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On a flight into Sydney, Australia, on the country's national airline, Qantas, passengers may be shown information on this capital city of the State of New South Wales. One person, who can be heard on such a promotion, extolling the virtues of Sydney Harbour, is Mr Bob Reed JP, talking about the beaches, on this harbour which are available for clothes-optional or legal nude bathing, enhancing the description of the city, as an interesting, beautiful and diverse place.

Working for this cause has needed determination, courage and a lot of time. In a nation of immigrants, which seeks tourists from all over the world, visitors and immigrants from Europe, may be quite used to the option of visiting legal nude venues, such as beaches, saunas, swimming complexes, but in Australia, lobbying for such venues, takes leadership, knowledge and determination.

Whenever the media, in Sydney, or for that matter, the state of New South Wales, need a statement on the issue of nude bathing, they are most likely to call on Mr Reed. He has been a naturist, since he was a teenage and 'fought' for this cause, particularly the last twenty-five years.

Robert Reed was born in The Junction, Newcastle, N.S.W. in 1941. The economic circumstances of the Reed household meant that there was very little money for required clothing like school uniforms, shoes, etc.. Let alone luxuries like bathing costumes. Living so close to the ocean, Bob, at the age of fourteen was pleased to find Mooney Mooney Beach, which, being deserted, allowed him to enjoy the surf nude. He enjoyed this first experience of naturism.

After a childhood, disadvantaged in a number of ways, attending schools in Newcastle (Lack of resources, e.g., school uniforms, etc., were a factor) , Bob was pleased to find employment with a firm, called Beard Watson, in Sydney, in 1960. His next, and last job, for the rest of his working life was with an import company, as commercial traveller dealing in (ironically) textiles, all along the East Coast of Australia, getting to know people and places, there, very well, during twenty-three years.

After settling down, in Sydney, Bob looked for the beaches where nude bathing was an accepted practice and Reef Beach became his favourite beach, where his people-skills soon established him as a 'personality', facilitating social interaction and best use of this small beach.

This was recognised by the authorities, establishing his role as honorary beach inspector, on Reef Beach.

Objections were raised, by near-by residents, to nude bathing. In spite of success, in the local court, confirming the right of visitors to this beach to bathe nude, Bob was founder of a committee for continued nude bathing, on Reef beach, when, via an Act of NSW State Parliament, three other Sydney beaches ( Lady Bay, Obelisk and Cobblers ) were given legal status but that was not given to Reef Beach, now, a usually very quiet or deserted beach.

The committee for continued nude bathing on Reef Beach, then 'morphed' into the Free Beach Association of NSW, when this was suggested by the then editor of the naturist magazine, Sun & Health, who had been involved in starting up such an association in Queensland, in order to be affiliated with the Australian Nudist Federation (A.N.F.) which was considered to have been concentrating on promoting and supporting naturism, within clubs,in favour of nude bathing at beaches and other venues.
Established in 1992 and incorporated in 1993, this association attracted a significant number of members, supporting Bob Reed, who, as president, re-elected unopposed for twelve years, lobbied hard and worked hard, in a voluntary capacity to promote legal nude bathing, on suitably located beaches.

In December 2005, when Bob did not stand for re-election, the FBA of NSW was legally dissolved and Mr Reed could relax, knowing that the telephone would no longer ring regularly, any time, night or day, with callers making enquiries about nude bathing or media representatives needing an official statement on events associated with nude bathing.

He now holds a vast collection of memorabilia associated with all those years of lobbying on behalf of naturists, reflecting on the stressful times, such as leading a group of naturists, all being summonsed, in the spotlight of the media, on Reef Beach; the subsequent local court case; his address to the members, in NSW State Parliament, explaining the situation regarding legal nude bathing and also the good times and the good relations built up with a number of politicians, at local and state level.
Already parts of the memorabilia associated with those years of promoting 'the cause', have gone to the State Library of NSW and the National Maritime Museum.

Confident in relating to people and not shy in public, Bob Reed has spoken out, via various media and in private with stakeholders on various levels, for the 'cause' that he believes in. Agreeing with him or not, there is no doubt that politicians like, the Honorable Ms Pam Allen, then Minister for the Environment, N.S.W., and Mr Richard Jones, as well as former mayor of Manly, Mrs Jean Hay and more lately, Denise Wiltonin her previous role, as Mosman City Councillor, (now mayor) were happy to speak with Bob on various issues, including, nude bathing.

While no longer promoting naturism, as FBA of NSW president, Bob Reed, very actively supports the distribution of both Australian naturist magazines. He frequently contributes to both TAN and Sun and Health magazines, as he did for the former Sun & Health publication, having written a number of articles, on his many visits to Cap d'Agde.

References

Booth, Doug, Australian Beach Cultures: The History of Sun, Sand and Surf, London: Frank Cass 2001

http://studentwork.hss.uts.edu.au/oj1/oj1_a2003/nudity/timeline.html

http://www.redbubble.com/people/ozcloggie/writing/479667-hello-world-this-is-bob-reed-nudist

http://www.ozsh.com.au/editorial-issue1.htm

http://www.freebeach.com.au/origin.htm

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA19961113007

http://www.naturist.net.au/

Clothes free people