St Kilda Beach, Victoria facts for kids
St Kilda Beach is a popular sandy beach in St Kilda, Melbourne, Australia. It's about 6 kilometers (4 miles) south of the Melbourne city centre. This beach is one of Melbourne's most famous spots. It stretches for about 700 meters (2,300 feet) between St Kilda Marina and St Kilda Harbour. The beach is located in the north-east part of Port Phillip Bay. It's usually calm because it's protected from big ocean waves. However, strong westerly winds can still affect it. Like any beach open to the sea, St Kilda Beach has regular tides.
You'll find the St Kilda Sea Baths right on the beach. The St Kilda Pier is another well-known landmark. At the end of the pier is the St Kilda Pavilion. This unique building looks like old English pier pavilions. It's very important to the people of Melbourne. The pavilion was rebuilt recently after a fire and is now a protected heritage site. The pier also has a long breakwater. This wall protects St Kilda Harbour and is home to a colony of little penguins!
The water quality at St Kilda Beach is checked regularly by EPA Victoria. Most of the time, the water is rated as good. This means it's safe for swimming. However, after heavy rain, the water quality can drop for about a day. This happens because stormwater drains flush into the bay. So, it's best to wait a day after a big rain before swimming.
Fun Things to Do at St Kilda Beach
St Kilda Beach is a great place for many activities. Besides swimming, lots of people enjoy sunbathing on the sand or the nearby grassy areas. You can also try various water sports here. These include windsurfing, sailing, kitesurfing, rollerblading, beach volleyball, jetskiing, and waterskiing. There's also a boardwalk for walking and a separate track for cycling along the beach.
The Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron is based at St Kilda Beach. It started in the 1870s as the St Kilda Sailing Club. The St Kilda Lifesaving Club, which helps keep swimmers safe, was also set up here in 1911. Many sports events and cultural festivals happen on the beach or in the parks next to it. The roads along St Kilda Beach are also popular for big sporting events like marathons and bicycle racing.
A Look Back: History of St Kilda Beach
In Melbourne's early days, people used rivers and creeks for bathing and drinking. But by the 1850s, these waters became quite dirty. At first, swimming in the sea wasn't very common. When it was allowed, people swam inside large wooden structures. This kept them safe from sea creatures and hidden from view.
The St Kilda Sea Baths opened in 1860. They had separate areas for men and women. This was because men often swam without clothes! Sea bathing was thought to be good for your health, just like getting some sun. Over the years, up to six different sea baths operated along the St Kilda shore. The railway line to St Kilda opened in 1857. This made it easy for many people to visit the private sea baths. The famous Esplanade Hotel was built in 1878.
Later, cable tram lines made the beach even easier to reach. A tram line opened in 1891, running right past the beach. This led to the rebuilding of the Upper Esplanade, creating new shops. In 1913, electric trams arrived, connecting St Kilda to many other parts of the city.
In 1906, a committee was formed to improve the St Kilda foreshore. Carlo Catani, a chief engineer, designed beautiful parks and gardens over the next 10 years. He planned palm tree avenues, paths, and cypress trees to block the wind. People loved Catani so much that three features are named after him: gardens, an arch, and a clocktower.
In the early 1900s, many famous places were built near the beach. These included the St Kilda Pier kiosk (1904), new St Kilda Sea Baths (1910), and the Stokehouse tea pavilion. Amusement parks like Dreamland (1906) and later Luna Park (1912) also opened. Other popular spots were the Palais de Danse (1926), the Palais Theatre (1927), and the St Moritz Ice Rink (1939).
For a long time, St Kilda Council rules said you couldn't swim in the open sea. You had to use the enclosed baths. Swimming on Sundays, Christmas, and Easter was also not allowed. In 1912, a group called the Open Sea Bathers' League challenged these rules. They swam in the open sea without being arrested. Open-sea bathing became legal in 1917, but men and women still had separate areas. Mixed bathing was not allowed. The ban on Sunday swimming was lifted in 1922. As open-sea bathing became more popular, fewer people went to the sea baths. To help, St Kilda Council built three open-sea changing pavilions along the shore. These pavilions became more popular than the old sea baths.
