Christies Beach is a seaside suburb in the southern Adelaide metropolitan area, within 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 area is scenic and hence popular with photographers as Witton Bluff provides a natural vantage point over the entire suburb and beyond. Christies Beach boasts a unique commercial strip running the entire length of Beach Road and is identified as a primary coastal node in the Adelaide Metropolitan area (Planning SA, 2007). Christies Beach also features one of the few remaining main road classified Esplanades in Metropolitan Adelaide, providing direct access to the beach on Gulf St Vincent. Christies Beach has its own postcode of 5165, and is adjacent to the suburbs of Christie Downs and

Noarlunga Centre Noarlunga Centre is a suburb in the City of Onkaparinga in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. The suburb is mostly commercial, being dominated by the Centro Colonnades shopping centre and the small 'Inspire Noarlunga' estate t ...

to the east, Port Noarlunga to the south, and

O'Sullivan Beach O'Sullivan Beach is a seaside suburb in the southern Adelaide metropolitan area, within the City of Onkaparinga. O'Sullivan Beach has a unique postcode of 5166. Development The very first development to occur along the coast of O'Sullivan Bea ...

to the north. Offshore from Christies Beach is Horseshoe Reef, which is exposed at low tide. A new artificial subtidal reef was constructed approximately 500 metres offshore from the mouth of Christies Creek in 2021.

Development

The very first development to occur along the coast of Christies Beach can be traced back to pre-colonization times, almost 40,000 years ago. The indigenous Kaurna people used the coastal area of Christies Beach (at the time known as Mullawirratingga) as a place for seasonal residence. They constructed structures known as a ''wodli'', which are small shelters made of branches and leaves. These structures were semi-permanent, only lasting the length of the summer period, after which they were then disassembled (City of Onkaparinga, 2005). The first European development along the Christies Beach coastline was constructed in the 1830s. A

whaling station Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industry ...

was constructed along the coast, influenced by the rising price of

whale bone Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and r ...

overseas, the abundant

southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...

population during the summer breeding season and the vantage point of Gulf St Vincent from Witton Bluff. By the 1840s the seasonal whale population dwindled down to unprofitable levels with the whales changing their migration route, and the whalers left the area to pursue other activities (Colwell, 1972) (Towler, 1986). An area of surveyed land covering Glenelg to Witton Bluff (Christies Beach) known as District B, was made available for settlement in 1838. Many farmers took plots of land along the Anderson Creek (now known as Christies Creek). In 1895 Lambert Christie and his wife Rosa established a farm that covered the area where Christies Beach is now situated. The entire area remained a land of farming communities until 1923. This is when Rosa Christie created the first subdivision in the area, it was named Christie Beach. With this subdivision and other such residential allocations in the area road and rail transportation was improved. The improvement in transportation south of Adelaide gave Christies Beach an increase in tourists and holiday makers who were looking for a coastal experience. Many tourists decided to build cottages and holiday shacks on Witton Bluff and down onto the beach itself (City of Onkaparinga, 2005). With the influx of visitors and new residents to the area the Christies Beach Progressive Association was formed to provide good foreshore amenities, such as beach access, toilets, showers, etc. Foreshore developments led to the creation of new shops and services on the Esplanade and nearby Gulfview and Beach Roads. By the late 1950s demand for residence in the area skyrocketed, this propelled commercial and industrial developments in the Lonsdale district with the opening of Port Stanvac Oil Refinery and Chrysler (later

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 1870 ...

) engine plant and also in Noarlunga with the relocation of the

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

and the construction of

Colonnades Shopping Centre Colonnades Shopping Centre is a shopping centre in Adelaide, South Australia. The shopping centre is located in the City of Onkaparinga, in the suburb of Noarlunga Centre. Colonnades is located on a large allotment of land with access from Gol ...

(Colwell, 1972) (City of Onkaparinga, 2005). Christie Beach Post Office opened on 3 April 1945 and was renamed Christies Beach around 1961. Christies Beach North office opened on 5 June 1962.

