Having recently posted the pictures above of Mona Vale ocean pool, thought it might be a good moment to post some older shots of them.
The story of Sydney's ocean pools is an amazing one. They stand as monuments to our history and a very current expression of the country's obsession with exercise and the ocean. At various times, there have been attempts made to get rid of them, or to stop paying for maintenance - but they're such a beloved and important part of the country's way of life that anyone taking such a course is taking their political life in their hands.
The pool at Mona Vale (featured in the shots I posted above) - in Sydney's Northern Beaches - was originally built in the 1930s by unemployed men. Thinking about what that must have meant at the time is very moving - perhaps redolent of the current Covid situation, with many people jobless and full of uncertainty. The pool's exposed position has led it to need rebuilding more than once since, but there it still stands, on the edge of the Pacific - often full of people of all ages, even at 4am, often during wild weather. It certainly provides a bracing swim!
I really feel, when I see these pools in stormy weather, that something about Australia's relationship with the elements is being expressed in a bold and beautiful way. My pictures are inspired by this, but really don't come close to doing it justice :-)
(Hope this isn't too many shots to post at once - apologies if it is...) North Narrabeen pool
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Collaroy pool
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North Curl Curl pool
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South Curl Curl pool
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Mona Vale pool again
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Dee Why pool
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Bronte pool
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Fairy Bower pool
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