Gilchrist Beach is a rocky beach

Beach

A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

, 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) long, lying west of Compton Glacier

Compton Glacier

Compton Glacier is a glacier, long, flowing northeast from the lower slopes of the Big Ben massif to the northeast side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Its terminus is located at Compton Lagoon, between Gilchrist Beach and Fairchild Beach. To the northwest of Compton Glacier is Ealey...

 on the north side of Heard Island

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

The Heard Island and McDonald Islands are an Australian external territory and volcanic group of barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size is in area and it has of coastline...

. At its eastern edge, Gilchrist Beach communicates with the sandy Fairchild Beach

Fairchild Beach

Fairchild Beach is a sandy beach, wide and long, on Compton Lagoon, on the northeast side of Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean. Fairchild Beach extends north from the base of Round Hill to the south side of the terminus of Compton Glacier. At its western edge, Fairchild Beach...

. Travelling eastwards from Gilchrist Beach to Fairchild Beach, one arrives at the base of Round Hill

Round Hill (Heard Island)

Round Hill is an ice-free, rounded hill rising southward of Fairchild Beach and between Compton Glacier and Brown Glacier, on the northeast side of Heard Island. Travelling westwards from the sandy Fairchild Beach at the base of Round Hill, one arrives at the rocky Gilchrist Beach.The feature is...

.

This feature was known to American

People of the United States

The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...

 sealers

Seal hunting

Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...

 as Rocky Beach as early as 1857, as shown by an unpublished sealer's map of "Hurds Island

Heard Island and McDonald Islands

The Heard Island and McDonald Islands are an Australian external territory and volcanic group of barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. The group's overall size is in area and it has of coastline...

" compiled during the 1860–1870 period. The name Stoney Beach was also in use during this period.

The name Gilchrist Beach, as applied by the ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions

The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions is the historical name for the Australian Antarctic Program administered for Australia by the Australian Antarctic Division .-The ANARE Name:...

) during its 1948 survey of the island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

, is now established in usage. Dr. Alan R. Gilchrist served as medical officer with the ANARE party.