As a city built on the sea, Sydney has plenty of outdoor pools to soothe your jetlag and help you get fit. But it’s also home to more ocean pools than any other town in Australia, many of them a century old and still going strong. And with olympic-sized lap pools, world-class aquatic centres and facilities to boost your health, it’s no wonder Sydney is the country’s swimming capital.
This summer, one of Sydney’s most iconic swim spots will be undergoing a major renovation. But the pool’s future is uncertain – with council infighting, claims of pork-barrelling and heritage concerns all in play. With the pool’s opening date pushed back to 2025 and a budget blowout to more than $100m, it seems unlikely that North Sydney residents will get their wish for a beautiful and functional new swim spot.
It’s a sad end to a pool that has long been the pride of the area, but the community’s love for it is not in doubt. “There’s something about the water that feels like you are in utero,” says Michael Easton, who began exploring the suburbs’ myriad pools to swim laps with a friend a few years ago. “There is a comforting element to the water.”
He has swum in more than 68 suburban pools and struggles to single out a favourite. “They are all different and they each have a bit of magic,” he says. But the pool he most treasures is a little tucked away in a residential street, surrounded by trees and hedges. “The feeling of being out in the wild and away from everything is so calming.”
Sydney’s famous ocean surf may be intimidating to swimmers, but the city boasts more than 40 seawater pools up and down its coastline, most of them free. They’re perfect for beginners, or a great way to ease into the harbour. And they’ve become even more popular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as people look for ways to stay active without leaving their homes.
SS 185-5 Regulations for construction, installation and location of private swimming pools
Unless otherwise prohibited by law or this chapter, no swimming pool shall be constructed, installed or located in any front lawn or yard, within 20 feet of the rear lot line, or within 10 feet of a side lot line, residence or other permanent building. Swimming pools constructed, installed or located in such places shall be kept fenced and well-guarded so that they are not accessible to any person not a resident of the principal building on which it is located.
A person may construct a swimming pool or make an alteration to an existing swimming pool in accordance with this chapter only after obtaining a permit from the Village of Sydney. The fees for the issuance of a permit under this chapter shall be set forth in this section. A swimming pool shall be of a type and material that will be safe for swimming and shall be in compliance with all state and federal regulations.