Wollongong’s Continental Pool is a gift – what’s our legacy to the people of Wollongong 100 years from now? Photo: Wollongong City Council.
If you live in Wollongong’s sleepy suburbs and like to take a bit of exercise first thing in the morning you get the added bonus of feeling smug about being one of the only people awake.
Head anywhere along the Blue Mile, however, and no matter how early you arrive you will find swathes of well-groomed, wide-awake Insta-models running, walking, swimming or paddling.
A couple of mornings a week I like to sneak in to the Continental Pool, past the beautiful creatures, past the old blokes having a yarn in their budgie smugglers, past the mums snatching 10 minutes of peace and quiet and wash the cobwebs out of my head to wake up.
Mostly I think about how many laps I’ve done while the voice of my primary school swimming coach booms in my head.
“Don’t roll your whole BODY every time you breathe,” she thunders. Almost 30 years later I still haven’t figured out the trick.
Most mornings feature a sunrise so beautiful it’s impossible to have a bad day.
Every time I dive in I’m grateful for the free ocean pools that dot our coastline.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to get some gentle exercise without paying a membership, or jumping out stinking of chlorine.
I love the variety of people the pools attract. Without an entry fee they’re truly a space for the whole community – and despite what neighbourhood Facebook pages might say, our community is mostly made up of nice, interesting, funny people.
Regulars recognise each other and catch up, however briefly.
The connections are more than just feel-good moments.
Last week a young bloke said he was out of work. An older chippie responded that he needed a labourer, and could the young fella start on Friday?
These pools are unique – travel a bit further down the coast and if you want to swim you’d better have the cash for an entry fee or have the skills and fitness to jump in the open ocean.
The only reason we have them is because when bathing was legally desegregated in 1912 the community of Wollongong wanted a spot for everyone to swim so much people began to dig the pool themselves.
The council eventually took over construction – their engineer, fortunately, was one of the original guerilla pool creators – and the Continental Baths opened in 1926.
“I wish to impress on the people,” said the mayor at the time, “that the baths and what you see before you, are your property, and I urge you to preserve your own property.”
By 1928 they’d become a fixture in many people’s daily lives.
A visitor described the crowd at 8 pm.
“The surface of the baths was a mass of bobbing heads and splashing legs and arms, while to walk round the sides and on the space in front of the dressing sheds was almost an impossibility,” he said.
“The council borrowing a large sum for town improvements, amongst which the baths were included … was opposed in some quarters, but time has proved that it was a wise move.”
If the pools were proposed today, I wonder if we’d have the appetite for them? Or if, instead, we’d whinge about no-one getting a free ride and the cost of rates?
I’d like to hope when the next opportunity to make Wollongong a better city comes along we have the courage, foresight and generosity of spirit to stop bickering and start digging.
