West Beach, South Australia

West Beach was first laid out in 1929 by Sir Lancelot Stirling, Sir Frank Moulden and Arnold M. Moulden, as trustees of 'The Settled Estates of F.J. and P.J. Gray'.

:This estate which in future will be known as "West Beach" at present consists of high undulating sandhills. The party inspected the work accomplished. This comprised the continuance to the sea, the distance of about a mile, of the Richmond Road, which previously stopped at the Tapley's Hill Road; the grading and topdressing of the sandhills, involving the removal of 200,000 tons of sand, and the building of an esplanade and three roads connecting it with Military Road, which was raised 8 feet and remade. The whole of the work was carried out under the order of the Supreme Court and the town was laid out under the approval of the town planner (Mr W. Scott Griffiths)....[http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/w/w5.htm#westB The Manning Index of South Australian History – West Beach]

West Beach Post Office opened on 5 May 1959 and closed in March 1982. In July 1982 West Beach North office (open since 1964) was renamed West Beach.{{Cite web | last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Premier Postal Auctions | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=SA&country= | access-date = 26 May 2011}}

Marineland was an iconic South Australian marine park, located in West Beach from 1969 until its closure in 1988.{{Cite news|last=Byrne|first=Bob|date=26 January 2015|title=Bob Byrne remembers Marineland, Adelaide's hub of aquatic entertainment|work=The Advertiser|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/bob-byrne-remembers-marineland-adelaides-hub-of-aquatic-entertainment/news-story/d5f20c0ff9b6f9fb6152154b94531d48}} The popular marine park was where Mr. Percival, the Australian Pelican, who was noted for his starring role in the Australian Movie Storm Boy was born and lived.{{Cite news|date=3 September 2009|title=Storm Boy Pelican dies|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-09-03/storm-boy-pelican-dies/1416234|access-date=10 November 2021}}

{{Update|section|date=July 2019}}

The 2021 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 5,175 people in West Beach on census night. Of these, 49.1% were male and 50.9% were female.{{Cite web |title=2021 West Beach (SA), Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/SAL41564 |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}

The majority of residents (74.3%) are of Australian birth, with the other common census response being England (6.2%).

The age distribution of West Beach residents is skewed towards a slightly higher age bracket than the greater Australian population. 73.6% of residents were over 25 years in 2006, compared to the Australian average of 66.5%; and 26.4% were younger than 25 years, compared to the Australian average of 33.5%.

Cycling

Cycling is a popular activity along the Adelaide Shores (of which West Beach is central), with cyclists travelling the coastal road or the 72{{nbsp}}km of separated bike path overlooking St Vincent's Gulf, every day.{{Cite web|date=2010|title=Adelaide's Metropolitan Coastline|url=https://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/news/adelaides-metropolitan-coastline/|access-date=30 January 2022|website=Bicycling Australia}} In January 2010 controversial cyclist Lance Armstrong, in Adelaide for the Tour Down Under, called for cyclists on Twitter to join him on a Sunday morning ride along the Adelaide shores through West Beach. An estimated 10,000 cyclists turned up at short notice and rode with Armstrong.{{Cite news |last=Pepper |first=Chris |date=17 January 2010 |title=Legion of Fans of the Ride of Their Lives |pages=4 |work=The Sunday Mail}}

West Beach ParksFile:West Beach.jpg

West Beach Trust (marketed as West Beach Parks) is a statutory authority created under South Australia's West Beach Recreation Reserve Act 1987 to manage the reserve and its associated facilities. The West Beach Trust Board comprises representatives of the three local Councils and independent members. The West Beach Parks Precinct covers 135 hectares of beachfront land and comprises two accommodation properties, two public golf courses, diverse competition level sporting facilities, meeting and events venues, a boat haven and a broad range of lessees.{{Cite web|date=7 November 2021|title=Company Profile|url=https://www.westbeachparks.com.au/about-us/company-profile|access-date=7 November 2021|website=West Beach Parks}}

West Beach Parks is a tourism, sport and recreation precinct. West Beach Parks is responsible for managing the West Beach Recreation Reserve, an area of significant natural assets, and its commercial and community facilities including accommodation, boating, a coastal park, golfing, leisure and sports West Beach Parks has a number of tenants, including; The Adelaide Sailing Club, Football Federation SA, Softball SA, Surf Life Saving SA and the Westward Ho Golf Club.{{Cite web|date=7 November 2021|title=West Beach Parks|url=https://www.westbeachparks.com.au/about-us|access-date=7 November 2021|website=West Beach Parks}}

