THE BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES AND DENDY STREET BEACH

ESPLANADE BRIGHTON, BAYSIDE CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register

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Statement of Significance

• Additional Place Information

  • History

    THE BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES AND DENDY STREET BEACH - History

    The landscape:

    The land known as the Landscape of Dendy Street Beach is the traditional land of the Boonwurrung people and their presence is evident in cultural sites within the sand dunes along the Esplanade. This place includes Green Point, originally a low receding cliff which was filled in when a sea wall was constructed post 1936, and Dendy Street Beach and Holloway Bay. The dunes behind Dendy Street Beach were probably created around 6,000 years ago when the sea level stabilised and sand was deposited against the Red Bluff Sands which run under the Esplanade. Foreshore winds continue to shift sand from the beach, resulting in two dunes with a small swale or depression between them. Vegetation has stabilised the dunes and continues to trap the sand.

    The dune area is now known as the Dr Jim Willis Reserve after Dr Jim Willis who was the Assistant Government Botanist at the National Herbarium of Victoria (Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne) until his retirement in 1972. He was a long term resident of Brighton and was widely recognised for his taxonomic research and more than 800 publications on native flora.

    The establishment of Brighton:

    In 1840, prior to leaving Britain, Henry Dendy was granted eight square miles of land under a Special Survey approved by the British Government's Land and Emigration Commission. It was bounded by North Road, East Boundary Road, South Road and the high water mark of Port Phillip Bay. On his arrival in 1841, Dendy employed Jonathan Binns Were as his agent and the new township of Brighton was surveyed in the same year. Dendy eventually sold his interest to the Were family and after a slow beginning, Brighton became a popular recreational destination, with interest slowly growing in the healthy atmosphere of beach side locations.

    Beach ownership:

    In 1873 Beach Road (now the Esplanade) was formed, exacerbating ongoing disputes about ownership of land at Brighton between the road and the high water mark. Some believed it was in private ownership and others

    believed it was for public use. In theory, a portion of land one chain from the high water mark had been allocated for public use but bathing boxes had already been erected on this land and drew complaints from private owners whose properties abutted the foreshore. In 1876, Nicholas Were tested this ownership by advertising a property between the road and the high water mark for sale. The land was jointly purchased by private residents, the government and Council and was ultimately handed over to the Brighton Council for public use.

    Bathing and bathing boxes:

    In the nineteenth century, the activity of sea bathing was common in Britain, as well as Australia. People visited beachside destinations to take in the unpolluted seaside air, and to bathe. During this period sea bathing was not considered so much as a sport or recreational activity, but as a health benefit. The water was clean, and bathing was often a substitute for washing. It was a discreet affair, with segregated bathing times and areas. Men bathed naked and women wore dresses or bathing costumes, almost as cumbersome as clothing. Even with segregation, bathers accessed the water using bathing 'machines' or purpose built baths which extended out into the water, ensuring there was as little opportunity as possible for the bather to be seen. Despite this, there were many complaints about the visibility of naked men, and in 1891 Brighton Council passed a resolution that they too had to be clothed. During the mid to late nineteenth century, beaches around Port Phillip Bay, including Brighton, St Kilda and Williamstown, had a number of commercial bathing enclosures with change rooms, promenades and enclosures extending out into the water.

    It is not known when the first bathing boxes were constructed in the Brighton area, but the Brighton Hotel advertised a wheeled bathing machine for use as early as 1844. It is likely that there were bathing boxes on Dendy Street Beach by the 1860s, and definitely by the 1880s. Unlike places in Europe and Britain where bathing boxes were almost always connected to a resort or hotel, bathing boxes in Victoria were usually privately owned. Some of them were connected to a beachside house, but most were freestanding. As with all nineteenth century bathing boxes, those at Dendy Street Beach were initially erected close to the high water mark.

    Brighton continued to expand and by 1915 there were 120 bathing boxes on Brighton beaches. Permits for the boxes were managed by Council, and licensees paid an annual fee to use them, and were also expected to maintain them. However by the 1920s, many of the bathing boxes were falling into disrepair, or were destroyed or damaged by storms and high tides. There was agitation to remove bathing boxes, boat sheds and other similar structures from the foreshore, however most survived and new ones were constructed. Those built in the first few decades of the twentieth century were weatherboard with shingle or corrugated iron roofs and painted white and green. It wasn't until the mid-1970s that the individual, brightly painted colour schemes evident today were implemented.

