Whether you’re running a bath, swimming laps or just imagining yourself in a summery coming-of-age film, there’s something intrinsically comforting about water. Sydneysiders certainly seem to agree, with our city and suburbs filled with a network of gleaming pools to help residents keep fit, chill out and stay social. And with the pool season well and truly underway, it’s the perfect time to check out some of our favourite local watering holes — whether you’re looking for sweeping harbour views or a spot to stretch it out with a yoga session.
The history of sidney pools begins in the late 19th century, when men’s and women’s swim clubs were founded. Recreational and competitive swimmers wanted somewhere to do their laps, away from the strong waves and danger of shark attacks at the beach. That’s where the public pools came in, a network of pristine municipal pools that opened to the general public.
But even then, the naysayers were at work. One such was the mayor of North Sydney, Jilly Gibson, who blasted the plan as “a load of absolute bollocks”. “Why would we use $10m of federal funds set aside for regional and remote women’s sport to do a vanity project in an inner-city suburb?” she asked in 2021. “That’s porkbarrelling at the highest level.”
Another naysayer was councillor Lisa Baker, who voted against the mayoral minute 23 times and urged the Office of Local Government to act. “It’s not the bread and butter of local councils to do $60m, $70m projects,” she says. And she believes the pool plan was a case of rushed decisions and political agendas.
But despite the naysayers, some residents were happy with the new plans. Chris Bowden, 39, for instance, is one of them. He loves the shabby old charm of the North Sydney pool and thinks it’s a shame to turn it into a “swanky swim centre”. He also points out that it’s a lot cheaper to maintain the existing pool than it would be to rebuild it. He just wishes the project was a bit more transparent. “If the community can’t trust their council, then what hope do we have?” he says. “That’s why I want a pool that’s open to the community, not a swimming club for a select few.”