Blog

Aerial photos of NSW ocean pools

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 18/02/2018

I love it when people get in touch to let me know about similar projects to mine, or even to tell me about others who love ocean pools, but approach them from a different angle. At the weekend, I heard about Nicole Larkin, who has both literally and metaphorically looked at the NSW ocean pools from a different angle. She has taken aerial photos of all of them, and included some of the disused ones I didn't venture into. Have a look at this link to her website where you'll find all the photos, Read more [...]

Pittwater Life Magazine – Feature February 2018

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 05/11/2017

Thanks to website reader Kathryn Butler for alerting me to the February 2018 edition of Pittwater Life magazine, which had a fantastic feature article on all the northern beaches rock pools and the people who swim in them. The article covers an amazing 10 pages, with some wonderful shots of all the ocean pools and some great stories on the people who swim there. Here's a link to the online digital version of Pittwater Life. Read more [...]

Prize for artwork on Ocean Pools

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 25/05/2017

There is a $1,000 prize up for grabs, organised by the people who run the excellent All Into Ocean Pools website. Deadline for entries is 31 May, so only a few days left to get your favourite ocean pool painting or photo, or any other visual media, and submit it for the 2017 Sheridan Evans award. I just submitted an entry which took less than two minutes to upload so if you share our love of ocean pools, or just have an image of your favourite, why not have a go? Here's details of who Read more [...]

Temperatures Rising over Petition for Parramatta Pool

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 10/02/2017

When I wrote about my experience in Parramatta Olympic Pool last year, I also mentioned the plans to demolish the pool when the nearby stadium gets expanded. There's been a petition up to show local support for the pool in Parramatta, based not only on its heritage (1950s architecture), and its unique facilities (not many diving boards left in NSW pools these days), but also on its vital role as a resource for the local community. This weekend, as temperatures are expected to rise above Read more [...]

The Pool Community

Posted by: Simon Duffin on: 16/12/2016

This Ocean Pools NSW website has so far been all about mapping the pools as I swim in them. By my reckoning, I still have over 30 ocean pools, harbour baths and other protected swimming enclosures to do before I finish that part of my quest. My idea with this new blog is to broaden the scope of the website to include anything new happening around the pools, whether it be events people let me know about, exhibitions, works of art or other projects I hear of. One of the things I love about Read more [...]

Bruce Steer Pool - Bermagui, NSW 2546
On 26/12/2017
Bruce Steer was a local personality at the heart of Bermagui's community in the post-war years. My experience in the pool Bruce Steer Pool in Bermagui doesn't get as much publicity as the Blue Pool over the headland, but actually on the right day this is a fantastic spot for a protected swim. The first time I came to Bermagui (to swim in... Continue Reading
Berry Village Pool - Berry, NSW 2535
On 22/12/2017
Berry was named after the first family of white settlers in the area. My experience in the pool Berry Village Pool is one of those charming little 20m pools most villages in Australia seem to have. Yes, if you're a Pom, you heard that right: a village pool. Back in the UK, I can think of only one area where a set... Continue Reading
Epping Aquatic Centre - Epping, NSW 2121
On 19/12/2017
Epping was named after the east London/Essex town of the same name. My experience in the pool Epping Aquatic Centre sits surrounded by bush in this leafy northern suburb of Sydney. It's a wonderful place to swim, with those tall gum trees towering over on all sides, and the bush inhabitants squawking or cooing as you plough up and down your laps. I... Continue Reading
Blacktown Aquatic Centre - Blacktown, NSW 2148
On 11/12/2017
Blacktown's name has its origins in the Stolen Generation as there was a 'Native Institution' here in the 19th century. My experience in the pool Blacktown Aquatic Centre has one of those outdoor swimming pools that look so tempting when you speed past in the train. When I spotted it over the tracks, it looked pristine, with sky blue tiles looking magnificent... Continue Reading
Ballina Wading Pool - Shelly Beach, NSW 2478
On 06/12/2017
Ballina probably has both Irish and Aboriginal connections linguistically My experience in the pool Ballina Information Centre at first shook their heads when I asked about the whereabouts of the ocean pool in town. "Well, there's a local campaign to have a new ocean pool built in Ballina," they said, "but there isn't one yet".. When I pressed them and mentioned a... Continue Reading
Yamba Rock Pool - Yamba, NSW 2464
On 30/11/2017
Yamba is an Aboriginal word for either shellfish or headland. My experience in the pool Yamba Ocean Pool is the most northerly of the real ocean baths along the NSW coast. It may well also be the most recently built - constructed in the 1960s - though it may also be the more modern building methods and materials that made it more vulnerable... Continue Reading