If you’re an Australian who grew up swimming in the 90s, chances are you were one of the many kids who begged their parents to take them to a pool. And, if you were lucky enough to be born in Sydney, chances are that pool was Bronte Beach. This iconic beach and bathing spot is the setting for a new book by author Fiona Stanley, which celebrates Australia’s ocean pools.
The book combines design, history and memoir as it looks at the importance of pools in Sydney life. Authors including environmentalist Tim Flannery, novelist Christos Tsiolkas and Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe offer their own personal stories of the pools that have made a difference to them. And, while the book celebrates the city’s seawater pools, it also reveals a wider national trend of decline in public swimming infrastructure.
The pool is an essential part of the nation’s social fabric and has been at the heart of many communities’ lives. It provides exercise, a place of play and is also a key point in the development of an individual’s sense of identity. It’s a space where young people learn to swim, make friends and, for some, it becomes their first experience of sexuality.
And, while the pool is often seen as a modern icon, it has been around for much longer than you might think. From the early 19th century, people have been bathing in natural tidal pools, shaped by the wild coastal surf and the force of the tides. The Fig Tree Baths in Balmain, for example, are Australia’s oldest heritage-listed rock pools. They are serene at low tide and choppy at high, and have been enjoyed by generations of locals.
North Sydney’s Olympic Pool is another iconic example of the pool’s longevity and its role in the life of the city. The heritage-listed pool is an iconic landmark and a favourite of families who visit the city for holidays and school children on field trips. But the pool has faced many challenges in its redevelopment.
The project started in 2015 when North Sydney Council went cap in hand to the state and federal governments asking for $25 million to fund the redevelopment of the spectacular but ageing facility. And it’s been a slow process ever since.
It isn’t just the cost blowouts and delays that have frustrated residents. A special rate variation to be approved by NSW’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal is needed to help pay for the redevelopment of the pool.
While a special rate variation may be necessary, that doesn’t mean that the public pools are doomed. Bronte Beach remains a summer hotspot and there are many other great options across the city.