Named for James Lord, a convict landowner, who lends his name both to the beach and to Lord Street, Sandy Bay.[2]
Lords Beach was once a continuous single beach encompassing neighbouring Red Chapel Beach, Nutgrove Beach and Long Beach. However due to development and erosion of the smalls cliffs on its foreshore, it has become greatly separated from the other beaches.
There are several covered jetties located along the beach which store boats, capable of mooring offshore in waters as deep as 50 metres (160 ft).[1]
Marine life
Caused by microscopic plankton, a bioluminescence phenomenon intermittently occurs in the beach's waters in the evening.[3]
Environment
Lords Beach has been greatly forfeited by manmade seawalls in response to harrowing natural elements including strong currents, swells, rain and winds, as well as ecological problems such as erosion from foot traffic and traffic-induced vibrations from vehicles along Sandy Bay Road. The beach has been greatly reduced to a 700 metres (2,300 ft) strip of sand, placed between the Wrest Point seawall, and seawall along Sandy Bay Road. Waves ranging between 1–1.5 metres (3 ft 3 in – 4 ft 11 in) create a steep beach scape appearance.[1]
Access
Lords Beach is a 45 minute walk from the Hobart City Centre, or a short metro bus ride along Sandy Bay Road.
Gallery
Lords Beach in 1930 depicting its natural eroding foreshore
Aerial of Lords Beach and the Riviera Hotel in the 1930s