Coleraine Swimming Pool

The water holes in Bryan’s creek in the 1920’s were the place to swim in the warmer months in Coleraine. However in 1925 two young girls drowned having slipped down the bank into one of these water holes.

From this tragedy a proposal by town’s people in 1926 was for a swimming pool to be built at Silvester Oval. The current net ball courts sit over the location.

The pool was completed in 1927 and was the first concrete pool in the Western District. Water was piped to fill the pool from the Konongwootong reservoir. There was no reticulation, the water did go green, and tadpoles thrived. In drought years the pool was filled from the creek, giving the pool a nice sandy bottom.

Hundreds of children learnt to swim in this pool. Hamilton did not have a pool at the time.

In 1960 the pool was assessed and deemed not to be up to the present day standards. The swimming committee of the day decided in 1963 to build a new pool at the Gage street reserve, its current location.

The new pool was to be an Olympic size pool 50 meters long at a cost of $60,000.00. Plans included a children’s pool. The pool took until late December 1968 to complete. In time for the summer school break up.

In 1969 a swimming club was to be formed.

In 1970 lights were requested but have never eventuated.