The new 10-million-dollar West Beach Surf Life Saving Club, funded by Federal, State and local governments with its Bar, Restaurant and Ocean views is an attraction at West Beach.{{Cite web |date=30 December 2023 |title=West Beach Surf Life Saving Club Unveils 10 Million Dollar Redevelopment |url=https://glamadelaide.com.au/west-beach-surf-life-saving-club-unveils-10m-redevelopment-offering-a-new-coastal-haven-in-adelaide/?hss_channel=fbp-43256914547 |access-date=30 December 2023 |website=GLAM Adelaide}}

GolfFile:Patawalonga Golf Course at West Beach Parks 2.jpgThe Westward Ho Golf Club, which was established in 1957{{Cite web |title=The Westward Ho Golf Club |url=https://westwardho.org.au/ |access-date=31 May 2025 |website=The Westward Ho Golf Club}} sits on the Patawalonga Golf Course.

The Patawalonga Course consists of 18 holes par 72 with fine kikuyu fairways all year round and large undulating good speed bentgrass (as used at Augusta National){{Cite web|last=Kerr-Dineen|first=Luke|date=10 November 2020|title=Augusta Nationals Greens Look (slightly) Different This Year: Here's Why.|url=https://golf.com/instruction/putting/augusta-nationals-greens-look-slightly-different-this-year-heres-why/|access-date=28 January 2022|website=GOLF.COM}} bunkered greens. Built on a sandy base with mature trees and water hazards the Patawalonga Championship links style course is one of the best public golf courses in Australia. Measuring 5913 metres in length and green sizes averaging 750m2 the Patawalonga caters for all golfers' abilities and needs.{{Cite web|date=7 November 2021|title=West Beach Parks Golf|url=https://www.westbeachparksgolf.com.au/play|access-date=7 November 2021|website=West Beach Parks}}

Anne-Marie Knight and Zak Rollins are the club professionals {{Cite web |title=Golf Professionals |url=https://westwardho.org.au/the-club/staff-office-bearers/ |access-date=31 May 2025 |website=The Westward Ho Golf Club}}

The Golf Course is also an official bee sanctuary for European honeybees, which have further bolstered the course's sustainability. Six beehives are safely situated away from the short grass of the greens to ensure the bees are foraging and pollinating the 7000 native plants added to the golf course as part of our ongoing Environmental Sustainability Plan to protect and enhance local biodiversity.{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Patrick |date=27 May 2024 |title=Busy Bees have brought a hive of activity to West Beach Parks |url=https://www.golf.org.au/busy-bees-have-brought-a-hive-of-activity-to-west-beach-parks/ |access-date=31 May 2025 |website=Golf Australia}}

File:The Patawalonga GC.jpg

The shopping centre on Burbridge Road services the suburb.

There are numerous parks and greenspaces throughout West Beach, the largest known as Apex Park.{{Cite web |title=Apex Park Community Facility |url=https://www.westtorrens.sa.gov.au/Community/Community-centres-and-resources/Apex-Park-Community-Facility |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=www.westtorrens.sa.gov.au |language=en-AU}} Apex Park is a huge park along the river torrens with playgrounds, horses and walkways.

In 2004, an 18-year-old boy was killed by a shark.

{{unreferenced section|date=June 2019}}

The suburb is serviced by the following main roads:

• Tapleys Hill Road, running north–south from Queenstown to Glenelg.

• Sir Donald Bradman Drive, running east–west between the City of Adelaide and West Beach

• Burbridge Road

The suburb is serviced by bus routes, operated by Adelaide Metro.

Adelaide Airport is in the adjacent suburb also named Adelaide Airport. There are frequent domestic and international flights and the airport is also used for private aviation.

• List of Adelaide suburbs

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au/ City of Charles Sturt]
• [http://www.wtcc.sa.gov.au City of West Torrens]
• [http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=4137 Local Government Association of SA – City of Charles Sturt]
• [http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=4151 Local Government Association of SA – City of West Torrens]
• [http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ProductSelect?textversion=false&areacode=4&subaction=-1&action=201&period=2006&collection=census&navmapdisplayed=true&breadcrumb=L& 2006 ABS Census Data by Location]

{{City of Charles Sturt suburbs}}

{{City of West Torrens suburbs}}

Category:Suburbs of Adelaide

Category:Beaches of South Australia