Wylie's Baths facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wylie's Baths |
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Wylie's Baths, pictured in 2006, looking out to the Tasman Sea
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| 33°55′32″S 151°15′34″E / 33.92566°S 151.25941°E | |
| Address | 4B Neptune Street, Coogee Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Postcode | 2034 |
| Opened | 1907 |
| Operated by |
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| Owned by | Randwick City Council |
| Type | Tidal pool |
| Former name(s) | Sunset Pool |
| Status | New South Wales State Heritage Register-listed |
| Length | 50 metres (160 ft) |
| Width | 30 metres (98 ft) |
| Depth | 0.5 to 1.6 metres (1 ft 8 in to 5 ft 3 in) |
| Builder | Henry Alexander Wylie |
| Size | |
| Olympic-size pool | |
| Designations | |
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| Official name | Wylie's Baths; Wylies Baths; Sunset Pool (1959-1978) |
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) |
| Criteria | a., b., c., d., e., f., g. |
| Designated | 14 November 2003 |
| Reference no. | 01677 |
| Type | Swimming pool - tidal |
| Category | Recreation and entertainment |
| Builders | Henry Alexander Wylie |
Wylie's Baths is a famous swimming pool located near Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia. It's a special type of pool called a tidal bath, which means it fills and empties with the ocean's tides. The baths are important because they hosted the first Australian Swimming Championships. They were also one of the first places in Australia where both men and women could swim together.
Wylie's Baths opened in 1907. They were built by Henry Wylie. His daughter, Mina Wylie, became one of Australia's first female Olympic swimmers. She won a silver medal at the 1912 Olympics. For a while, from 1959 to 1978, the baths were called Sunstrip Pool. Today, the City of Randwick owns Wylie's Baths. A special committee helps manage them. This committee includes members from local swimming clubs.
Contents
Discovering Wylie's Baths History
Early Aboriginal Connections
Aboriginal people have lived in the Sydney area for thousands of years. Before Europeans arrived, many Aboriginal people lived around what is now Coogee. The local group here was called the "Muru-ora-dial" people. It is thought that the area where Wylie's Baths now stands might have been a special place for Aboriginal women. More research is being done to learn about this. Today, many Aboriginal people live in the Randwick area.
Coogee's Growth as a Seaside Spot
In the late 1800s, Coogee became a popular place to visit by the sea. This happened after a tram line opened to Coogee Bay in 1883. People came to enjoy the beach and fun activities. There was an aquarium with a ballroom and an indoor pool. Other fun things included swings, donkey rides, and a toboggan rink. Later, a pier was built, and floodlights were added for night surfing.
Swimming also became a popular sport around this time. Many ocean and harbour pools were built in Sydney. Wylie's Baths is one of these older pools. North of Wylie's Baths are two more rock pools. One is the McIver Women's Baths, which has been a women's bathing spot since before 1876. At the northern end of Coogee Beach is Giles Baths, built in 1902 for men only.
Building Wylie's Baths (1900s-1959)
In the early 1900s, Henry Alexander Wylie got permission to build a pool here. He was a champion long-distance swimmer. In 1907, he built the ocean pool we see today. It opened on December 12, 1907.
In 1912, Wylie added a tall timber boardwalk and two changing rooms. This deck was built on strong timber posts. He also built a concrete diving tower. For a while, there was even a slippery dip into the pool! Night swimming became popular when Wylie added lights around the pool.
To enter the baths, people paid a fee at a small cottage. They could get swimming costumes and use lockers. Paths led down to the changing rooms.
Henry Wylie's daughter, Mina Wylie, was a famous swimmer. She and Fanny Durack were Australia's first two female Olympic swimmers. They competed in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. Fanny won gold, and Mina won silver in the 100-meter freestyle. Mina won 115 NSW and Australian titles in her career!
Another famous swimmer linked to Wylie's Baths is Des Renford. He was a long-distance ocean swimmer. He swam the English Channel 19 times! He was a regular swimmer at Wylie's and helped manage the baths.
