66 Facts about Bondi Beach That Will Make You Want To Go There

Anusuya Mukherjee
Nov 07, 2023 By Anusuya Mukherjee
Originally Published on Mar 03, 2022
Bondi Beach, NSW

Bondi Beach is situated in Australia.

Bondi Beach is known for its amazing beach culture and breathtaking scenery. It is one of the most visited beaches around the world during summer.

What makes the beach so well known around the world? What are the various events that are organized on Bondi Beach? Who owned Bondi Beach? Get answers to these questions about Bondi Beach as you read this article.

Facts About Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is well-known for its scenic beauty and colorful culture. Bondi Beach attracts several thousand tourists throughout the year and is regarded as a popular beach and tourist destination.

Bondi Beach is located in Sydney, New South Wales in Australia.

The beach is governed under the Waverley Council.

Bondi Beach has a suburb area attached to it, which is known as Bondi.

Some other famous suburbs around Bondi Bay are Bondi, Bondi Junction, and North Bondi.

The business district of Sydney Central, which is located in the Eastern suburbs, is at a distance of 4 mi (7 km) from Bondi Beach.

The famous beach covers an area of 0.5 sq mi (1.22 sq km).

Bondi Beach is considered to be one of the widest beaches in Sydney.

The Bondi Beach suburb area has a total population of 11,656 people. The area's postal code is 2026.

The name 'Bondi' is considered to be taken from an aboriginal word 'Boondi', which means 'noise produced because of water breaking on the rocks'.

But some say that 'Bondi' is the literal translation of the aboriginal word 'surf'.

But, as per records of the Australian Museum, Bondi relates to a place that once hosted a fight using Boondi sticks.

In short, the word 'Bondi' simply means 'fighting sticks'.

Towards the southern part of Bondi Beach, shark nets are laid to protect the people, although it doesn't cover the entire beach.

The south end is famous for the rip current known as 'Backpackers rip'.

The southern end is also famous for hosting surfing events.

The Bondi Icebergs is situated at the southern end of Bondi Beach.

The Bondi Icebergs are seaside swimming pools open to the public, which boasts extreme scenery.

It costs $8 to take a swim in the Bondi Icebergs swimming pool.

The Bondi Icebergs are open to the everyday public for viewing.

The rescue team responsible for saving lives in Bondi Beach is known as the Bondi Baths.

The Bondi Surf Bathers Lifesaving Club is considered to be the oldest surf lifesaving club in the world.

The Icebergs Bondi Surf Bathers lifesaving club was founded in 1907.

Buses going to the circular quay from the cities take around 45 minutes.

The weather in Bondi Beach is the warmest during the months of January to March, with an average of 75-82 degrees F (24-28 degrees C).

During the time of June to August, the beach records a temperature of 47-62 degrees F (8.8-17 degrees C).

There are plenty of options available for accommodations near Bondi Beach that satisfy varied budget plans.

The busiest day recorded for Bondi Beach was when it witnessed a crowd of 40,000 people during the summer.

In January of 2018, Bondi Beach recorded the hottest day, the temperature reached almost 117 degrees F (47.3 degrees C).

Sydney also experienced a turmoil of heat waves during that period.

Bondi Beach has a television show of its own, known as 'Bondi Rescue'.

Additionally, other famous television shows such as 'The Block', 'Breakers', and 'Being Lara Bingle' were filmed on Bondi Beach.

The Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit shoot was held at Bondi Beach in 2007. In this event, 1,010 models who donned bikinis were present for the shoot.

The History Of Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is well known for its vibrant culture and people-friendly attractions. Read on to learn more about the history of the beach.

A grant for a piece of land in the Bondi area was received by William Roberts in 1809.

'The Bondi Estate' was established in 1851 by Edward Smith Hall and Francis O'Brien.

They purchased an area of 200 acres (80.93 ha), which mainly included the beach frontage.

Later, in 1877, O'Brien bought all of the land from his father-in-law, Edward Smith, and renamed it as 'O'Brien Estate'.

The area around the beach was declared as an amusement resort and picnic ground by O'Brien.

But the increasing popularity of the beach caused O'Brien to threaten it to be closed to public.

Bondi Beach was declared a public beach by the Municipal Council on June 9, 1882.

In 1884, the first tramway to Bondi Beach was started.

Almost 60,000 people were flocking to Bondi Beach by 1929.

