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Produced and published by the School of Historical & Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne
Published July 2008
Published July 2008
Partners
(3196, 31 km SE, Kingston City)
A small bayside suburb located between Chelsea and Carrum on Port Phillip Bay, Bonbeach is part of the narrow coastal ridge that became popular as a beach resort in the early decades of the 20th century. The land between the sea and the Frankston railway line was first settled by holiday-makers in tents or holiday shacks, and gradually by more permanent residents. It was not until 1926 that Bonbeach had its own railway station. From 1906 until the late 1940s sand was quarried on the east side of the railway line and used in the manufacture of glass. In 1948 Australian Glass Manufacturers sold this land in residential blocks and Bonbeach's permanent population spread from the coastal strip across to the other side of the railway line. The Bonbeach Life Saving Club was founded in 1933, and the Patterson River, which forms the suburb's southern border, is a popular water sports area.