Sunstrip Pool (1959-1974)
In 1959, Desmond Selby took over the baths. He renamed them "Sunstrip Pool." He made some changes to make the baths more modern. He made the boardwalk wider and built smaller changing rooms. This created more space for sunbathing, which was popular then. He also added a kiosk and hot showers.
Baths Closure and Re-opening (1974-1978)
In 1974, strong ocean storms badly damaged the baths. They had to close to the public. Another storm in 1977 caused even more damage. In 1978, the baths re-opened. The Randwick Municipal Council took control, and the baths went back to their original name: Wylie's Baths. A special committee was formed to help manage them.
Restoring the Baths in 1995
In 1994, the Randwick City Council decided to fix the baths. The restoration cost about $750,000 and was finished in 1995. The architects, Allen Jack+Cottier, won an award for their work. They restored the boardwalk and built new facilities. Their work was praised for keeping the original feel of the baths while making them modern.
In 1996, the Wylie's Baths Trust was set up to manage the baths. This group includes people from local swimming clubs, residents, and the Randwick City Council.
Photography at the Baths
Wylie's Baths has become a very popular place for photographers. Its location, right next to the cliffs, looks amazing in pictures. The old wooden structures also give it a cool, nostalgic look.
What Wylie's Baths Looks Like
Wylie's Baths is built on the rocks at the southern end of Coogee Beach. You can enter from Neptune Street.
The pool is made of rock and concrete. It is about 50 metres (160 ft) long and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. This is the length of an Olympic swimming pool. The water depth changes from about 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) to 1.6 metres (5 ft 3 in). The ocean tides naturally clean the pool twice a day.
A tall wooden boardwalk wraps around two sides of the pool. It is supported by timber posts. You can easily see it from Coogee Beach. Three sets of wooden stairs lead down from the boardwalk to the pool. The baths have changing rooms for men and women, a kiosk, and a store. A steel fence keeps people safe from the rocks on the northern and eastern sides of the pool.
How the Baths are Maintained
The baths are in good condition today, especially after the big restoration in 1995. The ocean environment is harsh, so repairs and changes have been needed over time. These changes have helped keep the baths looking like they always have. The 1995 restoration was praised for keeping the original feel of the baths while making them better.
Changes Over Time
- 1907: Wylie's Baths first opened.
- 1912: The tall timber boardwalk and changing rooms were built.
- 1959: The changing rooms were replaced, and the boardwalk was made wider. A kiosk and store were added.
- 1974: The baths closed because of storm damage.
- 1977: More storm damage occurred.
- 1991: An old timber and chain railing was replaced with a new stainless steel one.
- 1995: Big restoration work was completed, and the baths re-opened.
Why Wylie's Baths is Special
Wylie's Baths is very important to the history of New South Wales. It is one of the oldest and most complete ocean swimming pools in the state. It might also be special because of its possible connection to Aboriginal women's history.
Built in 1907, Wylie's Baths shows how sports and fun places developed in Sydney. It has an Olympic-sized pool, a raised boardwalk, changing rooms, and a kiosk. Many people have used it for swimming clubs, training, lessons, and just for fun. Generations of Sydneysiders love Wylie's Baths.
The baths are strongly connected to the history of competitive swimming in Australia. Many famous swimmers, like Henry Alexander Wylie, Mina Wylie, Fanny Durack, and Des Renford, are linked to Wylie's. Because of Mina Wylie and Fanny Durack, Wylie's Baths is especially important for Australian women's swimming.
Wylie's Baths is a well-known Sydney landmark. You can see it clearly from Coogee Beach. Its amazing ocean setting makes it a popular spot for photos. The tall timber boardwalk is unique in Sydney. It's a great example of smart design for building on a steep cliff. The recent restoration work in 1995 won an award for how well it preserved the baths.
Wylie's Baths is also important to the local community. Many swimming clubs have a long history with the baths. These clubs helped get the baths re-opened after the storms in the 1970s. The community continues to help manage the baths today. This shows how much people value Wylie's Baths.
Wylie's Baths is a great example of an ocean swimming pool built in Sydney around the early 1900s. Like many other pools from that time, it uses the tides to keep the water clean. The timber boardwalk is also a special feature. While many other timber boardwalks have disappeared, Wylie's has survived.
