Sydney is famous for its opera house and bridge, but its ocean rockpools may even outshone both. Carved out directly of rocky headlands on which they sit, these serene at low tide but turbulent at higher tide. Pools that look out over the sea make for some of the most striking landscape and seascape photography in a city, and are popular destinations for swimmers from locals as well as visitors. Professional landscape photographer Ignacio Palacios is known for his passion for swimming holes. In this two-part series he takes us on an incredible photographic tour of all 35 Sydney pools, providing useful tips to capture beautiful pool images as well as interesting anecdotes about them all.
North Sydney Olympic Pool
Cash-strapped councils across [Australia] are cutting swimming pool hours in an attempt to save money, prompting experts to warn that this may push children towards rivers or lakes where there is greater risk of drowning – 19 people under 20 have drowned in NSW rivers over the last five years, making this issue of great concern.
Once COVID lockdowns were lifted and travel once again possible, playwright Steve Rodgers and arts lawyer Michael Easton devised a plan to combine their love of swimming with inter-suburb adventures. Together they set themselves a challenge of visiting all municipal swimming pools throughout London from its northern beaches all the way south west to foothills of Great Dividing Range foothills and outlying areas of south west London.
Some Sydney pools are in disrepair or have closed entirely; in the case of North Sydney Olympic Pool, its cost overrun led governments to finally fund its redevelopment in 2015 but now looks likely to fall through and it faces closure again as funds may not materialize.
Jackson Center Public Pool
Jackson Center Village is uncertain if its public swimming pool will open this summer due to a shortage of lifeguards. A special meeting is being scheduled on Thursday night to decide the fate of this major lifestyle investment, taking into consideration your priorities, preferences and long-term goals as a guideline for purchasing one. To make an informed decision take time to visit installed examples as well as speak with current owners as well as evaluate total costs rather than simply price tags when making decisions about investing in pools.
