| Historical notes: | STATEMENT OF COUNTRY
The Newcastle Ocean Baths Complex sits within the traditional lands and sea Country of the Awabakal people (AIATSIS), with the Newcastle area also associated with the Worimi people whose lands lie across the Coquun (Hunter River). The Baths are in proximity to Tahlbihn (Flagstaff Hill), with views to Whibayganba (Nobbys's Head) which form part of the Coal River Precinct (SHR 01674). The Coal River Precinct holds significance as a site of historic and continuous Aboriginal occupation, and as a place of contact between Aboriginal people and European settlers. The rock outcrop upon which the Newcastle Ocean Baths is located is one of many in the area, which would likely have provided a place for resource gathering, bathing and recreation. The use of the rock platforms which dot the Newcastle coastline is attested to in the drawings of convict artist Joseph Lycett (Ackermann, 1821).
ESTABLISHING NEWCASTLE
Despite early prohibition on travel outside of the colony of Sydney, from 1799 traders visited the Newcastle area to gather and hew coal from the headlands. In 1804, organised mining commenced with the establishment of a permanent convict settlement. The Newcastle Harbour became the focus of this settlement. Newcastle Beach was rarely attended, due to the powerful surf, rips and fear of sharks. In 1818 Captain Morisset (Commandant of Newcastle) was directed by Governor Macquarie to caution people against bathing anywhere other than within the harbour (Macquarie, quoted in J.W. Turner, 1973). By 1820 The Commandant's Hole (SHR 01678) (the Bogey Hole), was excavated at the foot of Shepherd's Hill using convict labour. This was the first ocean bath in the colony.
OCEAN BATHING AND MORALITY
Following the establishment of the Bogey Hole, ocean baths began to dot the coast and create a moral dilemma for the authorities. The concern was one of modesty, with the view that bathing involved far too little clothing to be decent. In 1838, the Police Act was amended to prohibit publicly visible daylight bathing throughout the colony, effectively ruling out ocean swimming. The result was gender-segregated bathing, often in enclosed public baths.
TOURISM AND THE OCEAN
The regulations of the Police Act were a source of ire to Novocastrians, who felt that they reduced the ability to take advantage of natural assets and grow tourism. By 1866, local newspapers called for the construction of a set of public baths (The Newcastle Chronicle, 1866). In 1893, the Newcastle City Council passed a by-law attempting to override the Police Act, which was overturned by the Attorney General (The Bird O' Freedom, 1983). In 1894 the State government gazetted a by-law allowing daylight, gender-segregated bathing, with council-approved swimwear 'to prevent exposure or indecency' (The New South Wales Government Gazette, 1894).
The steam tram, commencing in 1887 with the terminus at the Esplanade, brought tourism, swimming and promenading along the Newcastle Esplanade. The beach remained a place of danger and, despite the installation of throw ropes, drownings continued to occur. Beach improvement schemes under Mayor Arthur James responded to growing tourism and sought to solidify Newcastle as a beach destination for day trippers, both from the Hunter and Sydney (Suters, 2002). Safer options for sea bathing were sought, and this led to the development of a proposal - the construction of men and women's sea baths on the rock platform below the tram terminus. Alderman Moroney moved at the October 1907 Council meeting that the necessary steps should be taken to provide suitable bathing accommodation (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 1907). The site proposed became the Newcastle Ocean Baths, 'at that plateau of rocks on the seacoast near the tram terminus' (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 1907).
THE NEWCASTLE OCEAN BATHS
Debates were held by Council members as to how the baths would be funded. In 1911, Minister for Public Works, Arthur Griffith, conditionally offered 3000 pounds for the construction on the baths caveated on the baths being at least 60m long, and being open to mixed gender bathing (Suters, 2002). This makes the Newcastle Ocean Baths the first government funded mixed gendered ocean baths in the State, marking the end of gender segregated bathing in Newcastle (Suters, 2002).
