SEMINAR: Archaeology Seminar Series

From the late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, South Beach enjoyed a period of extraordinary popularity as a leisure destination, attracting an estimated 35,000 people to its opening ceremony in 1909. However, at the South Beach of today, little remains to indicate this vibrant past, prompting the consideration of reasons for its eventual decline and the dismantling of its facilities. Sea bathing and beach culture at South Beach constitute an important aspect of the social history and local identity of South Fremantle and surrounding area, making South Beach a useful case study to explore how archaeological method and theory helps us understand the recent past.