Our History: The Mavis Honey Memorial Pool (Part 1

In this issue, we begin a three-part series about Roseville College’s open-air Mavis Honey Memorial Pool, which has been part of school life for nearly 50 years.

Construction of the College’s first swimming pool began in 1971 amid great excitement. The idea to build a four lane, 25m pool under partial cover also provided an opportunity to simultaneously extend the Lillian Davis Building (29 Bancroft Avenue), providing a bonus of much needed classrooms.

Mrs Higgins-Honey championed the development, persuading colleagues to swim with her to raise money for the facility. A swimathon was held in 1971 in benefit of the Swimming Pool Fund, involving staff, students and even some parents; the Rosevillian reported that “despite the adverse weather, many valiant efforts were made...”

Tragically, Mrs Higgins-Honey passed away from cancer on 18 June 1972, before the project was completed. Her successor as Headmistress, Mrs Mary Richardson, described her death as “the event that overshadowed all else for Roseville College” that year. Mrs Richardson oversaw the project’s completion, announcing that it would “add a whole new dimension to school life”. The pool, dedicated as the Mavis Honey Memorial Pool, was opened and dedicated in March 1973 by Bishop Frank Hulme-Moir.

Incredibly, the Memorial Pool has now served Roseville College and our local community, through learn-to-swim classes, for nearly 50 years! Images: Top left: Mrs Mavis Higgins-Honey, Roseville College’s fourth Headmistress from 1959 - 1972, and, centre left, synchronised swimming at the opening of the Mavis Honey Memorial Pool in March, 1973. Bottom left: the facility in 1983. Above, top: Junior girls peer through the fence to watch a lesson, 2011. Above: Senior Drama students adapt the pool to a stage for Cloudstreet in 2015. Opposite: The Senior Swim Squad trains in the heated pool early on a chilly autumn morning.