With the State Government financing in place, excavation of the Newcastle Ocean Baths commenced in May 1911. The plans for the facility were drawn by city engineer Louis Blackwell, featuring an oblong pool, a pumping scheme to fill the baths high enough for diving, women's dressing sheds at the northern end and men's to the south (Suters, 2002). Men laboured under difficult conditions using drills, draught horses, light rail and side-tipping skips to move excavated material. Some of the stones lifted by electric crane weighed up to two tons. These were cut and trimmed by stone cutters for use in the wall surrounding the bathing sheds (Suters, 2002). A 1912 photograph shows the light rail siding and construction happening at the baths site, with the c.1909 promenading shelter present embedded into the retaining wall at the west of the site. This remains present.
By December 1912, F. G. Castleden had been appointed to remodel the original Blackwell plans for the Pavilion. Mayor Shedden announced the baths would be opened on New Year's Day 1913 for the remainder of the holidays. Excavation was almost complete and a temporary galvanized iron dressing shed was installed. Of the temporary opening of the baths, the Mayor remarked it was 'an advertisement which will amply repay the councilthe baths will become more widely known, and our country friends will look forward with increased pleasure' (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 1912).
The 1913 opening of the site was never intended to be permanent. Modifications were required and undertaken as budget and disruption permitted. The pump ordered by Blackwell was installed in 1917, and in 1918 a series of upgrades included a new temporary dressing shed and the introduction of an automatic sluice gate to reduce sand accumulation. The raised rock 'island' in the main pool was also completed at this time, all under the supervision of new city engineer Jack Shine. Shine revealed plans for the permanent pavilion in 1921. This involved an Edwardian design, with separate women's and men's open air dressing sheds, and other facilities. The design was value-engineered prior to approval, and then again during construction (Suters, 2002).
In 1937, the break wall (as extant) was constructed, after 1935 plans for the wall to shelter the baths from the wind and heavy seas were modified (The Newcastle Sun,1935). The new plans saw the construction of a curvilinear wall, 9 feet high, and thick to withstand weather events, with tiered seating. The tiers mark another shift in morality, being designed to provide 'sunbaking platforms' as public sunbathing was no longer inappropriate (The Newcastle Sun, 1937). 1937 also saw the construction of the Young Mariners Pool, also known as the map of the world pool, which was extended to become the Canoe Pool in 1939. The pool floor was coloured concrete, portraying a unique and accurate geographic map of the world filled by gravity through the 'Panama Canal'. This pool was used by children to wade and paddle canoes, 'combining pleasure with education' (The Newcastle Sun, 1937). Here Ben Lexcen, notable Australian yacht designer, would develop an interest in sailing and practice with self-designed model boats. Lexcen was the first non-American yacht designer to win the America's Cup, with the Australia II (Ray, G. 2019). By the late 1960s the map was demolished, although fragments remain below the sand (Suters, 2002).
The Baths fell into disrepair during World War II, as leisure time was disrupted to focus on war efforts. Minor works took place following a storm in 1949, and in 1950 the domed pumphouse was installed along with a diving board. A 1950 proposal to close the baths was rejected by Council, with city engineer George Baddely stating that 'the baths are an institution in Newcastle' (Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate, 1950). In the 1980s, the baths required significant renovation. In 1981, a conservation order was placed over the facade, under the Heritage Act, which saw the pavilion painted in Council heritage colours and floodlighting installed. Repair was required again in 1989 following damage from the Newcastle Earthquake, with works undertaken in 1994. Another phase of repair was undertaken in the mid-2000s, including disuse and propping of the northern pavilion. Further propping was required in 2017, and the northern swimming clubrooms demolished due to structural instability.
In the later 2000s, the Newcastle Ocean Baths joined the Bogey Hole as a place of cultural celebrations, holding the Macedonian Orthodox Blessing of the Waters ceremony. At the 2024 event, the community donated $1,500 to the Newcastle Ocean Baths to install a public address system for the lifeguard tower, 'contributing significantly to the city's cultural and community landscape' (Newcastle Herald, 2024). This formed part of 2022 refurbishment works at the site, which involved concreting of the main swimming pools (excluding the Canoe Pool), pump upgrades, new raised deck to protect from sea rises, new bleachers and other elements such as improved accessibility. These works were completed and the baths reopened in December 2023. The works were opposed prior to their construction, however following the re-opening of the Baths, the alterations were broadly supported. |