Landscape Architecture Australia – August 2019

Scarborough Foreshore Redevelopment

Scarborough, Western Australia

TCL (Taylor Cullity Lethlean) and UDLA

“ ... the beaches ran north and south, white and broad as

highways in a dream, and men and babies stood in the surf while

gulls hung in the haze above, casting shadows on the immodest

backs of the oilslicked women.” – Tim Winton

A

s in much of coastal Australia, beach culture is

ingrained in the psyche of Perth. Those born in the

city seem to inherit their beach preferences, while

imported residents test the varied sand strips via proximity

and activity – the linear development of Perth has put the

beach within cooee of everyone, just head west. Whether

it’s for swimming, surfing or snorkelling, the beach remains

a highly egalitarian place, with beachgoers quite literally

stripped bare of most class peripherals, shark net or not.

That interstitial space between surf and suburb – the

foreshore – is, however, a more contested space.

Large expanses of carpark graded horizontally into vulnerable

dunes have been acceptable in Perth, yet the vertical

development of buildings remains contentious. At odds with

contemporary tourism and the state’s desire for density,

residents of beachside neighbourhoods continue to offer

strong resistance to development, seeking to protect their

enviable lifestyles. The local beach is a cultural landscape,

steeped in sentiment and tradition. Locals seem to have no

desire to change this beloved space into a destination for

others from farther afield.

In the context of Perth, the demographic and vibe of

Scarborough Beach, to the city’s north, has always been a bit

different. Dominated by cars since the 1930s, Scarborough’s

foreshore has at times resembled an airport runway. With the

arrival of rock and roll in the ‘50s, Scarborough Esplanade’s

vast concrete terrace became known as the Snake Pit, as

throngs of bodgies and widgies gathered to dance and eat

burgers, the adjacent carpark perfect for car drags. With all

the youthful humanity flocking there at the time, the culture

of “Scabs” (as it’s more colloquially known) was about more

than the beach, and was a home for drag racing, bikies, beer,

dancing and tourists. In the ‘80s, the late Australian tycoon

Alan Bond’s desire to view his America’s Cup yachts sailing

from Two Rocks to Fremantle made Scarborough the ideal

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