Sydney pools are a key feature of our city’s landscape. They offer a place for locals to swim, exercise and relax with family and friends. They are popular additions to many Sydney backyards and help residents to stay fit and enjoy the famously sunny Sydney weather all year round. However, like any major investment, they come with certain costs and requirements that must be taken into account when making the decision to get one. In this article, we will take a look at everything you need to know about sidney pools before you make the plunge.

There’s something intrinsically comforting about swimming in a pool. Whether it’s the shivering tingle of the Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response or a memory of swimming lessons as a child, we all connect to water. And, in a city as beautiful and diverse as Sydney, we’re fortunate to be surrounded by a number of outstanding poolscapes.

A quick google search brings up 68 pools within a 20-kilometer radius of the CBD, including iconic locations such as Bondi Baths, Mosman Bay and Nielsen Park in Vaucluse. These pools aren’t just for leisure swims or laps, but have a long history of serving the community with social and health benefits.

But there are countless other poolscapes, some hidden away in the suburbs or nestled into urban landscapes. From the old to the new, these pools are a testament to Sydney’s unique personality and the importance placed on our outdoor spaces.

Among the most remarkable are the historic Elkington Park Baths, corrugated iron and painted cream with green timber pavilions tucked underneath Balmain’s sandstone cliffs. It was the site of a legendary swimming carnival and a favourite spot of Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe. Baker remembers his own childhood visits and a fondness for the pool as a university student. He says he hopes the pool can be revived as a destination that will attract people from across the city and beyond.

Then there are the rock pools. Situated on the city’s rocky beaches, these natural pools were used by Aboriginal people before European settlement and are a popular swimming spot for locals and visitors. They’re also a great spot to snorkel, sunbake and learn about the plants and animals that thrive on Australia’s rocky shores.

These pools are in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, with ocean swimming skyrocketing to help people stay active and escape the confines of indoor pools. But the cost of these pools is a significant barrier for most Sydneysiders. The $10m North Sydney pool, for example, was funded with a federal grant meant for regional and remote women’s sports.

For Baker, it’s a case of pork-barrelling gone wrong. He says it would have been much cheaper to use the money for ten regional pools. But he’s confident a solution is in sight, with the recent introduction of a federal independent MP’s anti-pork barrelling bill offering a welcome safeguard against another North Sydney pool-style political folly.