Mate from beach in Australia (5)
I believe the answer is:
china
'mate' is the definition.
(cockney rhyming slang, mate is china plate)
'from beach in australia' is the wordplay.
'from' indicates a hidden word.
'CHINA' is hidden within 'beach in australia'.
(Other definitions for china that I've seen before include "Where one regularly unloads junk" , "Dresden, perhaps" , "What's tea" , "Variety of rose" , "The most populous country in the world" .)