12/12/2024
🏖️ 9 December 1929, photograph taken after a day of extreme heat in Sydney peaked at 36.9° when officials opened the entrances at the Coogee Beach shark-proof enclosure south of the "Coogee Ocean Pier" for night bathing under floodlights (the night lighting had been in operation since 16th November, when the shark-proof enclosure was first officially opened).
The cost of entry to the safe night bathing area was only 1d per person (whereas the adjacent "Coogee Oceanic Pier" cost 3d per Adult + 3d per Child). With safe night bathing under floodlights (until 2am!) being unique to Coogee Beach at the time, it is no wonder huge crowds from surrounding beach suburbs flocked here in such numbers on hot nights.
THE LABOR DAILY NEWSPAPER 10 Dec 1929
***********************************************************
NIGHT BATHING - Thousands of people stormed the entrance to Coogee shark-net enclosure last night. Approximately 20,000 people were on the beach, while something like 50,000 were in and about the sands, promenades, pier & so forth. As early as 9pm carloads of people, their costumes still dry, left the place" and "Such a crowd was not anticipated, and trouble was not long in coming. Eastern Suburbs Ambulance had three waggons working all night ... there were collapses due to people being overcome in the crush; collisions in the congested waters, and people hit by cars in the jumbled traffic". Officially, it seems the number of actual entrants to the enclosed area of Coogee Beach was "11,225" (a record figure), or "nearly 12,000".
[Photo courtesy of State Library of NSW]