Wastewater treatment plant

One of metropolitan Adelaide's three largest wastewater treatment plants exists at Christies Beach, immediately north of Christies Creek. Currently operated by

SA Water SA Water is a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. History SA Water was established by the proclamation of the ''South Australian Water Corporation Act 1994'' on 1 July 1995. Prior to this its predec ...

, it commenced operating in 1970 and was expanded in 1981 to meet the needs of a growing population. Further expansion works were undertaken in 2013. As of 2021, the plant treats sewage for use as

biogas Biogas is a mixture of gases, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste and food waste. It is a ...

biosolids Biosolids are solid organic matter recovered from a sewage treatment process and used as fertilizer. In the past, it was common for farmers to use animal manure to improve their soil fertility. In the 1920s, the farming community began also to use ...

and

recycled water Water reclamation (also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling) is the process of converting municipal wastewater (sewage) or industrial wastewater into water that can be reused for a variety of purposes. Types of reuse include: ...

, and a further portion of treated wastewater is released to the environment. In the financial year 2018-19 the most significant pollutants discharged to the marine environment by mass were: nitrogen (56 tonnes), phosphorus (37 tonnes) and chlorine (6 tonnes).

Future development

Existing foreshore developments include toilet facilities, benches, shelter, barbecue facilities, native vegetation plantations, fencing, informational signage, beach access stairs, and paved footpaths on both sides of the Esplanade. Recently all overhead power lines along the Esplanade have been converted to underground power lines to improve the scenic value of the foreshore. Future development plans for the Christies Beach foreshore established under the Metropolitan Coast Park Plan include the allocation of parking areas to remove on the side of the road parking, continued planting of native vegetation and the creation of more open recreation grass spaces, and converting the footpath into a multi-recreational path that can be used by walkers and cyclists alike and is connected to similar coastal paths along coasts further north and south, and changing the flow of traffic along the coast so as to turn it into a recreational road, rather than a thoroughfare. There are plans for a coastal trail from Christies Beach to Port Noarlunga, called The Witton Bluff Base Trail, with the application for funding being considered.

Sport

The central sporting hub for the Christies Beach area is the John Bice Memorial Oval, home of the

Christies Beach Football Club The Christies Beach Football Club is an Australian rules football team based in the outer southern suburbs of Adelaide that first fielded junior teams in the Southern Football League in 1964. In 1966 senior teams were formed and almost instant s ...

Southern Districts Cricket Club The Southern Districts Cricket Club ("Stingrays") is a semi-professional cricket club in Adelaide, South Australia. It competes in the South Australian Grade Cricket League, which is administered by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA). ...

and the Christies Beach Sports and Social Club. At the waterfront, the Christies Beach Sailing Club and Christies Beach Surf Lifesaving Club cater for participants in aquatic sports. A small concrete boat ramp exists for launching and landing watercraft.

Historical sites

Morrow Road Bridge

The Morrow Road bridge over Christies Creek, a Local Heritage place, was once the main road bridge linking Christies Beach to O'Sullivan Beach. The structure is thought to be the only remaining example of a wooden road bridge in the former Noarlunga Council area.

Parks and reserves

Lohmann Park

Situated on Galloway Road between Gulf View Road and Carmichael Road, Lohmann Park is home to ''The Rainmakers'', a statue of bronze Aboriginal warriors. The sculpture was gifted to the people of Noarlunga City Council by Eugen Lohmann Esq., the Governing Director of Wender and Duerholt, a (West) German building company which had built a number of

South Australian Housing Trust The South Australian Housing Trust (SAHT) is an independent statutory authority originally established by the Government of South Australia responsible for providing low-cost rental housing to working people and their families, as a means of s ...

homes in the area. The statue was unveiled by then

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier is ...

