A free community celebration will mark the official opening of the Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre this Saturday 10 October, unveiling an exciting new chapter for the much-loved swimming and recreation destination.
The new Centre on OG Road at Felixstow delivers a state-of-the-art aquatic and recreation facility, featuring a new Olympic-sized 50-metre 10-lane heated outdoor pool, a 25-metre indoor lap pool, a warm-water pool, a 14-metre-tall waterslide tower with dual waterslides, a children's zero-depth waterplay area, as well as meeting rooms, a swim school and café.
It also offers accessible pool entry and changerooms, kiosk and will be open from early mornings through to after school and into the evenings.
City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters Mayor Robert Bria says all three free community sessions for opening day, which promise a carnival atmosphere, were booked out well in advance — with 3,500 patrons expected through the door on Saturday - a strong sign of the interest and excitement in the project.
"Today is about welcoming everyone back to a fantastic new facility that will deliver joy to residents and families and all South Australians for years to come — there's no better way to do that than with a day of free celebrations, activities and entertainment," Mayor Bria says.
"Payneham pool has been part of our community for generations, so we know how much excitement there is to see its return — bigger, brighter and better than ever.
"Modern, accessible community infrastructure like this gives people more opportunities to be active, connect with their community and enjoy the places where they live."
"Whether you're here to swim laps, cool off with the kids, take on the waterslides or simply relax poolside and enjoy the facilities, there is something for everyone.," Mayor Bria says.
"This is a Council that is committed to providing quality infrastructure for the community it represents, and this new swimming centre is proof of that commitment."
Premier Peter Malinauskas will join Mayor Robert Bria in officially opening the $64 million Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre, supported by a $5.6 million State Government contribution through the Local Government Infrastructure Partnership Program.
"This is a wonderful new facility for the residents of the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, and one that will bring enjoyment to local families for generations to come.
"We want our kids spending less time on screens and more time being active, having fun and connecting with others. This centre will give families a fantastic opportunity to do exactly that.
"We've seen how enthusiastically South Australians have embraced the new Adelaide Aquatic Centre, and I'm confident this centre will be just as popular with the local community," the Premier says.
Amongst those present for the opening will be local resident 78-year-old Kerry Hammill, a keen lap swimmer who first visited Payneham pool for its opening in 1968.
"It's really special to celebrate the opening with my family. We have younger family members learning to swim, so it's exciting to see a new generation making their own memories here."
"I first swam here nearly 60 years ago when I was 20 and the Payneham pool had just opened. There was no warm water to jump into back then, so coming back to see what's here today is pretty incredible.
"I'm still a regular swimmer and having various pools I can use throughout the year is fantastic. And I couldn't resist trying the waterslides — they were great fun and I'll definitely be going again.
Additional car parking has been made available for the grand opening, with people also encouraged to use public transport, take the free shuttle bus from Drage Reserve, carpool, be dropped off, walk or cycle where possible.
Experienced aquatic and leisure facility operator BlueFit will manage the day-to-day operations of Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre, including the delivery of water safety and learn to swim programs.
Fast facts:
- Three pools designed for everything from learn-to-swim and recreation to training and competition
- 1900sqm of swimming space which is equivalent to around five basketball courts and is 1.8 times more swimming space than the previous facility
- 18 lanes to swim, train and compete
- 80 steps to reach the top of the 14-metre-high waterslide tower with dual waterslides
- Aquatic wheelchairs will be available for public use to ensure inclusivity for all visitors
- 38 new trees and 1800sqm of new landscaping
- 309 solar panels generating 140kW of renewable energy for the Centre
- More than 500 LED lights helping to reduce energy consumption
- A pool filtration system that circulates and clean approximately 10,000 litres of water every minute
- 58 Metro South Australian businesses were involved in the construction supply chain
- Supported 1170 FTE jobs for SA residents during construction.
What: Official opening of Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre
When: Saturday 10 October 2026
Where: 194 OG Road, Felixstow
Time: 9:45 am (Premier will be touring the facility), formalities from 10:15 am
Spokespeople: Premier Peter Malinauskas, NPSP Mayor Robert Bria and long-time swimmer Kerry Hammill.
