Treasured harbourside swimming spot Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool reopens today following an extensive upgrade.
Critical maintenance work over the last 16 months at the Woolloomooloo Bay saltwater pool includes:
- replacing tiles and waterproof coating on the 50m and 20m outdoor pools
- installing new decking and timber around the seating, shade sails and a lift for accessibility
- transitioning the pool heating and centre hot water systems from using fossil fuel gas to efficient electric heat pumps
- repairing the concrete and steel structures, including the grandstand and both pools' outer shells
- upgrading the plant room.
Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said these essential works mean Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool will continue to be enjoyed into the future by the thousands of people that visit the facility every year.
"This is a harsh marine environment for an outdoor pool and working on a structure suspended above the harbour has been a challenging engineering feat," the Lord Mayor said.
"Our team has laid close to 50,000 tiles before refilling, treating and heating the pools so we're ready to welcome back swimmers today, the first day of spring.
"We're leading on climate change and given pools use so much energy, swapping out gas heating systems for more efficient electric heat pumps really shifts the dial and gets us closer to our sustainability goals."
Project details
- Around 2 million litres of harbour water needed to fill the pools and balance tanks
- Almost 50,000 pool tiles laid
- Filling the pools and balancing the water takes about one week, while heating them up takes 3 days – careful adjustments are made throughout to help the structure adjust slowly to the weight of the water and prevent thermal shock.
History of the pool
In 1858, the city council built Sydney's first free public baths on Woolloomooloo Bay, where Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool currently stands. Rundown bathing structures were demolished in the early 1900s before the new Edwardian-style Domain Baths were built in 1908. In 1968, the Domain Baths were replaced by a pool named in honour of the 1924 Paris Olympics swimming champion Andrew 'Boy' Charlton, who broke several world records at this pool.
Pool information Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool opens from 1 September to 30 April each year and is one of 6 world-class aquatic centres in the local area. Visit cityofsydneyleisure.com.au/swimming-and-aquatics/lane-availability
