Clothing Optional
120 years of being naked on the beach
Tyagarah Beach - Byron Bay Kings Beach - Broken Head
Kings Beach, 2025. Image courtesy of Maurizio Viani.Across Australia and globally, clothing-optional beaches have long been more than recreational spaces—they have served as sanctuaries for LGBTQIA+ communities seeking freedom from judgement, surveillance, and shame. In the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, beaches like Tyagarah and Kings became informal yet vital refuges where nudity and queerness coexisted as acts of resistance, joy, and personal healing. As closures and crackdowns increase, it becomes ever more urgent to document the cultural and historical significance of these spaces. These beaches are not simply places to swim—they are expressions of bodily autonomy and spatial justice, where queer people have gathered, mourned, celebrated, and simply existed without needing to explain or hide.
Tyagarah Beach – Byron Bay
Tyagarah Beach, 2022, courtesy of TRM.Nude bathing in the Byron Bay area dates back at least to 1902, when The Northern Star reported the arrest of a man for bathing naked. Over a century later, Tyagarah Beach would become the first officially designated clothing-optional beach in the region, and a rare legal space in contemporary Australia where nudity and self-expression could coexist in public.
From the late 1990s until its closure in 2024, Tyagarah offered sanctuary not only to naturists but to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Though only 800 metres in length, Tyagarah became a symbolic and social hub where nudity was not about provocation, but about presence, freedom, and belonging.
A Place to Be Seen and to Be Free
Excerpt from the Northern Star, 8 January, 1902.
Transcript “Upwards of one and a half inches of rain fell here on Saturday night, but more is still wanted. A man was sent to Casino goal from here last week for bathing in a nude state in a public place. The offence was committed close to the jetty, there being a number of woman and children there at the time. He has a couple of months at Casino to think over the matter.”Tyagarah's clothing-optional status was formalised in 1998, but its spirit of liberation stretched back much further, echoing the broader trajectory of queer liberation movements that reclaimed public space from criminalisation and shame. For trans, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals in particular, Tyagarah represented one of the few public settings where embodiment could be lived out without clothing, without stares, and without fear.
Like San Francisco’s Dolores Park or New York’s Christopher Street Pier, Tyagarah was part of an international lineage of queer outdoor spaces—places of intimacy, defiance, and community. Here, people swam, played volleyball, talked, and most importantly, simply existed. To be publicly nude and queer in safety was, and remains, a radical act.
The Conservative Creep and Moral Panic
The beach’s closure on 30 August 2024 did not occur in isolation. It reflected what many describe as a “conservative creep” in Byron Bay—a shift away from its alternative, countercultural roots toward a more sanitised, marketable identity shaped by tourism and real estate. Tyagarah, although geographically remote and historically low-impact, became a target of moral panic.
Incident report to Byron Police Station, 2018 to 2021.While complaints of lewd behaviour were cited, long-time local naturists argued the real problem was not nudity but neglect. The beach lacked basic infrastructure—signage, patrols, and waste management—leaving it vulnerable to misuse by those outside the naturist or Queer communities.
Police records from 2018 to 2021 show few incidents of offensive behaviour, undermining the narrative that closure was necessary for public safety.
Bureaucratic Erasure
What ultimately sealed Tyagarah’s fate was a bureaucratic technicality. A 2024 land survey revealed the beach fell under the jurisdiction of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), meaning the 1998 clothing-optional designation was never legally valid. NPWS subsequently deemed the area unapproved and unmanageable. Despite 7,700 petition signatures and stakeholder engagement, no alternative site was offered. The council remained silent, and NPWS held firm.
This form of bureaucratic erasure—quiet, procedural, and difficult to challenge—has often been used to remove queer presence without overt confrontation. The signs are taken down, rangers are sent in, and the space vanishes from maps, memory, and culture.
