During the 20th century, a boom in the construction of public swimming pools often combined with community efforts to commemorate those who served in the First and Second World Wars. This resulted in the construction of more than 60 war memorial pools across the state, which were usually paid for using a mixture of municipal and tax-assisted private funding (Ken Inglis, Sacred Places). The NSW War Memorials Register (Register) holds records of some 50 of these unique places that fulfil a functional role within communities as vital recreational and social facilities, as well as being a continual reminder of the service and sacrifice of our veterans.
One hundred years of bringing communities together
Early examples of war memorial pools date back to the 1920s, when communities were looking for ways to recognise Australia’s contribution to the First World War. The oldest memorial pool recorded on the Register is the Lismore Memorial Baths, which was opened in 1928 in honour of those from the district who died on service during the Great War. The proposal to establish the baths originated in 1926 in response to Lismore’s need for improved swimming facilities and the absence of a memorial to those who had enlisted for service. The site includes a marble honour roll and an ornamental entrance gate (added in 1930), as well as a modern cenotaph that is used for commemorative services (Northern Star, 13 January 1926; The Daily Telegraph, 10 March 2018).
Left: Lismore Memorial Baths with entrance gate in 1930 (Northern Star, 6 September 1930). Right: Baths with modern cenotaph behind gate (Photo by Graham Wilson, c2024).
Another early example is the Murwillumbah Memorial Baths, which were constructed opposite the Murwillumbah War Memorial. The baths were officially opened on 6 October 1938 to the delight of the large crowd, including around 150 children who dove into the pool during the ceremony (Tweed Daily, 7 October 1938). The site has been expanded and redeveloped in 1962 and 2008, when the Olympic pool was re-dedicated to “the fallen from the Tweed district in all conflicts since World War I.”
Left: Murwillumbah Olympic Memorial Pool. Right: Re-dedication plaque (Photos by Graham Wilson, 2021).
A new wave of interest in memorial pools
After the Second World War, swimming pools became a popular choice for communities establishing war memorials. The 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and a Department of Education policy encouraging swimming lessons for Australian children lead to a heightened interest in the construction of public swimming pools.
In his seminal history of war memorials in the Australian landscape, historian Ken Inglis notes that makers of war memorial swimming pools would incorporate commemorative elements into their plans, to assure communities that the pools were not just about sport and merriment but would also be a fitting tribute to those who served. An excellent example of this approach is the Inverell War Memorial Pool, which was opened on 1 November 1958. It is fronted by an elegant entrance building that features a curved alcove housing several honour rolls, including the Inverell District Great War Honour Roll, which was unveiled at the pool’s opening ceremony. The existing Inverell War Memorial, a striking grey granite column topped with an urn and shroud, was also relocated to a prominent position outside the pool’s entrance. The site remains a valuable gathering place for the town, with the annual Anzac Dawn Service taking place on the grounds.
Left: Inverell War Memorial Pool entrance building. Right: Inverell District Great War Honour Roll (Photos by Salty Dingo, 2023).
Other communities constructed new monuments to greet those bathing at their war memorial swimming pools, such as at the black granite pillar that stands proudly outside the Scone Memorial Swimming Pool. Dedicated on 1 October 1960 alongside the new pool, the 10 tonne, 9-foot-high memorial includes bronze laurel wreath plaques with eternal flames and is inscribed with the names of more than 150 district soldiers who served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Ahead of the opening, The Scone Advocate, 30 September 1960, reported:
In a setting of future lawns and gardens, and backed by willow and eucalypt trees, the memorial strikes a simple, dignified and impressive note, and is a fitting reminder that the swimming pool serves as a memorial to those who gave their lives in both World Wars.
Scone Memorial Swimming Pool and memorial pillar (Photo by Salty Dingo, 2023).
In Gunnedah, Danish artist and sculptor Otto Steen was commissioned to create a bas-relief for the entrance to the Gunnedah Memorial Pool, depicting a soldier, sailor, and an airman captured in mid-stride. The pool was dedicated as a memorial to those from the town who gave their lives in the Second World War. The pool complex was originally established in the mid-1950s and the project was largely funded by community donations and voluntary labour.
Left: Gunnedah Memorial Pool entrance building with sculpture. Right: Dedication plaque (Photos by Salty Dingo, 2023).
One-of-a-kind war memorial on the edge of Australia
The Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool is a truly unique variation of the war memorial pool type, with no other memorial rock pools being known in NSW or Australia. It is located at the foot of the Bonville Headland in the coastal village of Sawtell, facing the wind and waves of the Pacific Ocean. The pool was constructed between 1961-1963, when a natural rock pool was enhanced through engineering works. The project was undertaken by the local council and a sub-Branch of the Sawtell Amateur Anglers’ Club. A granite tablet bearing the simple dedication to service, ‘Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool. Lest we forget’, is set into the rocks surrounding the pool. It remains a significant recreational facility for locals and visitors and an enduring memorial to our service men and women.
