Sydney has the greatest number of ocean pools in Australia — a response to its wild coastline, which can be treacherous and expose swimmers to the full force of surf. These secluded enclaves, often built more than 100 years ago, remain cherished Sydney institutions. If you wrote a blog about them today, it would be greeted with torrents of reminiscences from locals who spent their halcyon youth whiling away long summer hours in them. They would tell of their very first swimming lessons, the terrors of sharks lurking just beyond the trapezoidal walls and the rite of passage that is graduating from these shallow enclaves into the great blue abyss.
But the pools have not been immune from the political and financial challenges that beset so many local government projects. Especially in this era of cutbacks to public services and community facilities. And when it comes to pool renovations, councillors are increasingly aware of the pitfalls that lie ahead.
The North Sydney Olympic Pool redevelopment is a case in point. When it opened in 2024, it surpassed its initial $25 million budget by a factor of five, and was later revealed to be costing $70m to run. North Sydney mayor Zoe Baker, who voted against the project, says it was a “bloated vanity project”. She blames a $10m grant meant for regional and remote women’s sports for shifting the inner-city pool up a gear. That inflated the scope of the project and made it difficult to manage.
While she acknowledges that the pool has been a boon for the local community, she says it’s not worth the rate increase it will impose on residents. Rather, she wants to see the pool used more than just for swimming. And that could mean hosting fashion shows, production companies or private parties – far outside the usual remit of a local pool.
Other pools are finding their own creative ways to attract swimmers. At Mount Druitt, for example, they hold ‘Dive In’ movie nights and drain the pool and fill it with trout in winter for a fishing experience. “There’s a lot of ingenuity at some of these places to try and get people through the gates,” says Tink.
Then there are those like Shelly Park Beach Pool, which sits alongside a huge patch of green, and is dog-friendly too. Whether you’re looking to do laps or just have a splash with the kids, it’s one of the best spots in Sydney to take a dip. And with its sweeping views over Bondi, it’s also one of the best-known.