Frank Walsh Francis Henry Walsh (6 July 1897 – 18 May 1968) was the 34th Premier of South Australia from 10 March 1965 to 1 June 1967, representing the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party. Early life One of eight children, Walsh was b ...

, on 21 May 1965. Also located in the park is a memorial to former

councillor Alan Oakes.

D. M. Coe Reserve

Situated on an easement between Vincent Street and Dorothea Street, D. M. Coe Reserve comprises open space with a small playground. The reserve is named after Daphne Mary Coe, a councillor of the former

City of Noarlunga The City of Noarlunga, formerly the District Council of Noarlunga, was a local government area in South Australia from 1856 until 1997. History The District Council of Noarlunga was established on 21 August 1856 following lobbying by residents ...

Ron Gill Reserve

Located on the corner of Brixton Street and Clovelly Avenue, the reserve comprises three tennis courts, a basketball ring, public toilets, open space, a small playground and the Ron Gill Memorial Hall, a community hall. The community hall is the home of the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, prof ...

of Noarlunga and the Brixton Street Social Tennis Club. The reserve is named after Ron Gill, the first president of the

of Noarlunga in 1966.

Tom McBeath Reserve

Located between Vincent Street, King Street, Shepherd Road and a service road to the adjacent shops, Tom McBeath comprises open space, some trees, the Christies North Kindergarten and the hall of the disbanded 1st Christies Beach Scout Group. It is named after Tom McBeath, a former president of the

of Noarlunga from 1970–1971, who was also a strong supporter of the nearby Christies Beach Meals on Wheels.

Peters Park

The park on Archer Street was formally named Peters Park on 16 April 2019. It was named after the Peters Family in recognition of the family's long history in the neighbourhood and contribution to the park for over 55 years. Allan Peters lobbied the

in 1972 to landscape the park, and along with wife Pauline, daughters Ani and Leeza, and friends, decorated surrounding

Stobie pole A Stobie pole is a power line pole made of two steel joists held apart by a slab of concrete. It was invented by Adelaide Electric Supply Company engineer James Cyril Stobie (1895–1953). Stobie used readily available materials due to the ...

s with murals, and over the years have donated their time cleaning up rubbish and reporting graffiti.

References

;References * Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). People occupying high or medium density housing - Christies Beach. Australian Census 2006. * City of Noarlunga. (1997). Noarlunga Coastal Management Plan. Adelaide: Rust PPK Pty Ltd. * City of Onkaparinga. (2004). Christies Beach Coastal Precinct. Adelaide: Rust PPK Pty Ltd. * City of Onkaparinga. (1930). History of Christies Beach. Retrieved 23 August 2007, from Local Studies On-Line: http://www.onkaparingacity.com/libraries/localstudies/view_details.asp?RefID=1200 * Colwell, M. (1972). The History of the Noarlunga District. Adelaide: Scrymgour & Sons. * Planning SA. (2001). Adelaide Metropolitan Coast Park Concept Plan. Adelaide: PPK Environment & Infrastructure Pty Ltd. * Planning SA. (17 May 2007). Christies Beach. Retrieved 27 August 2007, from Planning SA: https://web.archive.org/web/20080308093044/http://www.planning.sa.gov.au/go/open-space-and-urban-design/open-space-projects/metropolitan-open-space-system/coast-park/example-projects/christies-beach * Planning SA. (2001). Precinct 3 - Mid South Coast. Adelaide: PPK Environment & Infrastructure Pty Ltd. * Planning SA. (2001). Summary of Adelaide Metropolitan Coast Park Concept Plan. Adelaide: PPK Environment & Infrastructure Pty Ltd. * Towler, D. (1986). A Fortunate Locality. Adelaide: Peacock Publications. * Turner, A. (1994). Fingers crossed for a revival. The Advertiser, pg14. Christies-Beach-0839-0840-0841

{{commons category, Christies Beach, South Australia Suburbs of Adelaide Beaches of South Australia Gulf St Vincent