“Nude Not Lewd” and What Comes Next
A 2018 protest at Tyagarah rallied under the banner “Nude Not Lewd”—a slogan that captured the crucial difference between nudity as natural expression and the false perception of indecency. That this distinction needed asserting reflects the deep cultural misunderstandings around Queer and nude spaces.
Today, what remains is grief, defiance, and uncertainty. Some locals vow to continue using the beach, risking fines or arrest. Others mourn the loss of what Tyagarah represented: a fleeting zone of radical acceptance. The closure is not only about nudity—it is about who is allowed to take up space in public and in nature, and who is quietly pushed out.
Kings Beach - Broken Head
Kings Beach, 2025. Image courtesy of Maurizio Viani.Tucked into the Broken Head Nature Reserve, Kings Beach has been a long-standing sanctuary for queer people in New South Wales. Its isolation, framed by rainforest and cliffs, made it a safe haven for personal freedom, cultural expression, and spiritual healing—particularly for gay men and gender-diverse individuals.
Luke’s story
At King’s, being able to be myself and find meaningful connections saved my life. It’s my favourite place and will always be important to me and who I am. Every time I visit there I feel lighter and rejuvenated in mind and spirit. I feel safe. In that place we are all welcome to be free. On that beach we are all Kings… and Queens.
Early Use and Emergence as a Queer Space
Excerpt from the Tweed Daily, 27 September 1934.
Transcript “A request for permission for the Broken Head P. and C. Association to act as a controlling body on the Broken Head beach and reserve was received a todays meeting of the Byron Shire Council. It was pointed out that the lifesaving club was in formation and it was hoped to assist the club in making the necessary provision for sheds. It was also desired to exercise control over campers. Mr J Bennett attended the meeting and stressed the application. In explaining there was a lack of control at present he stated that bathing in the nude had been noticed on the beach, and there had been destruction of the flora on the reserve”
Reports of nude bathing in the Broken Head area date back to 1934. Kings Beach began to attract queer men more visibly in the early 1970s, at a time when public expressions of homosexuality were criminalised and dangerous. Its unofficial clothing-optional culture, enforced by mutual respect rather than law, allowed it to flourish as a de facto queer space—away from police, surveillance, and societal scrutiny.
Classified Advertisements. Campaign Australia, no. 142, Oct. 1987. Courtesy of Australian Queer Archives.In 1987, Campaign Australia included Kings Beach in a classified ad for gay social connections. A 1984 issue of Outrage magazine referred to it as the beach for gay nudists in New South Wales.
"Oh We Do like to Be beside the Seaside." Outrage: A Magazine for Lesbians and Gay Men, no. 20, Dec. 1984. Courtesy of Australian Queer Archives.
The Fruit Juice newsletter in 1988 mentions Queer events and resort close to Kings Beach.
Fruit Juice Issue 3.March 1988. Courtesy of Australian Queer Archives.
Wendell’s story
... I remember camping at Broken Head in 1975 with my Uni Church group and remember my sense of aloneness and sexual frustration only to be relieved in 1989 when I came out and integrated my Truth with my Value and found relief in 1989 over the hill at Kings Beach where Gay Community gathered. You could attend randomly or collectively after Tropical Fruits Dance parties in the Byron Bay foothills or New Years Eve party in Lismore. It became a meet tradition for a National and International LGBTIQ people to gather on NY Day. I remember the Celebratory Freedom of Dancing, playing cricket or ball and swimming together- often naked, but optional. Sometimes we’d half bury each other in the sand. Many times I’d meet locals who saw Kings Beach as their Sanctuary for “coming out and making friends who were also gay. I’ve attended Solstice Parties where the “Radical Fairies” would bless the Rainforest Tracks. I remember visiting with friends to seek solace after my boyfriend died from HIV or either of us needed comfort after a broken relationship. I treasure the memory of walking down before dawn, stripping off and swimming out to be the first person in Australia to welcome the sunrise of the New Millennium in 2000. It is the most easterly beach. I’m happy to share it, I hadn’t spent a cent but felt like the world was mine to enjoy! I swam back to the beach to see a beautiful arrangement of rocks, shaped like a penis and knew I wasn’t alone -I belonged. I reflected with a patient in addiction recovery who attended with me that there were “pleasures beyond addiction “. Another day I supported a friend who helped pull a drowned man from the water. He, his boyfriend and a mate had been taken out in a rip. A different day a board rider out the back rescued my Gay USA medical student from a rip- he is eternally grateful. Kings Beach is an Icon representing Freedom, Respect, inclusion and Diversity for the LGBTI +and Straight Community. It is a Sanctuary for all. Including Humans.
