Bondi to Bronte The area once consisted of ‘long sweeps of beach and nothing behind but gums and stunted brush, with a stream meandering through fern gullies and palm groves to a blue lagoon just behind the sand.’ Land subdivision in 1852 attracted few buyers. The beach itself became highly popular, however, and a public reserve was created in 1882. ‘Sea bathing’ remained illegal until 1902, and in the 1960s Council officers armed with tape measures were still ordering women to leave the beach if their bikini sides measured under 4 inches.