A new pavilion was inaugurated the same year in Bondi Beach, which garnered a crowd of 200,000.

Bondi Beach faced a disaster on February 6, 1938, which was coined as 'Black Sunday'.

'Black Sunday' was recorded to be disastrous as huge waves hit people resting in the sand bar and swept 200 people into the sea.

Around five individuals were declared dead, and many others were left injured.

After the Second World War, Bondi suburbs saw an increase in the Jewish population.

The Jewish were significant in the Bondi suburb because they helped develop the location into a lavish enclave.

Bondi Beach became the center for those who wished to oppose indecency in swimsuits around 1907.

The Water Board of Sydney had an untreated sewage plant not very far from the beach. The plant was modified in the '90s to increase water quality.

The 2000 Summer Olympics' beach volleyball competition was held on Bondi Beach.

A stadium with 10,000 seats, warm-up courts, and training courts were constructed for the game.

Bondi Beach was closed by the NSW government in March 2020, because the norms set to control coronavirus were not being followed.

Bondi Beach Lifeguards

Bondi Beach hosts multiple check posts for the lifeguards. The Bondi Life Savers Club is regarded to be the oldest surf lifeguard club and is very active.

Surfing is one of the main attractions of Bondi Beach.

Surf waves can reach up to 13.12 ft (4 m) somedays, and that sometimes may cause a threat to the people who visit.

'Backpackers Rip' is the infamous rip-current present in Bondi Beach, which is known to sweep people into the sea.

Lifeguards have to stay on point to save people from these threats.

Also, shark nets have been laid on the beach to stop sharks from entering the beachfront waters.

During 'Black Sunday', the lifeguards on Bondi Beach were busy saving almost 200 people being swept away into the sea.

74 people were pulled out from the surf by the lifeguards in one hour.

An air surveillance team also helps the lifeguards to keep a proper watch on the tourists that are present in Bondi Beach.

Furthermore, lifeguards have laid perimeter flags for the people to swim in.

'The Bondi Rescue Show' primarily focuses on the day-to-day activities of the lifeguards present in Bondi Beach. The television series has become quite famous in Australia.

Things To Do In Bondi

There are a lot of things to do while you are in Bondi. The culturally rich and vibrant Bondi suburbs are densely populated and host a lot of events on Bondi Beach and its surrounding areas for tourists to enjoy.

While you are at Bondi, you can enjoy the amazing street art and graffiti walls present throughout the city.

The concept of street art and graffiti is very much supported by the Council, which is why there is an outdoor gallery that hosts sculptures and bookstores.

A famous event called Sculptures by the Sea is hosted on Bondi Beach from October to November; during this event, you can witness several sand sculptures present on the shore.

Festival of the Winds is celebrated on Bondi Beach during September, in which kites are flown from the seashore.

January and February is the time when Bondi Beach hosts the Open-Air Cinemas, in which you get to see new movies and some classic old movies on a large outdoor screen.

The Bondi Winter Magic Festival, hosted during June to August, features ice skating rinks and many other events.

The Sydney Roosters represent Bondi Beach in the National Rugby League, which can be witnessed by tourists as well.

Bondi Skate Park is also there if you want to go skating.

The skate park was established in 1991; since then, it has undergone several upgrades.

This skate park hosts the Vans Bowl-A-Rama skateboarding competition annually in February.

The Campbell Parade is a well-known area in Bondi, which presents tourists with many activities.

The Campbell Parade is a commercial area filled with cafes, restaurants, and hotels for tourists. Also, street art is on display in this area.

But nothing competes with surfing when you are in Bondi. Bondi Beach is famous for its huge waves and the sound caused due to the water breaking on the rocks.

These waves present the best possibility of surfing, and there are several guides present there who will help you out with getting started.

Also, Sydney isn't that far away; you can always take a short trip to Sydney, enjoy the opera, and come back to the beach and relax.

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Written by Anusuya Mukherjee

Bachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

Anusuya Mukherjee picture

Anusuya MukherjeeBachelor of Arts and Law specializing in Political Science and Intellectual Property Rights

With a wealth of international experience spanning Europe, Africa, North America, and the Middle East, Anusuya brings a unique perspective to her work as a Content Assistant and Content Updating Coordinator. She holds a law degree from India and has practiced law in India and Kuwait. Anusuya is a fan of rap music and enjoys a good cup of coffee in her free time. Currently, she is working on her novel, "Mr. Ivory Merchant".

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