Feel the soft sand beneath your feet. This is Main Beach. It’s not just any beach. This is Melbourne’s most famous beach. A sandy stretch of 700 meters. It lies nestled between St Kilda Marina and St Kilda Harbour.
Imagine a time before Main Beach was so popular. In the 1850s the Yarra River was the place for swimming. It was also the source of drinking water. But the river was becoming polluted. Sea bathing wasn’t considered acceptable then. People bathed in large timber structures. This was to avoid marine life and prying eyes.
The St Kilda Sea Baths opened in 1860. They had separate sections for men and women. This was because men often bathed naked. Sea bathing was popular for its health benefits. So was sun exposure. Throughout the 19th century six sea baths operated along the St Kilda shore. The Melbourne to St Kilda railway line brought lots of people. This included visitors to the privately run St Kilda Sea Baths.
The arrival of cable trams increased access. A line ran from Windsor Station to Acland Street opening in 1891. This involved widening the Upper Esplanade. Electric trams arrived in 1913. They connected St Kilda to many parts of the city.
The St Kilda Foreshore Committee was formed in 1906. They oversaw improvements to the neglected foreshore. Carlo Catani designed extensive parks gardens and landscaping. Three features are named after him. These are gardens an arch and a clocktower.
In the early years there was the St Kilda Yacht Club. There was also the St Kilda Pier with its kiosk. The domed St Kilda Sea Baths opened in 1906. There was a tea pavilion later known as the Stokehouse. Dreamland amusement park was replaced by Luna Park in 1912.
St Kilda Council had a bye-law against open sea bathing. It also prohibited bathing on Sundays Christmas and Easter. This bye-law was challenged by the Open Sea Bathers League. Open-sea bathing was legalised in 1917. Mixed bathing was initially prohibited. The ban on Sunday bathing wasn’t lifted until 1922.
Standards of decency and dress were debated. Mixed bathing men and women together in the water was legalised in 1927. During World War II nude sunbathing appeared. Sidney Nolan who lived in St Kilda painted the beach and Sea Baths. His paintings included nude sunbathers.
Today Main Beach buzzes with activity. People swim sunbathe and enjoy watersports. There’s windsurfing sailing kitesurfing. Rollerblading beach volleyball jetskiing and waterskiing are all popular. The beach has a boardwalk walking track and bicycle track. Main Beach is home to the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and the St Kilda Lifesaving Club. Many sporting tournaments and cultural events happen there. The roads alongside are used for marathons and bicycle races. Main Beach continues to be a vibrant and beloved part of Melbourne. Enjoy your time here.