North Bondi children's pool

from NSW ocean baths' Flickr photostream

Note the particularly beautiful mural - hand-made ceramic tiles & recycled china, glass etc

ask for a Day Pass

Blue Mountains Have Your Say > Street Tree Planting

Blue Mountains Have Your Say > Street Tree Planting

I'm swimming in the rain

I'm swimming in the rain

Just swimming in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above

The sun's in my heart...

The Pool opens 9:30 this morning regardless of the rain :) 

80th birthday

The official opening of Blackheath Pool took place – eighty years ago - during the 1931 Christmas holidays.  Over ensuing years many, many thousands of happy swimmers have enjoyed this special place. In 1935 The Katoomba Daily declared it “...the finest park and swimming pool on the mountains” [quoted p.155 Blackheath Today from Yesterday (2005)]. Detailed historical information is available at http://ow.ly/7dvms. 

Today Blackheath Pool is one of the most beautifully situated public swimming baths in Australia – set amongst sweeping lawns and the now mature rhododendrons, at over 1000 metres above sea level – providing swimming with altitude.

after the windstorm - insurance concerns? consider this...

a legal information session on MANAGING INSURANCE FOR 

WIND, STORM AND FIRE DAMAGE.

Xmas pressie idea...

[achievement #2] 300% patronage increase

In February 2011 patronage vastly increased over the previous year.

The previous season there were 706 individual February visits, whereas in 2010-11 season there were 3,099 individual February visits!

That’s a 300%-plus increase; or an average of one hundred people through the gate every day! And most were middle-of-the-day visits. Sadly this success was overlooked in BMCC reports.

photo: 5PM Tuesday 1 February 2011 lap pool water 29.5C (air 31.5C) 

This 300% increase was despite the strongest La Nina ever recorded, and a total of sixteen rain days in February 2011; and some continue to insist no-one uses The Pool - how absurd ;)

Home of summer swimming since 1931 - 80 years young.

The Official opening took place – eighty years ago - during the 1931 Christmas holidays.  Over ensuing years many thousands of happy swimmers enjoy this special place. 

In 1935 The Katoomba Daily declared it “...the finest park and swimming pool on the mountains...” *

From the late 1870s a dam fed by natural creeks and hanging swamps was established. This was the water reservoir for steam engines reaching the highest point of the western railway crossing the Blue Mountains. After WW1 locals began showing interest in the area surrounding the dam for recreational purposes. In January 1919 the area was set aside as a reserve for recreation. In December of the same year the Blackheath Municipal Council was formed – a not unconnected event!


Two years later James Dawes, superintendent of Sydney's Centennial Park came to Blackheath to advise on the potential of the land to become a unique park. The citizens of Blackheath raised 1,000 pounds to finance development as a park. The Memorial Park was established by the community to commemorate those who lost their lives in WW1, each rhododendron planted in memory of one of the 77 Blackheath casualties. The Park it is an enduring symbol of peace, and The Pool of the healing value of water. 

Although swimming in the dam was officially prohibited, locals larrikins couldn't resist its lure hot summer days.  Gradually the former dam was recognised as having potential as a swimming pool. In 1929 Blackheath Alderman Peter Sutton called a public meeting which formed a Citizens' Committee to organise voluntary labour and raise funds. During community working bees on Wednesday afternoons and weekends the dams were cleaned out, graded to the necessary depths and the bottoms gravelled. Old railway sleepers were painted white and placed to define the embankments.

Detailed historical information is available at http://ow.ly/7dvms . 

Today Blackheath Pool is one of the most beautifully situated public swimming baths in Australia – set amongst sweeping lawns and the now mature rhododendrons, at over 1000 metres above sea level – providing swimming with altitude.


**quoted p.155 Blackheath Today from Yesterday (2005)

Aquarobics?

register your interest with FoBP&MP member 

Jane Chalker jc@exemail.com.au or 0409 364 640

just two weeks to go

[achievement #1] pleasant swimming water

The lap pool averages 23C throughout the season.

It is the only unheated outdoor pool in the mountains; it’s also in the coolest climate zone, yet the lap pool peaked at 29C on 1 February 2011!  

The Pool *costs nothing* to heat, it is heated entirely by the sun.  

In our new carbon-priced world could we ask for better efficiency?  

This was achieved despite a very cool, wet summer.  

As stated on ABC Radio in January 2011 

“...this is the strongest La Nina ever recorded”*.  

In the upper mountains December 2010 was the wettest in 15 years, 

and the trend continued across the season:

19 rain days in January, 

16 rain days in February, 

22 rain days in March.

* Emeritus Professor Ian Lowe of Griffith University 

speaking on ABC Radio National’s Late Night Live 24-Jan-2011 

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/latenightlive/stories/2011/3119905.htm

Aquarobics anyone?

register your interest with FoBP&MP member 

Jane Chalker jc@exemail.com.au or 0409 364 640

Have a great Rhododendron Parade


Blackheath Memorial Park (& Pool) sildeshow http://ow.ly/7jDRM