For a city that has a long and proud history of ocean swimming, Sydney’s pool scene is somewhat in crisis. The secluded rock pools that dot the coastline were once a lifeline to women who could swim safely from the waves and sharks, but today they are increasingly out of reach and under threat from council infighting, claims of pork-barrelling and lack of transparency. The reopening of one of the sdy pools has been delayed until 2025, and a series of setbacks have muddied what was once a fairly straightforward renovation project.
The story of sdy pools begins with the NSW Amateur Swimming Association, formed by men’s and women’s swimming clubs in 1891 and 1906 respectively, who wanted to provide recreational and competitive swimmers with places to practice and race. In the days when few non-Indigenous people had any surfing skills, secluded pools also provided a safe sanctuary away from the risky waves.
There are now only a handful of sdy pools, and each has a unique character. The secluded rock pool at South Cronulla, for example, is built into an inter-tidal rock platform and surrounded by exposed boulders that offer spectacular views and a sense of seclusion. It is accessed by steep steps from the coastal walking track that runs alongside Jack Vanny Reserve. At the southern end of Maroubra Beach is Mahon Pool, another gorgeous harbourside tidal enclosure that’s reached by a path that climbs from Marine Parade.
Other sdy pools are more accessible and less evocative, like the Manly Sea Baths at the end of the promenade linking Shelly and Manly beaches on the Cabbage Tree Bay Eco Sculpture Walk. Designed by residents and opened in 1929, the small but well-maintained pool is an iconic feature of the northern Sydney coastline. Its outer edge is lined with the Sea Nymphs sculpture, and a short stroll leads to the larger, more sheltered inner pool, which is reached along the path that winds around the headland from the pool’s eastern side.
If you’d like to know more about the story of sdy pools, check out All Into Ocean Pools, an excellent website by author and academic Marie-Louise McDermott that profiles the historic pool landscape in Sydney. Or read our article about how a small, local business is helping resurrect some of the city’s most beautiful sdy pools. And don’t forget to visit a sdy pool this weekend!