Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre facts for kids
| Harold Holt Pool Harold Holt |
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Main pool of the Harold Holt Swim Centre
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| Building information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre | |||||||||||||||
| City | Glen Iris | |||||||||||||||
| Opened | 27 November 1927 & in March 1969 |
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| Construction cost | £10,476 (1927) $600,000 (1969) $13 million redevelopment (2010) |
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| Architect(s) | Kevin Borland & Daryl Jackson | |||||||||||||||
| Pools | ||||||||||||||||
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The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre is a popular public swimming pool complex. You can find it in Glen Iris, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It's located at the corner of High Street and Edgar Street.
This swimming centre is named after Harold Holt, who was the Prime Minister of Australia. He was also the local member of parliament for the area. The centre was being built when he sadly went missing and was presumed drowned in 1967.
The original swimming baths were built in 1927. Later, in the 1960s, Australian architects Kevin Borland and Daryl Jackson redesigned and expanded the centre. Their design is a great example of a style called Brutalist architecture.
Contents
Early Days of the Pool
In 1924, the Malvern Council decided to build the area's first public swimming baths. The Education Department really liked the idea. They wanted to start a "learn to swim" program for kids.
The chosen spot was an old rubbish tip site. It was at the corner of High Street and Edgar Street. The first baths, called the Malvern Baths, cost £10,476 to build.
The City Engineer, Barton Coutie, designed them. He got ideas from swimming pools he saw in Harrow, London. The Malvern Baths opened in November 1927. The Mayor, Harry Wilmot, officially opened them.
How the Centre Grew
By the early 1960s, the Malvern Baths were getting old and too small. So, in 1966, the Malvern Council asked architects Kevin Borland and Daryl Jackson to design a brand new swimming complex.
It was first going to be called the City of Malvern Olympic Swimming Centre. But then, in December 1967, Prime Minister Harold Holt suddenly went missing. He was the local member for Malvern. Because of this, the name was changed to honour him.
The new Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre opened in March 1969. The Prime Minister at the time, John Gorton, opened it. This big new complex cost $600,000 to build.
Over the years, the centre has been updated many times.
- In 1988, new features were added. These included a hydrotherapy pool, a spa, a sauna, and a room for fitness classes like aerobics and yoga.
- In 1998, more work was done to improve how the pools worked. The water filtration systems were upgraded.
- A major redevelopment happened in 2010. This $13 million project added new health and fitness areas. It also expanded the swimming areas.
Today, the Harold Holt Swim Centre is one of Melbourne's busiest aquatic places. About 400,000 people visit it every year!
Building Style and Features
The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre is famous for its Brutalist architecture style. This style often uses strong, raw concrete and has a bold, solid look. It's so important that it's protected by the National Trust and listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Why Brutalist?
Architects like Stuart Harrison have described the centre as a Brutalist building. He noted how advanced its design was for the 1960s. Harrison also thought the building felt a bit like a factory in a suburban area. He even wondered if the strong, "brutal" style suited sports buildings, like ancient arenas for gladiators.
What You'll Find Inside
The Harold Holt Swimming Centre has many different pools and areas. It's a large site, about 207 by 57 metres.
Here are some of the cool things you can find there:
- Reception – This is where you enter, on the ground floor via Edgar Street.
- Outdoor 50m pool – This was the first heated outdoor pool in Victoria. It was also the first pool in Australia designed using metric measurements.
- Indoor 25m pool – This pool is inside a large building with glass walls.
- Learners' pool – Perfect for swimming lessons.
- Leisure pool – A fun pool with water features for play.
- Indoor toddlers' pool – A safe, shallow pool for the youngest swimmers.
- Hydrotherapy pool – This pool has a ramp for easy access.
- Spa and Sauna – Great for relaxing after a swim.
- Fitness Studios – There are three studios that host over 50 fitness classes each week.
- Child care facilities – For parents who want to use the centre.
- Change rooms – Both indoor and accessible change rooms are available.
Awards
The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre has won awards for its design.
- It received a special mention from the RAIA Victorian Chapter in 1969. This was in the Public Buildings category.
