Pittwater Life September 2018 Issue

Times Past
Newport’s ocean
pools quartet
After last month’s look
at the rock pools of
North Avalon, we
thought we would venture
south to examine the
Newport Beach rock pools
where there have been four
pools in 100 years.
Newport Surf Club member
Mr A. Ross contacted
Warringah Shire Council
(WSC) in December 1918
concerning the proposed
construction of “rock
baths” at the northern end
of Newport Beach. Council
replied that “work would
be commenced as soon as
possible”.
Only four years later the
surf club again had to contact
the council to advise that
“the floor of the northern
rock pool was in a dangerous
condition and that the nearby
cliff was also unsafe”. It’s
possible that some of the cliff
face ended up in the pool,
creating the irregular floor of
the pool.
According to Guy Jennings
in his ‘The Newport Story’,
the WSC built three rock
pools at Newport Beach in
the early 1900s. Two were
built at the northern end and
one at the southern end. This
photo taken in 1930 (main)
shows what was most likely
the first rock pool
built at the northern
end. It’s possible
that the second pool
at the northern end
was then built, well
away from the cliff
face – in fact about 50
metres to the east out
on the rock shelf. Two
walls of this second
pool still stand and
are not only clearly
visible but also
accessible but only on
a very low tide with a
low swell.
The materials
used to construct
this pool were a
combination of small
rocks and concrete
with two substantial and
visible reinforcing rods,
15mm in diameter, used to
strengthen the structure.
(Lack of awareness of the
ferocity of the waves led to
the destruction of both pools
and it’s surprising anything
remained of the remnants
after the severe pounding the
east coast suffered in May
1974.)
A public meeting was held
on Saturday 4 October 1924
requesting that the Council
construct yet another pool,
this time at the southern
end of the beach. It took 16
months of toing and froing
with them until the new pool
was agreed to. The tender for
construction was awarded
on 12 December 1925 to Mr
T Birmingham of Botany
for “535 pounds and 12
shillings”.
On Saturday 30 January
1925, the new pool measuring
115 feet (35 metres) long and
50 feet (15 metres) wide was
officially opened with a huge
swimming carnival which
included some interstate
swimmers.
The remains of the fourth
pool, south of the present
pool, are clearly visible in a
1941 aerial photo and more
recently via a drone.
TIMES PAST is supplied
by local historian
and President of the
Avalon Beach Historical
Society GEOFF SEARL.
Visit the Society’s
showroom in Bowling
Green Lane, Avalon
Beach.
Times Past
The Local Voice Since 1991
SEPTEMBER 2018 73