Baudin Beach is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located on Dudley Peninsula on the north coast of Kangaroo Island about 115 kilometres (71 miles) south of the capital city of Adelaide and about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) west of Penneshaw. It is named in 2002 after the French navigator Nicolas Baudin in honor of his exploration of Kangaroo Island in 1802.[3][2]
Prior to 2002, Baudin Beach was known as American Beach, being the name given to the land subdivision of the area in 1966. The name was changed in 2002 to avoid confusion with the originally named American Beach which is located a short distance north of the subdivision.[2] The area was once known as Deep Creek Farm, owned by Bruce Bates of Penneshaw.[8] Bates sold the land to Clem Bessell in 1966, who in conjunction with real estate agent Cliff Hawkins subdivided the area which is still often referred to as "Bessell's".[citation needed]
The name Baudin Beach was officially gazetted in March 2002.[9]
Baudin Beach comprises 207 allotments,[10] each mainly in excess of 800 square metres. Some 30% of the allotments are a mix of permanent and holiday homes, the remaining allotments being undeveloped.[11]
There are no shopping facilities in Baudin Beach and there is no reticulated water supply.[citation needed] Next to the proposed boat ramp is a copper sculpture, unveiled in 2002, of Mary Beckwith, reputedly the first recorded European woman to set foot on South Australian soil.[citation needed][12]
^For the 2011 census, the State Suburb of Island Beach covered the full extent of the Dudley Peninsula with the exception of Penneshaw - refer Dudley Peninsula#Demographics for more information