A Sanctuary During the AIDS Crisis
During the 1980s and 1990s, the beach’s emotional and spiritual role deepened amid the devastation of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Kings Beach became a place of solace and remembrance. Many in the LGBTQIA+ community scattered the ashes of lost loved ones in its waters, and held informal memorials among its dunes and pandanus groves. This era cemented the beach’s sacred significance for a generation affected by grief and discrimination, particularly as it offered a place of peace in contrast to widespread public hostility and indifference.
Rohan’s story
… I had come out at a very horrible time in gay history. Homosexuality was not yet legal in all states of Australia and gay bashing was an accepted and popular part of a Saturday nights entertainment in many circles… A lot of violence happened on the coastline of NSW but Byron Bay was an accepting community and Kings Beach was spared much of the trouble other gay gathering places in NSW experienced. It was our little safe sanctuary. We had seen the Grim Reaper add about AIDS, and were terrified. Society was terrified of us. Beautiful young men were withering away and dying. We would see them as vibrant young people with their friends at the beach, then see them as nothing more than skeletons just months later. Then we would not see them again.
Folk who had been diagnosed with HIV were claiming their superannuation, retiring and moving to Byron Bay to see out their last months and years on Kings Beach. Some survived thanks to modern medicine and are still regular visitors. Others had their ashes scattered at the beach. Many were buried by their families with no mention of who or what they were, with their friends and partners barred from attending their funerals. When friends or partners did manage to get involved, many ended up having memorial services or scattering their ashes in places where they had found friendship, safety, acceptance and love. Kings Beach was one of those places.
ACON has been doing HIV outreach at Kings Beach since the 1990s, handing out condoms and lube and sunscreen.
Police acceptance
Byron News, Police Beat, February 1989
Byron News, Police Beat, February 1990
By the late 1980s, Kings had become an accepted spot for nude bathing. A 1989 Byron Police reports published in the Byron News indicated that officers were neither patrolling nor enforcing clothing regulations at Kings—in fact, they encouraged the local community to bathe there instead of at Main Beach.
Cultural Legacy and Recognition
Into the 2000s and 2010s, Kings Beach remained a treasured location for locals and international visitors alike. For trans activist River Moore, the beach offered something exceptionally rare: a space to be embodied and at ease without fear or explanation.
The Pink Guide tourist publication included maps and access tips in its 2005 edition. By 2022, the beach continued to feature in queer travel guides and blogs, placing it alongside globally significant queer naturist destinations like Hanlan’s Point Beach in Toronto
Kings Beach, Pink Guide Byron Bay and Tropical NSW, 2005 (2nd ed). Courtesy of Australian Queer Archives.Despite lacking official status, Kings Beach operated for decades under an unspoken social contract. Nudity was accepted, and behaviour was self-regulated by the community.
Conflict and Discrimination
In 2011, The Daily Telegraph reported that a request for safety equipment at Kings Beach was allegedly denied by NPWS due to the beach being frequented by gay men. Although NPWS cited lack of trained personnel as the official reason, the incident raised concerns about institutional homophobia. Following community advocacy, a lifesaving device was finally installed in 2012.
In 2013, NPWS proposed closing the carpark—a move widely interpreted as an attempt to discourage Queer use. The plan was reversed after significant community backlash and an online petition, with critics labelling it “bureaucratic homophobia masked as environmental concern”.
