Indigenous history

Aboriginal people are believed to have inhabited the Sydney region for at least 20,000 years.^[9] The population of Aboriginal people between Palm Beach and Botany Bay in 1788 has been estimated to have been 1500. Those living south of Port Jackson to Botany Bay were the Cadigal people who spoke Dharug,^[10] while the local clan name of Maroubra people was "Muru-ora-dial".^[11] By the mid nineteenth century the traditional owners of this land had typically either moved inland in search of food and shelter, or had died as the result of European disease or confrontation with British colonisers.^[10] Few religious beliefs of the people were recorded, but oral traditions have ensured that some have been carried on. Thus it is thought that the Wylie's Baths location may have been a special place for women's business, possibly associated with birthing, although more research needs to be done to confirm this.^[12] There is now a sizable community of Aboriginal people living in the Randwick municipality, many to the south of Coogee in La Perouse.^[4]

Colonial history

One of the earliest land grants in this area was made in 1824 to Captain Francis Marsh, who received 4.9 hectares (12 acres) bounded by the present Botany and High Streets, Alison and Belmore Roads. In 1839 William Newcombe acquired the land north-west of the present town hall in Avoca Street.^[4]

Randwick takes its name from the town of Randwick, Gloucestershire, England. The name was suggested by Simeon Pearce (1821–86) and his brother James. Simeon was born in the English Randwick and the brothers were responsible for the early development of both Randwick and its neighbour, Coogee. Simeon had come to the colony in 1841as a 21 year old surveyor. He built his Blenheim House on the 1.6 hectares (4 acres) he bought from Marsh, and called his property "Randwick". The brothers bought and sold land profitably in the area and elsewhere. Simeon campaigned for construction of a road from the city to Coogee (achieved in 1853) and promoted the incorporation of the suburb. Pearce sought construction of a church modelled on the church of St. John in his birthplace. In 1857 the first St Jude's stood on the site of the present post office, at the corner of the present Alison Road and Avoca Street.^{[4][13]: 217–8}

Randwick was slow to progress. The village was isolated from Sydney by swamps and sandhills, and although a horse-bus was operated by a man named Grice from the late 1850s, the journey was more a test of nerves than a pleasure jaunt. Wind blew sand over the track, and the bus sometimes became bogged, so that passengers had to get out and push it free. From its early days Randwick had a divided society. The wealthy lived elegantly in large houses built when Pearce promoted Randwick and Coogee as a fashionable area. But the market gardens, orchards and piggeries that continued alongside the large estates were the lot of the working class. Even on the later estates that became racing empires, many jockeys and stablehands lived in huts or even under canvas. An even poorer group were the immigrants who existed on the periphery of Randwick in a place called Irishtown, in the area now known as The Spot, around the junction of St.Paul's Street and Perouse Road. Here families lived in makeshift houses, taking on the most menial tasks in their struggle to survive.^[4]

In 1858 when the NSW Government passed the Municipalities Act, enabling formation of municipal districts empowered to collect rates and borrow money to improve their suburb, Randwick was the first suburb to apply for the status of a municipality. It was approved in February 1859, and its first Council was elected in March 1859.^[4]

Randwick had been the venue for sporting events, as well as duels and illegal sports, from the early days in the colony's history. Its first racecourse, the Sandy Racecourse or Old Sand Track, had been a hazardous track over hills and gullies since 1860. When a move was made in 1863 by John Tait, to establish Randwick Racecourse, Simeon Pearce was furious, especially when he heard that Tait also intended to move into Byron Lodge. Tait's venture prospered, however and he became the first person in Australia to organise racing as a commercial sport. The racecourse made a big difference to the progress of Randwick. The horse-bus gave way to trams that linked the suburb to Sydney and civilisation. Randwick soon became a prosperous and lively place, and it still retains a busy residential, professional and commercial life.^[4]

Today, some of the houses have been replaced by home units. Many European migrants have made their homes in the area, along with students and workers at the nearby University of New South Wales and the Prince of Wales Hospital.^{[4][13]: 218–9}

A view of the baths showing the covered sunbathing area

Coogee

Following the opening of the tram line to Coogee Bay in 1883, Coogee became a popular seaside resort. Coogee became well known for its beach and seaside entertainments, similar to Manly and Bondi. The Coogee Aquarium opened in December 1887 and included a ballroom and indoor swimming pool. Other beach amusements included swings, donkey rides, bandstand and an outdoor slide and toboggan rink. Later amusements included the Coogee Pleasure Pier built in 1928 (demolished in 1933), the shark net installed in 1929 (removed in 1939) and floodlights for night surfing.^[4]

The late nineteenth century also saw the development of swimming as a competitive sport, in contrast to "bathing" as a therapeutic activity. The first British amateur swimming association was formed in 1869, and the Balmain Swimming Club was formed in March 1884. In 1891 the NSW Amateur Swimming Association was formed by men's swimming clubs and in 1906 women swimmers formed their own association. Fred Cavill arrived in Sydney in 1879 and, with his sons, managed a number of harbourside pools (for example, Lavender Bay) and helped to popularise competitive and long-distance swimming. His son, Dick Cavill introduced the crawl from the Solomon Islands which revolutionised swimming and another son, Sydney Cavill developed the butterfly stroke.^[4]

