Sydney’s most well-known icons, the opera house and bridge, are not its only iconic features: Sydney’s 35 ocean pools are equally loved; thus ensuring its strong pool culture: these public bathing spots sit along its surf coast to allow waves to lance them, providing swimmers an enjoyable sea swimming experience without dealing with dangerous currents or adverse conditions.
But these iconic swim spots are in jeopardy. As ocean swimming popularity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, councils and governments across NSW are striving to preserve and protect these older structures that may be more vulnerable to swells, rain and changing sea conditions than modern sea pools.
Councils often find this task to be challenging as they struggle with finding funding to maintain these pools while adhering to government grants. North Sydney Council has experienced difficulty in its attempt to raise $25 million for redeveloping their beautiful but aged North Sydney Olympic Pool which opened in February 2015. Due to cost overruns and logistical complications, their attempt has yet to materialize.
Marie-Louise McDermott, a swimming pool historian from the University of New South Wales who has written on this subject. Marie-Louise describes Sydney’s many rock and ocean pools as truly exceptional, calling the pool culture a significant social and cultural legacy of Sydney.
McDermott is also passionate about protecting these iconic swim spots that form part of Australia’s cultural legacy. “These ocean pools are truly rare and precious,” she asserts, noting that Sydney has one of the only public ocean pools worldwide where waves enter directly. If they were located anywhere else such as Cape Town or elsewhere globally, it would likely be impossible for this kind of ocean pool to exist.
McDermott also wants more iconic pools built, but she recognizes their cost and difficulty will make this difficult. In a world that wants more public spaces, McDermott emphasizes the need for creative ways of getting people into them.
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