Key Points
- Sunnyside North is the only clothing-optional beach in greater Melbourne.
- Its future as a nudist beach came under threat earlier this year.
- Naturist Michael led the campaign to save the beach's clothing-optional status.
The man behind a campaign to save greater Melbourne's only nudist beach has described the local council's decision to retain its clothing-optional status as "a historic victory for naturists in Australia".
in February when Mornington Peninsula Shire Council voted to canvas locals and users of the Mount Eliza beach, with a view to writing to the Victorian government to revoke the beach's status.
But after community consultation showed overwhelming support for the secluded beach to remain clothing optional, the council earlier this month voted in favour of retaining its status.
Michael, who has been a regular at Sunnyside North for more than 25 years and spearheaded the campaign to save its clothing-optional status, said it was an "emotional" moment.
"I was amazed at what I was hearing, in a wonderful way," he told SBS News.
"For the vast majority of the councillors to vote for this, including some that had spoken out against it early on … it was fabulous," he said.
The opposition to Sunnyside North retaining its status had largely been based on an "outdated" report that wrongly associated the beach with illegal and antisocial behaviour, he said.
He said most of the problems highlighted in the report didn't occur on the beach itself, but in the carpark and private land nearby.
Sunnyside Beach North was granted its clothing-optional status in 1986. Source: Supplied
"The actual issue of the ability to be unclothed, if people want to on the clothing-optional beach, is not related to almost any of the issues that were raised by council."
Michael said he's happy not only for the beach's current users but for future generations of naturists that "the truth prevailed".
"If this beach was removed as a clothing-optional beach for the wrong reasons, or any reason, it was going to be difficult to get it back," he said.
Michael said the loss wouldn't only have affected naturalists, but the members of the LGBTIQ+ community for whom Sunnyside North has become a safe space over the years.
"It's just a wonderful, inclusive space for people down there," he said.
Michael led the campaign to save Sunnyside North Beach's clothing optional status. Source: Supplied
Michael said he supports the measures, as well as calls from some councillors for other beaches around the city to gain clothing-optional status.
"The council shouldn't have to bear the financial and other burdens of being the only clothing-optional beach in the Melbourne area," he said.
"We've got a lot of our coastline, in Victoria and throughout Australia, where there could easily be clothing-optional beaches, that would really pay no one any concern if they’re to be truly objective."
As for anyone wanting to start a campaign for their local beach to become clothing optional, Michael said he's happy to help - on one condition.
"We don't see our role as running a campaign for any of those beaches; we see our role as trying to facilitate locals engaging with their local communities to see if there is support in that area for new clothing-optional beaches," he said.
