Bondi Pavilion

The Bondi Surf Pavilion in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is an outstanding beach cultural icon of Australia, together with the beach, park and surf lifesaving club. The structure is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register 01786 as well as by Waverley Council. The building has also been listed by the Heritage Council. According to the National Trust it "has come to represent the Australian culture of beach bathing and outdoors living". The pavilion was constructed in 1928-29, and is managed by Waverley Council.BackgroundSea bathing gradually changed from a restricted dangerous activity in NSW to a popular pastime in the later 19th century. Bondi Beach was opened to the public as a pleasure grounds for picnicing in 1855. The beach was dedicated as a public reserve in 1882, and Waverley Council built and opened ocean baths there in 1889 and a bathing shed in 1903. Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club was established in 1906. People went to the beach for a picnic, but they seldom went swimming. Waverley Council agreed to the construction of two dressing sheds in 1905 – one for men and one for women (the ladies' shed is shown in the centre photo below) – although it soon became apparent that these sheds were not adequate, as they seem to have lacked roofs. One lady complained in 1910 that people passing in the tram could see those in the sheds dressing and undressing. Consequently, Waverley Council asked for tenders for the structure and accepted a bid for £3,000 submitted by Taylor and Bills. The new sheds were completed in 1911 and were affectionately dubbed 'The Castle' or 'Castle Pavilion' in reference to the distinctive turrets. The new dressing shed is pictured below (far right photo) and was described in detail in the Sydney Morning Herald:Bondi now boasts not only the most up-to-date surf bathers' accommodation in the State but also the Commonwealth. It is provided with facilities for 1000 bathers and is divided into two sections providing accommodation for 750 men and 250 women. Bathers' compartments are separated by asbestos sheet partitioning and the floor is wholly of concrete to ensure cleanliness. Besides shower-baths and other necessities for bathers the front of the building is devoted to the purposes of a tea-room which is capable of holding a large number of persons while wide verandahs on the seaward side are also designed for tea parties.