Leisure, Tourism, Swimming, Sustainability and the Ocean Baths of New South Wales

Abstract

The presence of more than a hundred wave-dominated public baths on the rocky surf coast of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) testifies to the enthusiasm of that coast's colonial and post-colonial residents and visitors for structures enabling ‘safe enough’ day and night immersion in the sea. Beach and pool cultures mix at these challenging public pools, which illuminate the leisure-time relationships with surf, rips, sharks and the NSW rocky shores, and counterpoint other pool and beach cultures within and beyond Australia. The generally unsupervised ocean baths are valued beach safety measures that both predated and continue to complement the lifesaver-patrolled surf beaches. Ocean baths served both to promote tourism and residential development along the NSW coast and to provide training grounds for local, Australian and Olympic sporting champions. While no longer used for elite competitive swimming, these pools remain important venues for recreation and learn-to-swim programs as well as for club and school swimming. Despite the present reluctance to develop ocean baths at new sites, the existing ocean baths are still regarded as iconic beauty spots facilitating and exemplifying a joyous, healthy, egalitarian, sustainable coastal lifestyle.