Contemporary Struggles
In recent years, tensions have emerged due to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) increasing enforcement against nudity, citing concerns over rising visitation and the need to maintain shared public access. The 2019 NPWS Plan of Management for Broken Head makes no mention of LGBTQIA+ communities or their long-standing use of Kings Beach.
In 2024, following the closure of nearby Tyagarah Beach as a clothing-optional space, NPWS began patrolling Kings Beach and issued a formal alert declaring it not a clothing-optional area. Signs were posted, and representatives from ACON Northern Rivers were engaged to help communicate these changes.
An alert on the NPWS website stated: “Kings Beach continues to be a place for the LGBTQIA+ community to enjoy, however due to increased visitation and the shared nature of this beloved destination, Kings Beach is not a designated clothing optional area.
“All visitors have the right to feel safe and enjoy the beach without harassment and NPWS Officers play an important role in conserving this protected habitat,” it continued.
“Please comply with the Broken Head Reserve Plan of Management and respect each other’s right to enjoy the beach in peace and safety.”
Kings Beach, 2025. Image courtesy of Maurizio VianiWhile the management plan speaks extensively of the relationship of the Arakwal and Bundjalung people to the area, the 61-page document makes no mention of the LGBTQIA+ community’s significant association.
Consultation
Screenshot, Facebook, ACON Northern Rivers, 2025NPWS held a consultation session with the Queer community in 2025, the session titled “No More Beating Around The Bush”, after the announcement of enforcement of restrictions at Kings. Some in the community felt this to be a token gesture, with many questioning why the LGBTQIA+ community were not included in the NPWS Management plan for the area or the 2024 announcements.
Resulting from that session many stories of the significance of the beach came to light.
One participant said
“I have been going to Kings for 42 years. As a 15yr old I met a man who guided me in my coming out journey. I grew up in Casino and came by train to Byron Bay to find a gay community.”
Another asked
“Where is the data that confirms a need for this radical action that clearly indicates this isn’t homophobia?”
While NPWS has stated it seeks to preserve Kings Beach as a welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ people, many in the community feel this approach disregards the beach’s cultural and historical significance. Campaigners, including long-time beachgoers like Rohan Anderson and Jonathon Lee, argue that LGBTQIA+ contributions have been "erased" from formal management plans and that increased surveillance recalls past traumas of police oppression.
Heritage recognition
Efforts are now underway to have Kings Beach formally recognised for its queer heritage. A nomination has been submitted for its inclusion on the NSW State Heritage Register, emphasising its unique role as a safe LGBTQIA+ public space in regional Australia.
Rohan Anderson and Jonathon Lee, supported by fellow users of Kings Beach, have officially lodged a nomination to have Kings Beach and its surrounding area included on the State Heritage Register.
This register, established under the Heritage Act 1977, aims to protect and preserve locations and items of cultural and historical significance.
Kings Beach stands as “a rare example of a long-standing public space for the LGBTIQASB+ community in regional NSW.”
The nomination notes that people travel from across the state and beyond to visit the beach, which has maintained a strong connection to the LGBTIQASB+ community for many years. This enduring link has helped cement its reputation as one of the most iconic and cherished gay beaches globally.
A Continuing Site of Queer Cultural Survival
Kings Beach is more than just a scenic retreat—it is a living symbol of resilience, freedom, and queer joy in the face of historical marginalisation. It is a cornerstone of the Northern Rivers’ reputation as one of Australia’s LGBTQIA+ heartlands, alongside iconic events such as Lismore’s Tropical Fruits Festival and a long-established presence of Queer community organisations like ACON Northern Rivers.
Written by Erika Taylor
With thanks to Maurizio Viani and Rohan Anderson
With thanks to the Kings Beach LGBTIQ Heritage and Culture Group | Facebook and all those who told their stories