Left: Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool (Photo by Salty Dingo, 2023). Right: Dedication tablet on rockface c1960 (Photo courtesy of the City of Coffs Harbour).
A complex future for memorial pools
Research by Royal Life Saving Australia estimates that 68% of community swimming pools are aged over 50 years and 40% of public pools will reach the end of their functional lifespan by 2030 (Australia-wide). This aging process brings with it a range of increasingly complex physical, financial, and environmental challenges for pool owners and managers, which need to be balanced with the changing needs and expectations of communities towards recreational facilities. The issue becomes more involved when a pool has the added social and historical significance and meaning of a war memorial dedication or has other heritage values. Changes to a war memorial pool may be deemed necessary for its ongoing viability but may also raise concerns within the community. The NSW Office for Veterans Affairs is aware of several war memorial pools in NSW that have been redeveloped in recent years into modern aquatic centres and the way their important commemorative histories have been recognised has varied.
The Hills Shire Council War Memorial Swimming Centre was built in 1967 and demolished around 2020, with a new facility known as Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre being opened in 2022. There was a strong community reaction to the project, with some concerned about the removal of ‘war memorial’ from the name of the facility. Following the new centre’s opening, the Hills Shire Council established a commemorative space near the entrance, with a silhouette artwork of a soldier and a rosemary garden. The original plaques from the war memorial pool have also been relocated inside the new foyer as reminders of the pool’s origins. A new dedication plaque attached to the front of the building acknowledges the past, present and looks to the future:
This is the site of the former Baulkham Hills Memorial Swimming Pool. We continue to give thanks and pay our respects to all veterans, service personnel and their families. Lest we forget.
New Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre with commemorative space to left of entrance (Photo by Ronald L. McIntosh, 2024).
The original Moss Vale Memorial Swimming Pool (opened 1965) was redeveloped and reopened in November 2023 and is now called the Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre. In addition to retaining its war memorial name, the new centre features a large poppy artwork on an internal wall including the words ‘We will remember them’.
Poppy artwork inside Moss Vale War Memorial Aquatic Centre (Photo by Mike Dodkin, 2022).
New war memorial pools are also still being built to address community needs and to commemorate service. The Gloucester Hydrotherapy Memorial Pool was opened in February 2008 as part of a larger pool complex in the town. The official opening was performed jointly by representatives of Gloucester Shire Council and the Gloucester RSL sub-Branch.
Gloucester Hydrotherapy Memorial Pool (Photo by Graham Wilson, 2020).
A continuing legacy
War memorial swimming pools have been special places for communities to come together for recreation and remembrance for some 100 years. They continue to be important local facilities and hold multiple meanings for generations of NSW residents, including those with a connection to military service.
The NSW War Memorials Register needs your help to document more war memorial pools across NSW for educational and informational purposes. Our list of pools below is not complete and if you have information or photographs about a memorial pool in your community, please consider contributing to the Register.
Lest we forget.
War memorial swimming pools on the NSW War Memorials Register as of October 2024
Banner image credit: Coffs Harbour War Memorial Olympic Pool. Photo by Salty Dingo, 2023.
Sources:
- Sacred Places: war Memorials in the Australian Landscape by Ken S. Inglis (Melbourne University Publishing, 2008)
- Swimming baths proposals, Northern Star, 13 January 1926, p4, retrieved 29 October 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93543236
- A pool party 90 years in the making by Alison Paterson, The Daily Telegraph, 10 March 2018, retrieved 29 October 2024, https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lismore/a-pool-party-90-years-in-the-making/news-story/54ad727594d65bdc0aed7f4c43821ea0
- Minister performs four ceremonies, Tweed Daily, 7 October 1938, retrieved 29 October 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article194001866
- New entrance to memorial baths, Northern Star, 6 September 1930, retrieved 29 October 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article94150192
- Sawtell Memorial Rock Pool at Bonville Headland, c1960s, City of Coffs Harbour, Coffs Collections, retrieved 30 October 2024, https://coffs.recollect.net.au/nodes/view/71332
- 500 public pools may close without strategic investment, Royal Life Saving Australia, 5 March 2024, retrieved 29 October 2024, https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/news-and-updates/news/2024/mar/500-public-pools-may-close-without-strategic-investment#:~:text=The%20average%20Australian%20public%20pool,ending%20their%20lifespan%20by%202035
