Local Government
Cambridge
Region
Metropolitan
Location
Challenger Pde City Beach
Location Details
Construction Date
Demolition Year
N/AStatutory Heritage Listings
| Type | Status | Date | Documents | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage List | Adopted | 27 Nov 2018 |
Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations
| Type | Status | Date | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| (no listings) |
Other Heritage Listings and Surveys
| Type | Status | Date | Grading/Management | More information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Description | ||||
| Municipal Inventory | Adopted | 27 Nov 2018 | Category 3 |
Category 3 |
|
Statement of Significance
Floreat Beach has aesthetic value as a large stretch of beach and foreshore that is well maintained and in good condition.
The place has historic value for its association with the establishment and development of the adjacent suburb of City Beach from a holiday destination in the 1920s to its development in the 1960s as part of the greater metropolitan area.
The place has historic value for its demonstration of the evolution in the development of public facilities with the remaining kiosk the earliest structure on the site through to contemporary structures.
The groyne has potential research value as they demonstrate methods of construction in the mid 20th century which may prove instructive to future projects;
The place has social value for many members of the community from the Town of Cambridge and the wider Perth metropolitan area who have visited the beach for formal and informal recreation.
Physical Description
Extensive area of beach with dunes, native vegetation and landscaping. The area of beach between Floreat and City Beach is connected not only by the beach but through purpose built boardwalks and coastal paths.
The dunes and natural vegetation aesthetic is interspersed with formal landscaping of lawned areas and plantings softening the hard landscaping of the carparks. Facilities include kiosks, surf clubrooms, restaurants, picnic and BBQ areas and children’s play areas.
History
The popularity of different beaches in the Perth metropolitan area was dependent on transport in the first decades of the 20th century. Those beaches close to the train line were most well patronised until the Inter War years when road access was improved. In February 1918, a timber plank road was completed in built between the city and the beach along the alignment of the present day Oceanic Drive. The beach where the road terminated became known as 'City Beach' and was formally designated as that in c1925.
Life Saving Clubs had been established at Cottesloe and North Cottesloe, and in December 1924 members of the City of Perth Amateur Swimming Club formed Western Australia’s third Surf Life Saving Club at City Beach.
In 1927, a new road to the beach was cleared along the route of what is now, The Boulevard. This road provided access to the northern parts of City Beach, now Floreat Beach.
A club now known as the Floreat Surf Life Saving Club was first formed by a band of young men in 1947 under the name of North City Surf Life Saving Club. Prior to 1947, members of the City of Perth Club, at City Beach occasionally patrolled Floreat Beach, then known as Wembley or North City Beach. The members misbehaving or being slack in carrying out club duties did this patrolling as a punishment detail - City members called it the Sahara. The City of Perth built basic timber clubrooms and public facilities at the beach.
In 1958, the name Floreat Beach came into common usage with the Surf Life Saving Club adopting the name. In 1958/59, the Floreat groyne was built to provide protection for swimmers at City Beach as well as resolved some of the issues of erosion which had been experienced at City Beach. Maintenance and management of the beaches and groynes have been an ongoing task for the Town of Cambridge and prior to 1994, the City of Perth.
The 1960s also saw the popularity and growth of surfing and the associated ‘surf culture’. Although not new to Western Australia, surfing and beach going became more popular and were closely associated with younger generations.
In 1962, the Perth City Council built a multipurpose building within the area which could be utilised during the 1962 Empire Games and the Floreat club thereafter. The Council built a clubrooms on the hill, closer to the main and popular area near the groyne. This location enabled easy patrolling of all the Floreat Beach, and a good position to keep watch for potential dangers. Those clubrooms were extended on two
occasions (1966 & 1972) to give the club more storage area for gear and extra administration and utility areas.
The late 1960s can also be seen as a period of experimentation and rejection of past practices and attitudes. It was in the context of a newly established suburb providing for a young population keen to embrace new styles and technologies that the City of Perth provided new facilities at Floreat and City Beach.
In 1971, City Beach was the host of the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships which saw the City of Perth undertake major works at the beach. In 1970, architects Forbes and Fitzhardinge were engaged to design three kiosks at the beach. Architect Tony Brand oversaw the design and he prepared an organic design in concrete which responded to the seaside setting. Only two of these kiosks remain in-situ at Floreat Beach and South City Beach.
In 1978, Cyclone Alby hit the metropolitan coastline and accelerated the erosion of Floreat Beach which undermined the surf clubrooms. The buildings had to be demolished and subsequently new buildings were completed further back from the ocean and opened in January 1981. Architects Johnston & Crystal designed the new clubrooms in conjunction with members of the Floreat Surf Life Saving Club.
Since the completion of the new clubrooms, the facilities at Floreat Beach continue to be maintained and improved with increased parking, pathways and controlled access to the beach through the sand dunes to protect the native vegetation. In 2005, a boardwalk was constructed between Floreat Beach and City Beach to assist in the maintenance and restoration of the sand dunes.
Associations
| Name | Type | Year From | Year To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston & Crystal | Architect | - | - |
| Forbes and Fitzhardinge | Architect | - | - |
| Tony Brand | Architect | - | - |
References
| Ref ID No | Ref Name | Ref Source | Ref Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floreat Surfclub | Website | 2018 | |
| Aerial photographs, Landgate. | Online Reference | 1953-2016 |