    The issue of public versus private beach ownership and access was also raised, as well as the view that the boxes were restricting foreshore improvements. In response to the Depression of the 1930s, the State Government initiated a work program building a bluestone wall along the Brighton foreshore to reduce erosion. The area known as Dendy Street Beach was excluded and most bathing boxes in the Brighton area were relocated to Dendy Street Beach, at first to the high water mark and later to the rear of the beach in a single, uniform line. In 1935 the Brighton Bathing Box Owners Association formed, and is still in operation today.

    By the 1950s, newspapers were again reporting the neglected appearance of the boxes, 'Hundreds of gaily painted bathing-boxes, once the pride of many beaches, have become forgotten. Some look like dilapidated fowl houses-walls missing, boards torn off, roofing ragged and rusty . sand piles half-way up the walls.' In response, Council proposed to demolish the privately licensed boxes and replace them with large concrete dressing sheds for use by all members of the public. This never eventuated and the conflict between public beach access and perceived private ownership continued.

    In 1967, the Port Phillip Authority developed a policy proposing the removal of all beach structures, including bathing boxes, as they were seen to restrict access to, and use of, crown land as well as causing environmental issues. Although the Liberal government did not support the policy, it also did not support the construction of any new structures.

    In the early 1980s the Labor government adopted policies which actively discouraged the private use of any public areas. Local authorities had created similar policies, including Frankston which in 1974 had given box licensees ten year notice to remove their boxes. The issue was exacerbated in 1983 when the Coastal Caucus Committee of the Labor Party recommended that the approximately 2,000 Port Phillip Bay boatsheds, bathing boxes and similar structures should be phased out over five years or less, a policy supported by the Minister for Planning and Environment in 1984. This caused strong objection from groups, most significantly from the Brighton Bathing Box Association, and representations were made to the Historic Buildings Council. In response, the Minister requested a study of the architectural and historical significance of all structures around Port Phillip Bay, which resulted in a recommendation to retain the Dendy Street Beach Bathing Boxes as a representative group. By this date, the bathing boxes had been painted in their existing bright colours, and have continued to be maintained and utilised by Brighton residents who pay a licensing fee to Bayside City Council.

    KEY REFERENCES USED TO PREPARE ASSESSMENT

    Allom Lovell & Associates (1999) City of Bayside Heritage Review (including a review of City of Brighton Urban Character and Conservation Study (1986) and the City of Sandringham Heritage and Conservation Study (1989) by Andrew Ward)

    Allom Lovell & Associates and John Patrick (1999) City of Bayside Heritage Review (Landscape assessment)

    Brighton Historical Society

    Heritage Insight (2015) Draft Due Diligence Report, Proposed Dendy Street Beach Pavillion

    Heritage Unit and the Coastal Unit of the Ministry for Planning and Environment (August 1985) Bathing boxes and similar structures around Port Phillip Bay

    Jenkinson, Jo (2015) The Lure of the Beach Brighton Historical Society

    Smith, R V (1987) James H Willis - a distinguished botanical career Botanic Magazine Vol. 2 pg 27

    Wakelin Associates Pty Ltd (2011) Geomorphology of Brighton Dunes & Jim Willis Reserve

    Willis, J H (1991) My Lifetime Involvement with Systematic Botany Botanic Magazine Vol. 8 pg 43

    The Age and the Argus (various articles) http://www.brightonvillage.com.au/Brighton_History/history.htm http://www.brightonbathingbox.org.au/en/history

    Assessment Against Criteria

    THE BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES AND DENDY STREET BEACH - Assessment Against Criteria

    Criterion

    The Dendy Street Beach Bathing Boxes are historically significant for their association with the development of beach culture in Victoria from the 1840s to the present day. This is demonstrated through their evolution from functional, rudimentary structures which allowed bathers to change and discreetly enter the water, to their present use and appearance as brightly decorated places which form focal points for casual and social interaction. [

    Criterion A]

