West Beach, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids West Beach Adelaide, South Australia
West Beach Location in South Australia
Postcode(s)	5024
LGA(s)	City of Charles Sturt City of West Torrens
State electorate(s)	Colton
Federal Division(s)	Hindmarsh
Suburbs around West Beach: Henley Beach South, Fulham Lockleys Gulf St Vincent West Beach Adelaide Airport Glenelg North Glenelg North

West Beach is a lovely seaside suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It's a coastal town that's part of two local areas: the City of Charles Sturt and the City of West Torrens.

History of West Beach

West Beach was first planned in 1929. Three people, Sir Lancelot Stirling, Sir Frank Moulden, and Arnold M. Moulden, helped create it. They were managing land for the Gray family.

Back then, the area was mostly big, wavy sandhills. Workers had to move about 200,000 tons of sand. They also built a nice walkway along the beach, called an esplanade. New roads were made to connect to Military Road, which was also improved.

The West Beach Post Office opened in 1959. It closed in 1982. Another office, West Beach North, then changed its name to West Beach.

Marineland and Mr. Percival

Marineland was a famous marine park in West Beach. It was open from 1969 to 1988. Many people loved visiting this park.

A very special resident of Marineland was Mr Percival, an Australian pelican. He became famous for starring in the Australian movie Storm Boy. Mr. Percival was born and lived at Marineland.

People of West Beach

Every few years, Australia counts its population in a "census." The 2021 Census found 5,175 people living in West Beach. Almost half were male (49.1%) and just over half were female (50.9%).

Most people (74.3%) living in West Beach were born in Australia. The next largest group (6.2%) were born in England.

Fun Things to Do in West Beach

West Beach offers many fun activities, especially outdoors. It's a great place for sports and enjoying the coast.

Cycling by the Sea

Cycling is super popular along the Adelaide Shores. West Beach is right in the middle of this area. Cyclists can ride on the coastal road or a special bike path. This path is 72 kilometers long and has amazing views of Gulf St Vincent.

In 2010, famous cyclist Lance Armstrong invited people to ride with him. About 10,000 cyclists showed up to ride through West Beach!

West Beach Parks Precinct

A walkway onto West Beach

West Beach Parks is a large area managed by a special group called West Beach Trust. This group looks after 135 hectares of beachfront land. It includes places to stay, golf courses, and sports facilities.

West Beach Parks is a hub for tourism, sports, and recreation. It manages many natural areas and community facilities. These include places for boating, a coastal park, and different sports.

Many sports clubs are based here. These include The Adelaide Sailing Club, Football Federation SA, Softball SA, and Surf Life Saving SA. There's also the Westward Ho Golf Club.

A new, modern West Beach Surf Life Saving Club is also a big attraction. It has a bar, restaurant, and great ocean views.

Golf Courses

A green on the Patawalonga Golf Course

The Patawalonga Course is an 18-hole golf course. It has nice fairways and large, wavy greens. The greens use a special grass called bentgrass, like at Augusta National Golf Club.

This course is built on sand with trees and water. It's considered one of Australia's best public golf courses. It's 5913 meters long and suits all levels of golfers.

Parks and Green Spaces

West Beach has many parks and green areas. The biggest one is Apex Park. Apex Park is a huge park along the River Torrens. It has playgrounds, horses, and walking paths for everyone to enjoy.

There is also a shopping centre on Burbridge Road for local needs.

Getting Around West Beach

Main Roads

Several main roads help people travel in and out of West Beach:

• Tapleys Hill Road: This road runs north to south. It connects Queenstown to Glenelg.
• Sir Donald Bradman Drive: This road runs east to west. It links the City of Adelaide to West Beach.
• Burbridge Road

Public Transport

You can get around West Beach using buses. These bus routes are run by Adelaide Metro.

Airport Access

Adelaide Airport is very close, in the next suburb also called Adelaide Airport. Many flights, both within Australia and to other countries, use this airport. It's also used for private planes.