Historical information

A group of beach revellers of all ages pose happily for the photographer against a timber boat, propped sideways on the sand. Iconic bayside bathing boxes line the familiar eroding cliff face and indigenous coastal vegetation of the sand belt.

A group of beach revellers of all ages pose happily for the photographer against a timber boat, propped sideways on the sand. Iconic bayside bathing boxes line the familiar eroding cliff face and indigenous coastal vegetation of the sand belt.

The story and exact location of this image remain a mystery. Perhaps they are city folk who have caught the train down to Sandringham or Brighton for a liberating day in the sun, sand and water.

Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by Fiona Campbell.

In August 2025 the image was found published in The Age with the following caption:
"Five thousand Richmond district scholars had a day at the beach this week. It was not warm enough for them all to go in bathing."

Again the location is not given though it very much resembles Half Moon Bay off Beach Road, Black Rock. It seems unlikely that 5000 individuals were present on the excursion!

References:
PYRAMIDS IN THE SUN--RICHMOND GOES TO THE BEACH--PALS--"FOUR"--MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN. (1934, March 23). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved August 8, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203840391

Physical description

Glass plate negative

Inscriptions & markings

Photographer notations on slide: "B19".