    The Brighton Bathing Boxes demonstrate the principal characteristics of Bathing Boxes through their small scale, gabled roofs, and rudimentary design using simple building materials such as weatherboard cladding and corrugated iron roof sheeting. [

    Criterion D]

    The Brighton Bathing Boxes and Dendy Street Beach are of aesthetic significance to the Victorian community in exhibiting the iconic colours and forms of Bathing Boxes of the Victorian coastline. The visual impact of the vibrant, brightly painted exterior walls of the Brighton Bathing Boxes are enhanced by their setting along the curve of the Dendy Street Beach in front of its vegetated sand dunes. Images of the Brighton Bathing Boxes, in many cases with Melbourne's skyline featured in the background, are iconic to the State. [

    Criterion E]

    The Dendy Street Beach Bathing Boxes are socially significant for their strong association with local, national and international visitors. They are renowned not only for their function, but for their landmark qualities as a backdrop to many celebrations and casual visits to the beach. They have been reported and recorded in multiple mediums including photography, painting, digital and film media, and used in promotional products. They are instantly recognisable as the predominant assemblage of Bathing Boxes retained in Victoria. [

    Criterion G]

    Permit Exemptions

    THE BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES AND DENDY STREET BEACH - Permit Exemptions

    General Exemptions:

    General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

    Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

    Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

    Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

    Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

    Specific Exemptions:

    It should be noted that Permit Exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42(4) of the Heritage Act). Permit Exemptions can also be applied for and granted after registration (under s.66 of the Heritage Act)   "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">

     

    General Condition 1

    All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.

    
    

    General Condition 2

    Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible.

     

    General Condition 3

    All works should ideally be informed by Conservation Management Plans prepared for the place. The Executive Director is not bound by any Conservation Management Plan, and permits still must be obtained for works suggested in any Conservation Management Plan.

    
    

    General Condition 4 

    Nothing in this determination prevents the Heritage Council from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions

     

    General Condition 5

    Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the relevant responsible authority, where applicable.

     

    Specific Permit Exemptions

    BATHING BOXES AND EXTERIOR OF THE BATHING BOXES

    • Minor patching, repair and maintenance which replaces like with like.
    • Painting of previously painted surfaces, subject to the Permitted Painting Parameters, which replicates the colours and patterns of the existing paint scheme or with the Permitted Painting Parameters. 
    • Subject to any building permit to be issued by the responsible authority, any demolition and replacement and rebuilding of a bathing box within the same footprint and in accordance with the Construction Guidelines and the Permitted Painting Parameters.
    • The design and construction of new bathing boxes, within the general footprint of the Brighton Bathing Boxes and in accordance with the DELWP Standards for Bathing Box and Boatshed Construction Guidelines 2015. 
    • The exterior paint and appearance of new Bathing Boxes should be guided by the Permitted Painting Parameters.

    INTERIOR OF THE BATHING BOXES

    • Works to the interior spaces which do not impact on the internal structure required to support the building.

    MAINTENANCE, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE BATHING BOXES

    • General maintenance of the Bathing Boxes. Such maintenance includes the temporary shuttering of windows and covering of holes as long as this work is reversible and does not have a detrimental impact on cultural heritage significance.
    • General works/maintenance providing that the original form of the structure remains unaltered and that the works do not involve a substantial alteration or modification.
    • Proposed new additions and alterations to stairs, entrances and decks require a permit.
    • Public safety and security activities provided the works do not involve the removal, alteration or demolition of the Bathing Boxes.
    • The erection of temporary security fencing, scaffolding, hoardings or surveillance systems to prevent unauthorised access or secure public safety.
    • Emergency stabilisation necessary to secure safety where a bathing box has been irreparably damaged or destabilised and represents a safety risk to its users or the public. Note: Urgent or emergency site works are to be undertaken by an appropriately qualified specialist such as a structural engineer or other heritage professional.
    • Removal or excavation of sand under or around a Bathing Box on Dendy Street Beach for the purpose of protection and preservation of the foundations, flooring, steps and any other structures and components of the Bathing Box.

    SURF LIVESAVING CLUB AND THE CHANGING ROOM BUILDING (C. 1960S)

    • Maintenance and internal and external alterations to the Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) and changing room buildings provided that the works occur within the envelope of the existing building. 
    • The demolition of SLSC and changing rooms fabric.

