The city’s dozens of swimming pools are a point of pride for Sydneysiders. Their origin dates back to mandatory swim lessons and Olympic successes in the 1950s, but they are also a reminder of the many ways that a dip in a pool can bring people together. Swim laps are a great workout, but there’s no doubt that chatting with friends while you swim can be just as fun. “It’s a really friendly way to exercise,” says Michael Easton, who swam laps with his wife at the suburban pool where they met a few years ago. “And there’s a lot of social activities around the pool.”
But not everyone loves pools. Some prefer the shabby, old-school charm of pools that have sprung up in the suburbs, with their rusty slides and leaking pumps. “There’s a kind of nostalgia for this type of pool,” says one Sydney resident who prefers the old-school pools to the new ones. “It’s like the pool you used to go to as a kid.”
In a rethink of the village’s waterfront, the planning board has approved a plan to replace the city’s old-style pools with a new aquatic center. The $80 million project will include a leisure river, water play features and a pavilion for gatherings. It’s designed to accommodate multigenerational families, and the river can be programmed for therapeutic or strength training. A poolhouse will be available for changing, as well as a snack bar.
The pool will be surrounded by a park and is expected to draw crowds. But some residents fear the site will be a magnet for drug dealers, prostitution and other illicit activity.
For other residents, the new pools will be a place for healthy family fun and a break from the noisy, busy world. The pools are also intended to help revitalize the city’s blighted harborfront, and to provide a place for young people to hang out and learn to swim.
There’s been plenty of controversy around the pool plans, including criticism of the council’s spending habits and a political row over how a grants program meant for local sports clubs was funneled into projects in Coalition-targeted seats. But North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker is adamant that the pool will be good for the community.
In this special series, we’re exploring the unique role that swimming pools have played in Australian culture. The stories of writers, artists and musicians – from environmentalist Tim Flannery and fashion designer Romance Was Born to novelist Christos Tsiolkas and Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe – show how the pool is not only a place for physical fitness, but also a space where people come together. The series is curated by Fiona Stanley and produced by Catherine O’Shea. It’s supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the City of Sydney.