Maslin Beach is a southern coastal suburb of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. It is located in the

City of Onkaparinga The City of Onkaparinga () is a local government area (LGA) located on the southern fringe of Adelaide, South Australia. It is named after the Onkaparinga River, whose name comes from ''Ngangkiparinga'', a Kaurna word meaning women's river. It ...

. The name refers to the town of ''Maslin Beach'', the beach after which it was named and the suburb which contains both. In this article, the name refers to the suburb, unless stated otherwise. Red Ochre Cove lies south of Ochre Point, which separates Maslin Beach from Moana Beach to the north.

Geography

Maslin Beach is located between

Main South Road South Road and its southern section as Main South Road outside of Adelaide is a major north–south conduit connecting Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia. It is one of Adelaide's most important arterial and bypass roads. As ...

, which forms the suburbs eastern boundary, and

Gulf St Vincent Gulf St Vincent, sometimes referred to as St Vincent Gulf, St Vincent's Gulf or Gulf of St Vincent, is the eastern of two large inlets of water on the southern coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, the other being the larger S ...

Demographics

The 2006 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 1,066 persons in Maslin Beach on census night. Of these, 50.6% were male and 49.4% were female. The majority of residents (68.8%) are of Australian birth, with other common census responses being

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(15.8%) and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

(2.2%). The age distribution of Maslin Beach residents is similar to that of the greater Australian population. 71.7% of residents were over 25 years in 2006, compared to the Australian average of 66.5%; and 28.3% were younger than 25 years, compared to the Australian average of 33.5%.

Community

Local newspapers include ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' and ''On The Coast''. On 18 April 2012, a 14-year-old boy from Aldinga died after falling 50 metres off a cliff at Maslin Beach

Facilities and attractions

The beach

The most well-known attraction in the suburb is the beach at Maslin Beach. Also known as ''Maslin's Beach'' or, simply, ''Maslin's'', the beach is the site of a cliff-lined recreation reserve stretching from Maslin Beach town in the north to Blanche Point in the south. In 1975, the southern half of the beach was declared Australia's first official

nude beach A nude beach, sometimes called a clothing-optional or free beach, is a beach where users are at liberty to be nude. Nude beaches usually have mixed bathing. Such beaches are usually on public lands, and any member of the public is allowed to ...

. The beach is almost long, so the area reserved for nude bathing is away from other beach users. The ''Maslin Beach Nude Olympics'' are held annually, consisting of informal competitions such as

three-legged race A three-legged race is a running event involving pairs of participants running with the left leg of one runner strapped to the right leg of another runner. The objective is for the partners to beat the other contestant pairs to the finish line. ...

s and the judging of "best bum". This is now called the Pilwarren Maslin Beach Nude Games.

Parks

There are three parks in Maslin Beach. One is at the top of the stairs, one is on Beachway Avenue and one is on Parkway Avenue located next to the town hall.

Development

The development of Maslins Beach and adjacent lands for prospective tourism and recreational facilities has been a subject of controversy. In 2014, the Onkaparinga Council rejected the prospect of rezoning lands for the potential development of a marina following objections from residents. The proponent lobbying for rezoning was Nobletech, represented by John Hunt. The Development Assessment Commission's agenda of 14 November 2013 noted that Nobletech wished to develop "a regional tourism hub to promote the natural environment and greater use of Maslin Beach."

Transportation

Roads

Maslin Beach is serviced by

, connecting the suburb to both

Adelaide city centre Adelaide city centre (Kaurna: Tarndanya) is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Ad ...

and the

Fleurieu Peninsula The Fleurieu Peninsula () is a peninsula in the Australian state of South Australia located south of the state capital of Adelaide. History Before British colonisation of South Australia, the western side of the peninsula was occupied by the ...

Public transport

Maslin Beach is serviced by public transport run by the

Adelaide Metro Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is an intermodal system offering an integrated network of bus, tram, and train service throughout the metropolitan area. The network has an ann ...

Notable residents

* John F. Davis, artist

References

External links

* * *, a 1997 film set in Maslin Beach {{Adelaide landmarks Suburbs of Adelaide Beaches of South Australia