With Sydney renowned for its sand and surf, the city’s lesser-known swim spots deserve our attention. The area’s rock pools are more than just a relic of the past; they’re a key generative matrix of Australian national and civic identity.
“Sydney’s rock pool culture is special because it allows people to have a swim on the beach without having to walk into the ocean,” says Marie-Louise McDermott, a university lecturer who has written about the pools. “They’re a place where the kids learn to swim, and where people socialize.”
Many of the city’s rock pools are privately owned but open to the public. One of the most popular is Bondi Baths, an eight-lane 50-meter pool built into cliffs at the beach’s southern end. It’s also the site of the Bondi Icebergs Club, a swim group founded in 1929. The club still hosts its meetings every other Thursday during summer, although members aren’t allowed to enter the pool itself.
There’s also a small rock pool in the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach, just north of Sydney. The pool is just big enough for a family, and it’s free to use. “It’s a nice place to take the kids,” said Lisa Gaupset, 41, a television graphic designer who has two children and whose family spent several days at the pool this summer. “The pool is perfect for the kids because they can swim around in the water, and you can see them from all over.”
Other public beaches have ocean pools too, including Balmain’s corrugated iron and painted cream and green Elkington Park Baths. The pool is tucked below the sandstone cliffs, offering some shelter from the cold sea and wind. It also has changing rooms and is free to use. Serene at low tide and choppy at high, it’s one of Australia’s best known surf pools.
Unlike some of Sydney’s more famous landmarks, however, this pool isn’t in danger of disappearing. In fact, the baths have been restored and upgraded since their original 1936 opening. But the iconic swimming spot is still undergoing a major redevelopment, which will transform it into a modern aquatic leisure center.
The project has suffered from cost blowouts and logistical issues. But if it’s completed on schedule, the pool will reopen in April 2024. That’s 6.5 years from the day councillors approved the design.
The redevelopment isn’t just about the pools; it will include a new gym, sauna and creche and an updated grandstand. It’s part of a long-term plan to boost recreational options in the city, which currently has only 40 traditional public 50-meter pools (New York and Los Angeles each have more than that).