Wanda Beach or ''Wanda'' is the northernmost patrolled beach on
Bate Bay
Bate Bay is a bay in southern Sydney, Australia. The bay is south of the Kurnell peninsula and its foreshore makes up the beaches of Cronulla.
The beaches of Cronulla from north to south are: Wanda Beach, Elouera Beach, North Cronulla Beac ...
in
Cronulla
Cronulla is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Boasting numerous surf beaches and swimming spots, the suburb attracts both tourists and Greater Sydney residents. Cronulla is located 26 kilometres south of the Sydney ...
,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. ''Green Hills'' or ''Green Hills Ridge'' is the name given to the
Cronulla sand dunes
The Cronulla sand dunes, also known officially as the Cronulla Sand Dune and Wanda Beach Coastal Landscape, are an open space, heritage-listed nature conservation, and visitor attraction located on the Kurnell Peninsula at Lindum Road, Kurn ...
, just north of Wanda.
History
The original inhabitants of the land were the
Gweagal
The Gweagal (also spelt Gwiyagal) are a clan of the Dharawal people of Aboriginal Australians. Their descendants are traditional custodians of the southern geographic areas of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Country
The Gweagal lived on t ...
Aborigines who were a clan of the Tharawal (or Dharawal) tribe of Indigenous Australians. They are the traditional custodians of the southern geographic areas of Sydney. Wanda is an Aboriginal word for ''beach'' or ''sand hills''.
The Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club
was established in 1946 after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
by a group of men who banded together, as they did in warfare, to patrol the beaches. The colours of
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
red,
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
blue, and
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
blue were adopted as the club colours. The club, located on Marine Esplanade, has grown in size to its current membership of over 900 male and female members, ranging in age from five-year-old Nippers to the original Founding Members. The primary objective of the club is to patrol the beach in an effort to ensure the safety of the surfing public but it is also actively involved in the competition arena, with excellent performances at State and National Competitions. A number of social activities are organised throughout the year to bring together members from all sections of the club.
In 1965 the beach became notorious after the
Wanda Beach Murders
The Wanda Beach Murders, sometimes referred to simply as "Wanda", is the case of the unsolved murders of Marianne Schmidt and Christine Sharrock at Wanda Beach near Cronulla in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 11 January 1965. The victims ...
.
Gallery
Image:Wanda Beach.jpg, Aerial view
Image:Wanda Beach 2.JPG, Wanda Beach
Image:Wanda Beach Tower.JPG, Wanda Beach Tower
Image:Wanda Beach 3.JPG , Wanda Beach
Image:Wanda Beach - panoramio.jpg, Wanda Beach
References
{{Beaches of New South Wales
Geography of Sydney
Kurnell Peninsula
Beaches of New South Wales
Surfing locations in New South Wales
Sutherland Shire