Swanbourne is a coastal suburb of Perth, which is the capital and by far the largest city in Western Australia. The northern end of Swanbourne's beach abuts a military base called Campbell Barracks (lightly shaded in orange), and this part of the beach has a nudity tradition that dates back many decades. While there are a number of nude beaches in the vast state of Western Australia, North Swanbourne is by far the the most popular since it is most accessible to a large concentration of people.

Despite its popularity, as best we can tell North Swanbourne has never been bestowed with an official clothing-optional designation. In 2008, the City of Nedlands (which is the local governing authority of Swanbourne and a number of other nearby suburbs) erected a sign at the southern boundary of the nude area indicating "Clothing Optional Beach Beyond This Point," which certainly hints at official recognition. (However, the sign has been torn down on at least one occasion, so the presence of a sign in uncertain.) So, it seems that North Swanbourne is one of those beaches where the nudity culture is so ingrained that it is often presumed to be a legal nude beach, but the actual legal standing is not clear. Whatever the case, nudity is freely tolerated, and North Swanbourne can draw hundreds of nude bathers on peak days.

Next to the parking lot, there are buildings that house a surf club and a restaurant called The Naked Fig (where public toilets are located). Facing the ocean, walk to the right (north) about 300 meters past the end of these buildings to reach the start of the nude area (where there may or may not be a sign). There have been some complaints in recent years concerning nudity that occurs too close to the parking lot, before the start of the accepted nude area. If you begin to encounter nude bathers immediately, be aware that they are acting irresponsibly and do not follow their lead. Even walking through sand, it only takes a few minutes to walk 300 meters, and walking the full distance helps avoid tensions between nudists and textiles.

While there is a generally agreed-upon start of the nude area, the end of the nude area is less definite. Most nudists you encounter will be gathered along the first several hundred meters of the nude beach, but the military property extends north over 2 kilometers, and all that area is potentially nudist. You will probably tire of walking before you reach the point where clothing is again necessary, but, wherever you are along the beach, do not stray into the dunes. Doing so is strictly prohibited.

more info from Free Beaches Australia (scroll down to Nth Swanbourne Beach)

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GPS: -31.9739, 115.7544

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  Swanbourne, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

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