Sydney's Nude History.

Reef beach was once the haven for dedicated naturists and sunlovers alike.  However, due to an extraordinary set of events, this beach is practically deserted.  For those of you who are interested in helping to continue the fight for Reef Beach, we set out the events that are how history and hopefully, with support, Reef Beach will once again bring joy to many.  The beach is secluded and extremely clean.

The facilities are already in place, sporting a large toilet block and fresh water shower.  It is a great waste that a beach that was accepted as nude and visited by many should now be empty and virtually lifeless.  See photos below.

* For over seventeen years Sydney's Reef Beach was a legally sanctioned nude beach.
* It is situated on beautiful Sydney Harbour and regarded as the perfect beach for naturists.

They went there to enjoy the freedom of being able to swim and sunbathe without the restrictions of having to wear a wet and uncomfortable bathing costume.

* First timers to the beach were amazed at the camaraderie among the beach-goers and over the years social functions were held to raise tens of thousands of dollars for charity.
* While this carefree lifestyle was being enjoyed by thousands of naturists, a few local residents were plotting to have the naturists banned by using a campaign of misinformation.
* The most vocal of these is a writer of fantasy and fiction stories.
* At this time Dr Peter Macdonald decided to run for the seat of Manly and needing local support did a deal with some of the residents to rid 'their' beach of naturists. In return they would support him with their votes.
* Shortly afterwards Dr MacDonald was elected to Parliament, the campaign against naturists took on religious zealotry.

* The Manly Council tried to use the outdated Bathing Act of 1919 to force the naturists off Reef Beach.
* Their own legal Counsel's advice was that they would not get a conviction using this Act.
* For five months and eight hours a day, Manly council rangers and beach inspectors patrolled the beach and its environs. Meanwhile people continued to go to bathe nude at the beach.

Still no one was charged with committing an offense, on or near the beach.

* The facts are; No one has ever been charged with offensive behavior on the beach.
* In front of the world's media, in February 1993, the naturists held a protest rally on Reef Beach and at a prescribed moment, they all disrobed and went swimming.   Council's inspectors issued 70 summonses. One was to the Hon Richard Jones. A Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.
* The New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties defended all these people in the Manly Court in May 1993.
* On the 24th May 1993, Magistrate Henson dismissed all summonses and awarded costs against Manly Council.
* Naturists now believed they could go back to Reef Beach without having to worry about being harassed by Manly Council ever again. But their win was short lived. Dr MacDonald MP, not content with the naturists victory, drew up a Private Members Bill to change the Bathing Act of 1919.
* At this time, the Liberal State Government needed the vote of at least one of the three Independent members of the Lower House of Parliament to pass the controversial Privatisation of the Port Macquarie Hospital Bill.

For weeks Dr Macdonald and the other Independents had denounced this particular piece of legislation and had gone to the press with their views.

To everyone's astonishment, including the other Independents, Dr Macdonald MP, switched sides and voted in favor of the Legislation. The first time a public hospital in NSW had been privatised.

Only a couple of weeks later, Dr Macdonald's Private Members Bill suddenly became the Government's nude bathing Bill! What on earth had transpired to make the Liberal State Government support an Independent and foe in Parliament?

The naturists' victory in the Courts was overturned.

In addition, Manly Council's Reef Beach Management Committee has had a walking track put across the beach against the advice of National Parks and Wildlife Service which commissioned a Review of Environmental Factors document for Reef Beach. It stated that the walking track should be placed behind the beach for the following reason:

"The variation aims to reduce the conflict of use between walkers and other park users who value Reef Beach as a peaceful and quiet place to enjoy the harbour in a bushland setting.

It also aims to reduce the risk of disturbance of the Aboriginal archaeological sites in the area. The proposed route achieves these aims by avoiding the use of Reef Beach as a thoroughfare for walkers".

* To ensure all walkers were directed across the beach, the council had National Parks and Wildlife Service build an ugly wooden staircase right onto the beach
 
* The foot traffic now interferes with all beach users and these days the beach is almost deserted.

The Free Beach Association of NSW, has had more victories.

After much lobbying of the Labor State Government in December 1996, we won five legally sanctioned nude beaches.

Three of these beaches are on beautiful Sydney Harbour. Cobblers, Obelisk and Lady Bay.

However the Labor Party reneged on its promise to also include Reef Beach.

Naturism is a growing recreational lifestyle and everyday more people are joining our rank. Our legal nude beaches are packed to near capacity on most summer weekends.

Meanwhile, a deserted Reef Beach is waiting for the naturists to return and, at this stage, we have admitted defeat. In spite of our triumphs, so far we have not had Reef Beach returned to us. That is basically why the FBA of NSW was created and therefore, after 12 December 2005 (and the Special Meeting, in Manly) the association ceased to exist.

Reference:
Nudes in the Sand, Perverts in the Dunes by Douglas Booth.