Ocean pools are an important feature of the Australian coastline particularly in New South Wales. Ocean pools or ocean baths are defined as public seawater pools sited on a rocky surf coast, so that waves can wash into the pool. The width, length and depth of ocean pools varies and often depends on their location on the coastline. Australia also has many harbour pools and these are usually netted or fenced and located in harbours or river mouths but not regarded as ocean pools.

History

Ocean pools date back to the convict era in Australia with Newcastle's Bogey Hole being constructed in 1819 by convicts under the orders of Commandant James Morisset. Construction of ocean pools was generally through community subscriptions or government funded. Two ocean pools were privately built: the Pearl Beach Rock Pool, near Gosford was constructed by a real estate developer in the 1920s to help sell land, and Wylie's Baths in Coogee by entrepreneur Henry Wylie and his sons.

Several ocean pools were once reserved only for the use of men or only for use by women and children and Sydney's Coogee Bay still hosts an ocean pool reserved solely for the use of women and children. Coogee's McIver's Baths constructed in the 1860s seems to now be the only seawater pool in Australia still reserved solely for use by women and children. Fanny Durack and Mina Wylie, who won gold and silver medals in the Women's 100m Freestyle at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics trained at this pool. The Beverley Whitfield Pool in Shellharbour is named after another of Australia's Olympic swimmers.

Wylie's Baths established in 1907 at Coogee, by Henry Alexander Wylie, the father of Mina Wylie, was one of the first mixed gender ocean pools in Australia;

There are about 100 ocean pools in New South Wales. In Perth, Western Australia there has been impetus to build ocean pools as a result of shark attacks; the state's first ocean pool will open at Ocean Reef Marina in 2026.

