First Australian 25m Myrtha renovation
T
he Fanny Durack Pool at Petersham in Sydney’s inner west has an iconic stature in the local area. Named after a pioneering swimmer from the adjacent suburb of Stanmore and set in the park where Donald Bradman scored his first first-class century, the pool has been celebrated in poems, stories and paintings by local writers and artists. Built in the 1950s following Australia’s success in the Melbourne Olympics, it was one of three 33m pools built by Marrickville Council. Smaller than an Olympic sized pool, swimmers could still compete in 100m races by doing three laps. Much loved by the community, an action group was formed to ensure the pool was saved when leaks were discovered. The council then realised ageing equipment and structural problems needed radical action. After
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first refurbishing the nearby aquatic centre at Enmore (named after another local champion Annette Kellerman), the council approved a plan to reinvigorate the pool while maintaining its unique character – including ensuring it remains an outdoor pool. Swimplex Aquatics was brought in to do the refurbishment of the main pool using the Myrtha system. There have been hundreds of Myrtha renovations around the world, but in Australia the refurbishments have been solely for 50m pools up till now – eight in total, including the Prince Alfred Park Pool in inner Sydney. This time, Swimplex reduced the length of the 33m pool to a more practical 25m and widened it by about four metres so there will be more space for lap swimming and other activities, and also added a disabled access ramp.
MAIN. John Dangerfield supervising the Myrtha installation at Petersham LEFT. The new centre will include a splash area and a toddlers’ pool, and retains the leafy ambience of the existing pool RIGHT. The pool has been widened to enable more uses for the space