Chlorine

Swimming with Peter, the porpoise of Petersham Pool

Mar 31 2015

“Last day,” says Peter when I join him in the water at the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, aka Petersham Pool. “Are you going to miss it?” “Yes,” says Peter, who swims every morning and talks to everyone who comes to the pool. “Look at it, it’s beautiful,” he says, as he pushes under the water and[…]

Jan 27 2015

Last week when I paused at the end of a lap, I noticed three of the morning regulars scanning the pool for a spot. There were swimming lessons in lanes one and two with children pushing and gliding or doing torpedoes as it’s called today and learning to breathe in and bubble out. The rest[…]

Dec 17 2013

It was the tiles that drew me to Granville Pool; 1930s hexagonal-shaped with a border in red and chequerboard blue and white. Bruce discovered them when he swam there after work, and a few days later I was heading west along Parramatta Road to Sydney’s fourth oldest Olympic pool after Enfield, North Sydney and Bankstown (RIP). As I[…]

Oct 28 2013

Petersham marked the re-opening of the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre yesterday with a big pool party. The celebrations started with a traditional smoking ceremony from indigenous elder Aunty Jenny, who led a trail of kids in cossies around the centre’s new 25-metre pool, toddler’s pool and water play area. Aunty Jenny’s ‘welcome to country’ was followed[…]

Sep 09 2013

Looking at an exhibition of contemporary textiles at the Sturt Gallery in Mittagong recently made me think of lines and stripes at pools. Called Parallels, artist Barbara Rogers explored the “diversity and language of the stripe; the simplest of all patterns…” Some of her silk textiles reminded me of particular pools especially ones she created in shades of green and blue. When[…]

Jul 09 2013

I felt like I’d like walked into an outdoor art gallery when we visited the refurbished Prince Alfred Park Pool in Surry Hills last Sunday. As the Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said at the opening in May this year, “It’s quite simply an architectural masterpiece.” Designed by architects’ Rachel Neeson and her late husband Nicholas Murcutt,[…]

Apr 29 2013

On Anzac Day there was a soft Autumn light over Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre. The late afternoon sun glistened and sparkled in the blue water of the 50-metre pool. When I started taking photos, a lifeguard asked me what was so interesting in the pool. “There’s all these beautiful reflections,” I said. Oh,” he said, sounding unconvinced of[…]

Feb 20 2013

White, black, turquoise, red, mousey pink, mustard, dark grey, mint and pale blue. That’s what greets me when I walk into the Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre at Auburn. Colours, patterns and shapes abound at this 1959-model pool. Above the water and below. On the grandstand full of peeling paint. On the tables, umbrellas, seats and chairs.[…]

Dec 06 2012

Those were the triumphant words of Kevin, father of the Moody clan on Wednesday night’s final A Moody Christmas on ABC TV. Photo from abc.net.au The pool was a long term project of Kevin’s which he announced in the first episode of the comedy series set over six consecutive Christmas days. Photo from abc.net.au Each year when[…]

Nov 08 2012

Visiting some of the Art and About exhibitions and installations in Sydney last month got me thinking about art at pools. The motto of Art and About is ‘art in unusual places’, and from 21 September to 21 October that’s what you find in the city’s parks, lane ways, streets and malls. “We try every year to use places[…]

Swimming with Peter, the porpoise of Petersham Pool

The end of summer holidays at Petersham Pool

A multicultural morning at the Granville Pool

Locals party at opening of new Petersham Pool

Meditating on lines and stripes at the pool

The art and design of Prince Alfred Park Pool

Anzac Day tranquility at Leichhardt Pool

Retro magic at Auburn’s Ruth Everuss Aquatic Centre

The Moody family is a pool family now!

The art and soul of the swimming pool

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