List of ocean pools

Name LocationConstructedOpenedLengthCommentsKings Beach PoolCaloundra, Queensland Rainbow Beach PoolCoolangatta, Queensland East Ballina Children's PoolBallina, New South Wales Yamba Rock PoolYamba, New South Wales1969 33 m Sawtell Memorial Rock PoolSawtell, New South Wales1962 Black Head Rock PoolHallidays Point, New South Wales1941 100 feet Forster Ocean BathsForster, New South Wales193656 m along the northern wall (rear wall), 50 m along the eastern wall and 69 m along the western wall.Soldiers BathsNewcastle, New South Wales1883 180 yards oval Square HoleNewcastle, New South Wales Newcastle Ocean BathsNewcastle, New South Wales192291.44x45.72 mCanoe PoolNewcastle, New South Wales1937 The Ladies BathNewcastle, New South Wales Bogey HoleNewcastle, New South Wales1819 Bar Beach Rock PoolNewcastle, New South Wales Old Merewether BathsMerewether, New South Wales Merewether Ocean BathsMerewether, New South Wales1935 110x90 yards Norah Head PoolNorah Head, New South Wales The Entrance Ocean BathsThe Entrance, New South Wales1938-1965 (multiple modifications) 1938 50mAdditional children's pool. Terrigal Rock PoolTerrigal, New South Wales Avoca Beach Rock PoolAvoca Beach, New South Wales Mavis PoolCopacabana, New South Wales MacMasters Beach Rock PoolMacMasters Beach, New South Wales Killcare - Putty Beach Rock PoolKillcare, New South Wales Umina Beach (site)Umina Beach, New South Wales Pearl Beach Rock PoolPearl Beach, New South Wales Palm Beach Rock PoolPalm Beach, New South Wales50m Whale Beach Rock PoolWhale Beach, New South Wales25 m Avalon Rock PoolAvalon Beach, New South Wales Bilgola Rock PoolBilgola Beach, New South Wales50m Northern Headlands Rock Pool (site)Newport, New South Wales Newport Rock PoolNewport, New South Wales 50m Length .Mona Vale Rock PoolMona Vale, New South Wales 30m Length 30 m. Also small children's pool.North Narrabeen Rock PoolNorth Narrabeen, New South Wales 50m Length 50 m.Collaroy Rock PoolCollaroy, New South Wales Dee Why Rock PoolDee Why, New South Wales 50m Length 50 m.North Curl Curl Rock PoolNorth Curl Curl, New South Wales 25m Length 25 m.South Curl Curl Rock PoolCurl Curl, New South Wales 50m Length 50 m.Freshwater Rock PoolFreshwater, New South Wales 50m Length 50 m.Queenscliff Rock PoolQueenscliff, New South Wales1937 50m Constructed in 1937. Length 50 m.Fairy Bower PoolManly, New South Wales1929 Marrinawi CovePort Jackson, New South Wales9 January 2023Constructed as part of the Barangaroo Headland redevelopment which opened 22nd August 2015. Wally Weakes PoolNorth Bondi, New South Wales Children's PoolNorth Bondi, New South Wales Bondi Icebergs PoolBondi Beach, New South Wales1887 Bronte Bogey HoleBronte, New South Wales1916 Geoff James Pool (Clovelly Baths)Clovelly, New South Wales Giles BathsCoogee, New South Wales Ross Jones Memorial Pool (Coogee Beach Pool)Coogee, New South Wales McIvers Baths (Coogee Women's Pool)Coogee, New South Wales1886 Wylie's BathsCoogee, New South Wales1907 Ivo Rowe PoolSouth Coogee, New South Wales Mahon PoolMaroubra, New South Wales1932 South Maroubra Rock PoolsMaroubra, New South Wales Malabar PoolMalabar, New South Wales Little Bay PoolLittle Bay, New South Wales Northernmost PoolCronulla, New South Wales Children's PoolCronulla, New South Wales Main Ocean PoolCronulla, New South Wales Shelly Beach PoolCronulla, New South Wales Oak Park PoolCronulla, New South Wales Bulgo PoolOtford, New South Wales Big Marley Rock Pool Royal National Park, New South WalesCoalcliff PoolCoalcliff, New South Wales Clifton Baths (site) Clifton, New South Wales Doctors Pool (site)Wollongong, New South Wales Scarborough Baths (site)Scarborough, New South Wales Wombarra BathsWombarra, New South Wales Coledale BathsColedale, New South Wales Little Austinmer Children's PoolAustinmer, New South Wales Old Thirroul Baths (site)Thirroul, New South Wales Collins Point Baths - Woonona PoolWoonona, New South Wales 50m Bellambi PoolBellambi, New South Wales Towradgi PoolTowradgi, New South Wales Wollongong Rock PoolWollongong, New South Wales Wollongong Continental BathsWollongong, New South Wales Wollongong Nuns PoolWollongong, New South Wales Wollongong Ladies Baths (site)Wollongong, New South Wales Fishermens Beach Rock Pool (site)Port Kembla, New South Wales Barrack Point Pool (site)Barrack Point, New South Wales Beverley Whitfield PoolShellharbour, New South Wales Pheasant Point PoolKiama, New South Wales Blowhole Point PoolKiama, New South Wales Werri Beach PoolGerringong, New South Wales Men's Baths (site)Gerringong, New South Wales Currarong PoolsCurrarong, New South Wales Mollymook Bogey HoleMollymook, New South Wales Ulladulla Sea PoolUlladulla, New South Wales Horseshoe Bay Pool (site)Bermagui, New South Wales Blue PoolBermagui, New South Wales Zane Grey Pool (site)Bermagui, New South Wales Aslings Beach Rock PoolEden, New South Wales1961Cape Paterson Rock PoolCape Paterson, Victoria1960s Mettams PoolTrigg, Western Australia Hammersley PoolNorth Beach, Western Australia Anastasia's PoolBroome, Western Australia

References

Bibliography McDermott, Marie-Louise. Wet, wild and convivial: past, present and future contributions of Australia’s ocean pools to surf, beach, pool and body cultures and recreational coasts. PhD, Edith Cowan University, 2012 McDermott, Marie-Louise. Ocean baths. Dictionary of Sydney, 2011

External links Flickr New South Wales Ocean Baths Ocean Pools NSW