Saturday, December 12, 2009

Wylies In The Nineteen Eighties


An old photo of Wylies Baths, taken sometime after I first started swimming there in 1985. I was living in Coogee back then, and it was just a short walk down the hill to either the beach or the baths.

This was before Wylies was "saved". Though it has pretty much the same appearance today, some things are noticeable. The decking and stairs were in quite a bit of disrepair, and the men's and women's changing sheds and showers are reversed compared to these days. Actually, back then, you could only get a cold shower after your swim. This was fine most of the year, but could be a bit severe in late July and August. The solar heated showers of today are much appreciated by these old bones after winter swims.

The pool was only open to the public during the summer season (October to late April, I think). In the winter months you could become a private member and have your own key to let yourself in. You could, of course (and still can), become a yearly member, have a key, and let yourself in on hot summer nights, when the public had long since gone home.

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