Bay City Sauna, Melbourne’s Oldest Gay Sauna, Announces It Is Closing Down In December 2022

One of Australia’s oldest and longest-running gay saunas, the Bay City Sauna, located on Glen Huntly Road in the inner Melbourne suburb of Elsternwick, will close down at the end of December 2022.

“We have been informed by our landlord that the construction of the slab may be compromised due to the age of the building,” Shane Gardner, General Manager, WP van der Linden Pty Ltd, told Star Observer. 

“Sadly it has come to the end of its life and the landlord has been concerned about the weight from all the equipment. We’ve decided we’re going to quit the premises at the end of December 2022. We are on the first level and we need to be in a building that’s built properly,” said Gardner.

Gardner revealed that all the events that were scheduled to be held at Bay City Sauna would be shifted to its two other properties – Wet on Wellington in Collingwood and Peninsula Sauna & Spa / Shed 16 in Seaford. 

Sauna Opened Its Doors In 1962

“We would like to thank all our wonderful customers for their patronage over the 60 years it has been in operation,” said Gardner. 

Bay City Sauna opened in 1962 as Club Spa Caulfield. According to Gardner, it was Victoria’s, and possibly Australia’s, first gay sauna. The facility opened as a two-storey venue for gay men. Gardner said that the pool and wet areas were located downstairs, while the upstairs area had lockers and a cruising space. 

In the mid-eighties, the sauna changed into a single storey facility on the first floor and was then sold to new owners. The present owner Will van der Linden (Melbourne Saunas) purchased Bay City Sauna in 1995.

From Gay Sauna To Inclusive Facility

A Melbourne institution, in recent years, the owners had transformed the facility into a more inclusive space. The venue had started welcoming patrons of all genders and male and female swingers. 

The news of the impending closure is likely to be met with much sadness in Melbourne, especially among long-time patrons. Gardner told Star Observer that as of now there were no plans to reopen Bay City Sauna at another venue. 

“It’s very sad, but it’s just one of those things and our hands are tied,” said Gardner.

The news is likely to hit hard for some elderly patrons who visit the sauna regularly. “We have some people who have been coming to Bay City Sauna since the day it opened. It was a nice and safe space for them to go and I’m sure there’ll be a lot of sadness about losing it,” added Gardner.