    LANDSCAPE EXEMPTIONS

    • No permit is required for tree or vegetation works, removal or replanting under the Heritage Act 2017 where it is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Bayside Planning Scheme.

    Permit Exemption Policy

    THE BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES AND DENDY STREET BEACH - Permit Exemption Policy

    Preamble
    
    

    The purpose of the Permit Policy is to assist when considering or making decisions regarding works to a registered place. It is recommended that any proposed works be discussed with an officer of Heritage Victoria prior to making a permit application. Discussing proposed works will assist in answering questions the owner may have and aid any decisions regarding works to the place.
    
    

    The extent of registration of the Brighton Bathing Boxes and Dendy Street Beach in the Victorian Heritage Register affects the whole place shown on Diagram 2369 including all the Bathing Boxes. Under the Heritage Act 1995 a person must not remove or demolish, damage or despoil, develop or alter or excavate, relocate or disturb the position of any part of a registered place or object without approval. It is acknowledged, however, that alterations and other works may be required to keep places and objects in good repair and adapt them for use into the future.
    
    

    If a person wishes to undertake works or activities in relation to a registered place or registered object, they must apply to the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria for a permit. The purpose of a permit is to enable appropriate change to a place and to effectively manage adverse impacts on the cultural heritage significance of a place as a consequence of change. If an owner is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that Heritage Victoria be contacted.
    
    

    Permits are required for anything that alters the place or object, unless a permit exemption is granted. Permit exemptions usually cover routine maintenance and upkeep issues faced by owners as well as minor works or works to the elements of the place or object that are not significant. They may include appropriate works that are specified in a conservation management plan. Permit exemptions can be granted at the time of registration (under s.42 of the Heritage Act) or after registration (under s.66 of the Heritage Act).
    
    

    It should be noted that the addition of new buildings to the registered place, as well as alterations to the exterior of existing buildings requires a permit, unless a specific permit exemption is granted.
    
    

    Conservation management plans
    
    

    It is recommended that a Conservation Management Plan is developed to manage the place in a manner that respects its cultural heritage significance.
    
    

    Aboriginal cultural heritage
    
    

    If works are proposed which have the potential to disturb or have an impact on Aboriginal cultural heritage it is necessary to contact Aboriginal Victoria to ascertain any requirements under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
    
    

    If any Aboriginal cultural heritage is discovered or exposed at any time it is necessary to immediately contact Aboriginal Victoria to ascertain requirements under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.
    
    

    Human remains
    
    

    If any suspected human remains are found during any works or activities, the works or activities must cease. The remains must be left in place, and protected from harm or damage. Victoria Police and the State Coroner's Office must be notified immediately. If there are reasonable grounds to believe that the remains are Aboriginal, the Coronial Admissions and Enquiries hotline must be contacted immediately on 1300 888 544. As required under s.17(3)(b) of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 all details about the location and nature of the human remains must be provided to the Secretary (as defined in the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006).
    
    

    Other approvals
    
    

    Please be aware that approval from other authorities (such as local government) may be required to undertake works.
    
    

    Natural and Environmental Values
    
    

    The eastern part of this place, which comprises part of the Dr Jim Willis Reserve, has natural and environmental values. It is being included in this registration to provide a setting for the Bathing Boxes. The intent is not to regulate the management of the Dr Jim Willis Reserve under the Act, but to allow ongoing landscape management in accordance with the requirements of the Bayside Planning Scheme.
    
    

    The Bayside Planning Scheme Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO1) covers part of the recommended place, and approval from Bayside City Council is required for works in this area.
    
    

    Archaeology
    
    

    Ground disturbance may affect any archaeological deposits at the place and, subject to the exemptions stated in this document, requires a permit.
    
    

    Cultural heritage significance
    
    

    Overview of significanceThe cultural heritage significance of the Dendy Street Beach Bathing Boxes lies in the external fabric of the individual Bathing Boxes, including weatherboard cladding, corrugated iron roofs, and their small scale, as well as the formation of the Bathing Boxes in a continuous line at the rear of the beach.
    
    
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