Sdy Pools – Are They Going to Be Closed?
The world is filled with stunning swimming spots but few are as iconic and breathtaking as Sydney’s sdy pools. Located along the city’s pristine beaches, they’re the perfect place for locals and tourists to swim in beautiful ocean water or take a refreshing dip in an enclosed tidal pool.
Whether it’s the stunning colour of the water at Bronte Baths, the picturesque Bondi Icebergs Club Pool overlooking Bondi Beach or the mixed-gender Wylie’s and McIver’s Baths near Coogee beach, Sydney residents love their sdy pools. However, with one of Australia’s most stunning pools undergoing a major renovation and another facing closure due to a budget shortfall, questions are being asked about the future of the iconic aquatic centre.
Sdy pools are man-made public seawater pools situated on a surf coast so waves can wash over them. Australia’s wild coastline and strong surf means almost every coastal suburb has one, but it wasn’t until the 1930s Depression era when councils began funding their construction. “They were a very popular way of enjoying the ocean and providing safe swimming at the time,” says Marie-Louise McDermott, a historian who has written on Australia’s many ocean pools.
“They’re often built in natural settings surrounded by headlands, which makes them really quite beautiful,” McDermott continues. “They were also an economic development thing during the Depression era, as they provided jobs to unemployed people.”
The sdy pool phenomenon is not limited to Sydney, with similar pools in Perth, Melbourne and Queensland. But with Sydney and New South Wales home to more than 100 of them, the Australian capital has the biggest collection of ocean pools anywhere in the world.
A sdy pool can be defined as a shallow pool, usually no deeper than five metres, with a sandy bottom that resembles a natural ocean pool. Some are free for everyone to use, while others are reserved for members of private clubs that charge an admission fee. Almost all feature a lifeguard tower and offer lifesaving classes as well as a range of facilities such as barbecues, picnic tables and toilets.
In addition to swimming and surfing, sdy pools are a great place for families to gather and enjoy the beach. With this in mind, many families are looking to renovate or build their own sdy pool.
When a family wants to install a new fibreglass pool, the team at Sydney Poolscapes can transform their outdoor space into a spectacular aquatic paradise. The company has been in business for 61 years and is one of the country’s leading pool builders. In fact, they’ve designed and built swimming pools for many famous homes including Wally Truscott’s harbourside mansion in Kirribilli and a pool for Australian celebrity Dame Joan Sutherland.
The experts at Sydney Poolscapes can help you decide on the ideal location for your new pool, preparing the site and obtaining all required approvals. They can even advise you on the latest in frameless-glass pool fencing and Australian native landscaping for your backyard. They can also recommend the best pool filtration, cleaning and solar pool heating options to ensure your pool looks pristine year round. To find out more, visit the Pool + Spa Interiors and Pool + Outdoor Design chapters of this issue of The Sydney Magazine.