100 years of public pools in Orange

One hundred years ago this month on Saturday, February 25, 1924 popular Orange Mayor Dr Arthur Colvin officially opened our city’s first public swimming baths in front of a crowd of 2000 people.

Located at the corner of Peisley and Byng Streets, near the old electric power works, the pool was 33 yards long and “situated in park-like surroundings which are laid out in garden plots and ornamental trees.”

The large number of people who attended the opening was a reflection of just how popular the decision to build a pool was. In fact, the week prior to the official opening the Orange Leader opined:

“It is probable that nothing will do more towards popularising — not to say immortalising — Dr Colvin’s term as Mayor of Orange than the construction of the swimming pool… It is safe to say that no more popular innovation has been made by the council in recent years, in fact, all the adverse criticism of the past over the tardiness of our civic fathers in establishing the baths may be said to have been already washed out.”

With such enthusiasm for the new pool, the council wasn’t going to keep the public waiting any longer than they had to. And so on the weekend before the official opening, word got around that there would be no objections raised if anyone felt inclined to take a dip.

“The result was that, from the early hours of Saturday until midnight, hundreds of people of all ages availed themselves of the privilege,” reported the Leader, with the scene repeated on the Sunday.

But there is probably no better indication of Orange’s enthusiasm for their new pool than the fact that so many people turned out at the opening which, in true Orange fashion, was held on a day not so suitable for swimming.

“The thermometer stood at 41 degrees [5°C!] and everybody was wearing overcoats and furs,” according to Dubbo’s Western Age.

According to the Leader, the highest the temperature rose to all day was just 14 C.

“It will thus be gathered that the day was anything but propitious for the function above referred to. The only saving grace about it was that there was no rain, and the sun did manage to struggle out for an hour or two during the afternoon. The wind though was exceedingly keen, making outdoor functions the reverse of pleasant.”

Given the weather, the “ever tactful and thoughtful” Dr Colvin kept his remarks brief, before introducing visiting members of the Royal Live Saving Society who gave a practical (and also brief) demonstration to the assembled crowd.

The first official plunge into the pool was also by a visitor, a Miss Thompson of Coffs
Harbour, described as an expert swimmer.

“...her graceful and perfect work won the keenest admiration of the onlookers.”

With the formalities done, the Mayor informed the eagerly waiting children that the pool was now open and “they indulged to their hearts’ content.”