Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way. Different Climate, Different habits When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. Also some people worried that they would get sick if they wet their whole body. However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam naked - there were no women to see them. Cover up! By the 1880's and 90's visiting the beach was very fashionable and a lot of people went there, especially in warm weather. They wore everyday street clothes - much more than people wear at the beach today. In those days, people believed they should cover most of their body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. These costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim. Laws Made and Laws Changed The government decided to stop men swimming naked.It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Many people objected to this law and wrote letters to the government asking it to change the laws. In 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes. The Shrinking Costume As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient. At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then the arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered.Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costumes. Nowadays some people go to special "nude   beaches" to swim naked. However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago -- not because they think bare skin is shocking -- but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun. According to the law just before1903, people must   _  .
not swim in the main daylight hours only swim between 6am and 7pm have a bath at 6am and 7pm swim with neck-to-knee costumes between 6am and 7pm