Lameroo Beach, Beach in central Darwin, Australia

Lameroo Beach lies below the Esplanade in Darwin, featuring a rocky tidal zone reached by stairs that wind through tropical rainforest. The beach extends along the waterfront and connects the city center with the waters of the estuary arm.

The Darwin ocean baths operated at this location from 1922 to 1974, serving as the city's primary swimming facility. Cyclone Tracy caused substantial damage to the facility in 1974 and led to its closure.

The name comes from Damoe-Ra, meaning eye or spring in the language of the Larrakia people who traveled by canoe for ceremonies. The beach serves today as a gathering place for walkers and observers of the estuary, especially during the cooler parts of the day.

The baths stood at the end of a cement wall topped with palings, with bathing sheds at the far end, as a long-time Darwin resident recalled. Access is from the Esplanade in central Darwin; the site is now open foreshore with no facilities. Camping on the beach and along the Darwin foreshores has been illegal since the council banned it after Cyclone Tracy, citing storm surge risk.

Between 1969 and 1974, the beach served as a camping ground for up to 400 tent campers before legislation banned overnight stays along the foreshore. This era shaped the spot as an informal gathering place for a more unconventional way of living before rules tightened.