chain of pizzerias called Bondi Pizza and a tanning lotion called Bondi Sands.
Heritage Listings
Bondi Beach has some important heritage-listed places, meaning they are protected because of their history:
- 20 Hall Street: Bondi Beach Post Office
- Queen Elizabeth Drive: Bondi Beach Cultural Landscape
Bondi Beach itself was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008, showing how important it is to Australia's history and culture.
Images for kids
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A cafe in Bondi Beach
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View from Bondi Pavilion
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An example of Bondi's Art Deco architecture
See also
In Spanish: Bondi Beach para niños
