Tobruk Memorial Baths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tobruk Memorial Baths |
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Entrance to the Tobruk Memorial Baths, 2010
|
|
| Location | The Strand, Townsville, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1939–1945 (World War II) |
| Built | 1941–1950 |
| Official name: Tobruk Memorial Baths | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 13 January 1995 |
| Reference no. | 601575 |
| Significant period | 1940s (fabric) 1950-ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | residential accommodation – manager's house/quarters, changing rooms/dressing shed, trees/plantings, memorial – swimming pool, memorial – plaque |
| Builders | Townsville City Council |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
The Tobruk Memorial Baths is a special place in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It's a group of outdoor swimming pools located right on The Strand. This historic site was built between 1941 and 1950 by the Townsville City Council. It was created to honor the brave soldiers who fought in World War II. Because of its importance, the baths were added to the Queensland Heritage Register in 1995.
The Tobruk Memorial Baths has several pools. There's a large 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic-size swimming pool. There's also a 25-metre (82 ft) heated pool, often used for kids' swimming lessons and therapy. A small toddlers' pool is also available. You can find a snack shop on site. The front of the building has a cool blue-and-white Art Deco design.
A Look Back: The Story of the Baths
The Tobruk Memorial Baths started being built in 1941 and finished in 1950. The Townsville City Council first wanted to build new city pools. But in December 1941, they decided to name the baths after Australian soldiers. These soldiers had fought bravely in the Siege of Tobruk in North Africa.
The area where the baths stand has been used for swimming since the 1870s. Early settlers in Townsville enjoyed the beach here. By the 1880s, the foreshore became a popular spot for people to relax. Trees were planted, and a road was built along the beach. This area, known as The Strand, became a beautiful promenade. It was also a place for public baths.
The Tobruk Memorial Baths were built in a spot already linked to swimming and memorials. Nearby, Anzac Memorial Park was a focus for Anzac Day activities. This made the baths a fitting place for a war memorial.
Work on the baths began in late 1941. The Townsville City Council wanted an Olympic-sized pool. Some people thought it was wrong to spend money on a pool during a war. But the project continued. Townsville soon became an important base for the Allied forces in the Pacific War.
In December 1941, the Council decided to name the baths after the Siege of Tobruk. This was a famous battle in the desert against General Rommel. Australia's 9th Division and British forces held Tobruk for eight months. Australian soldiers were known for their courage during this siege.
After the war, building the baths continued. It was hard to find workers and materials. Finally, the Tobruk Memorial Baths opened to the public on 14 October 1950. They were officially opened on 26 November 1951 by Major-General WJ Windeyer. He was a senior officer at Tobruk. At the time, it was the only public memorial in Australia just for the Tobruk campaign.
Inside the main entrance, there is a special marble plaque. It honors the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who served at Tobruk. The plaque says:
This memorial stone is dedicated to the sacred memory of fallen comrades who served with the Navy, Army, and Air Force during the memorial siege of Tobruk, Western Desert, Great War II, from April 9, 1941 to December 13, 1941. We shall remember them.
The Townsville City Council's own teams designed and built the baths. It cost about £60,000. When finished, the baths had an 8-lane, 50-metre (160 ft) Olympic pool. It went from 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) deep to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep. There was also a diving platform. A smaller toddlers' pool was built too. The complex included changing rooms, a cafe, and a manager's home. There were also metal grandstands for 250 spectators. The main pool was tiled in blue and white.
The opening of the Tobruk Memorial Baths in 1950 brought back competitive swimming to Townsville. Swimming competitions had stopped during the war.
The Tobruk Memorial Baths became very important for Australian swimming. In the 1950s, Australia didn't have many indoor Olympic pools. So, the Tobruk Baths became a warm place for winter training. The Australian swimming squad trained here for the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.
Famous Australian swimmers trained here, including Dawn Fraser, Murray Rose, and Lorraine Crapp. In 1956, six world records and 13 Australian records were set in one night! This event was even shown on the first day of television in Melbourne. Training camps were also held for the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games and the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Team. The Australian swimming teams from 1956 and 1960 were incredibly successful.
Allan "Stumpy" Lawrence was the manager of the baths then. His son, Laurie Lawrence, is now a very famous Australian swimming coach.
Since 1987, the Townsville City Council has leased the baths to private companies. It is still a popular place for swimming and fun in Townsville.
What the Baths Look Like
The Tobruk Memorial Baths has a main building called a pavilion. This building holds the entrance and changing rooms. Behind it is the open-air Olympic-sized pool. A smaller toddlers' pool is located between the entrance and the big pool.
The pavilion has a roof hidden behind a wall called a parapet. The central entrance part has two floors. The three entrance doors have cool etched glass panels. These panels show fish and sea horse designs.
The baths are set in a beautiful landscape. There are grassy areas and rows of Royal Palms (Roystonea regia). Other tropical plants like frangipani (Plumeria rubra) also grow there.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Tobruk Memorial Baths is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's a very important place because of its history and design.
A Special Memorial The baths were built from 1941 to 1950. They are Australia's most important public memorial to the Australians who fought and died in the Siege of Tobruk. This battle took place in the Libyan desert from April to December 1941.
A Type of Memorial The Tobruk Memorial Baths are an example of swimming pools built in Queensland after World War II. Many places built memorials like this to remember those who served in the war.
Beautiful Design The baths are a great example of public building design. The etched glass doors show swimming and sea themes. The baths and their gardens make the area look beautiful. They are next to Anzac Memorial Park and The Strand.
Connected to Famous People The Tobruk Memorial Baths are important because of their link to Australian swimming history. They were the winter training spot for the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. Famous gold medalists like Dawn Fraser trained here. Their success made swimming a very popular sport in Australia.
