Winchelsea’s new pool opens with a splash
Winchelsea community members turned out in big numbers with swimsuits and smiles for opening of the town’s $8.9 million new pool.
Patrons lined up before 10am waiting for the doors on opening morning on Saturday, and more than 420 people made the most of free admission to make a splash during the day.
The attendance was among records for a single day and eclipsed 350 recorded at 60th anniversary celebrations for the former pool.
“We’re so excited for the new pool, with the splash park, it’s just such a good activity for us down here along the river,” Winchelsea Mum Amy Bath said, with children Arnhem, 3, and Lula, 1.
“We have a good little community of young families, and this is such a good meeting point. All of the girlfriends with all of the young kids, everyone is really excited.
“It will be great for the kids’ water confidence, and also for us to do some laps.”
The much loved, community-built former pool was decommissioned in 2024 after having reached the end of its working life.
The new community health and wellbeing asset includes:
- 25m heated pool
- zero-depth entry heated pool
- splash park
- pavilion, shelters
- barbecue
- and more.
Council fully funded the redevelopment – its largest-ever asset renewal project – and community members helped guide design.
Saturday’s opening to community preceded a formal opening ceremony to be on 27 February.
Family fun day
Community members are invited to celebrate the pool’s new era at a free family fun day featuring entertainment, sausage sizzle, fun activities, giveaways and games.
10am to 5pm
Sunday 2 March
Admission to the pool is free up to and including the family fun day.
2025 season hours
The new pool season will run until 30 March, with doors open every day:
3pm to 7pm Monday to Friday
10am to 5pm on weekends
Long-time former pool manager Lesley Berg will be among guests of honour at the official opening.
Lesley saw generations of locals in come and go while managing the pool for the best part of 18 years from the late 1970s and grew deep appreciation of how much it means to people.
“I always think the pool is a hub of a community really because the whole family can go down and enjoy it, all at once,” Lesley said.
“It’s a big asset to the town.”
Lesley shared the manager role with the late Barb Holmes for several years, taught Austswim and served as voluntary community pool committee secretary for many years. Many people over the decades are in a distinguished group of big-hearted community-focused people who kept the pool operating across decades before Council took it on.
“We had lots of fun times, and at that stage we had a committee of management and had to raise the funds to run the pool so we had cabaret balls and all those sorts of things,” Lesley said.
“We would have a working bee to get the pool ready for the start of the season and have 35 volunteers there. It was terrific.”
Lesley refers to the pool as her baby and is excited about its rebirth as a sparkling community asset.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Lesley said.