A number of Sydney ocean and harbourside pools date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, prior to the main construction phase of ocean and harbour pools in the 1930s and 1940s. Examples includes the Dawn Fraser Pool (1882), Bondi Beach Pool (c. 1892), the original Manly Cove Baths (c.1890), the original Brighton Baths (c.1900), Watsons Bay Baths (c.1905) and Dee Why Rock Pool (c. 1915). Many of these pools were built as Olympic-sized pools with raised seating to cater for competitive swimming events. North of Wylie's Baths are two more rock pools: the Ross Jones Memorial Baths (built 1947) and the McIver Women's Baths. These occupy the site of a women's bathing spot since before 1876. The Women's Baths were built in 1886 and since 1922 have been managed by the Randwick Coogee Ladies Amateur Swimming Club, formed by Rose McIver and Mina Wylie. At the northern end of Coogee Beach is another rock pool: Giles Baths, which was built in 1902 for men only. By 1909 it was known as the Randwick Municipal Baths. While now in disrepair, the pool is still in use.^[4]

Wylie's Baths, 1900s-1959

In the early 1900s Henry Alexander Wylie, a champion long-distance and under-water swimmer - and an amateur builder - obtained a lease for the area below the high water mark (the area above high water mark being Crown Reserve). In 1907 Wylie constructed the present ocean pool, which opened on 12 December 1907. It was originally fenced with a metal hand rail along the eastern edge. At some stage the original fence was replaced with a timber and metal rail which enclosed the pool on three sides. In 1912 Wylie constructed the high timber boardwalk that encloses two sides of the pool, and two change rooms. The deck was elevated by a post and beam construction in blackbutt timber. The posts were embedded into sockets cut into the sandstone cliff face and into the large rocks at the base of the cliff. Wylie also constructed a concrete diving tower on the eastern wall. There was a slippery dip into the pool on the north-western corner. At some stage a second diving tower was located on the southern end. Night bathing and picnicking became popular when Wylie erected three lamp posts along the northern edge and also strung lights across the pool. None of these structures remain today, although the concrete wall on the eastern edge is still thickened at the location of the demolished diving tower, and the concrete bases of the lamp posts can still be seen along the northern edge. At a later date Wylie extended the timber platform, considerably increasing the size of the change rooms at either end.^[4]

Entrance to the baths was from either Grant Reserve or Neptune Street. A fee was collected at the caretaker's cottage (which no longer exists) and swimming costumes issued. There were clothes lockers and possibly a refreshment outlet. The path wound down to timber stairs, which led to the change rooms (men's change room to the right and women's to the left).^[4]

Wylie's daughter was the Olympic swimmer Wilhelmina (Mina) Wylie (1891-1984) who grew up in South Coogee. Mina Wiley and Sarah (Fanny) Durack (1889-1956) were Australia's first two female Olympic swimming representatives when they competed in the Stockholm Olympics in 1912 (the first Olympic Games to admit female swimmers). In the 100-metre freestyle race, Durack won the gold medal and Wylie the silver medal. Mina Wiley competed in NSW and Australian championships from 1906 to 1934, winning a total of 115 NSW and Australian titles. As Australia's first Olympic female swimmers, Durack and Wylie inaugurated a long tradition of Australian female swimming champions.^[4]

Another well-known swimmer closely associated with Wylie's Baths is long-distance ocean swimmer, Des Renford (1927-1999). Renford swam the English Channel 19 times, was a Papal Knight and is featured in the NSW Hall of Champions at the State Sports Centre. He was a regular all-year-round swimmer at Wylie's where he was always conceded the best lane "on the wall" and was a member of the Wylie's Baths Trust and active in the management of the baths. Other swimmers of note associated with Wylie's Baths include Fanny Durack, Bob Parry and Paul Gately.^[4]

Sunstrip Pool, (1959-1974)

On 5 November 1959 the lease for Wiley's Baths was transferred to Desmond Selby, who paid an annual rent of $500. Selby renamed the baths "Sunstrip Pool" and proceeded to upgrade the facilities. Selby removed the existing change rooms and increased the width of the boardwalk. He rebuilt the change rooms on a much smaller scale to provide a larger deck area, catering to the then fashion for sunbathing. At this stage the majority of the balustrade was fully boarded leaving only seven central sections with horizontal timber rails. The northern end of the boardwalk past the men's change room led to an open sitting area which became a popular picnic spot with views over Coogee Beach. Selby used tram parts to construct the building and installed hot showers. Both change rooms had cement roofing and wooden panelling and were externally painted in a checkerboard design in cream and blue. He also added a kiosk and store on the boardwalk.^[4]

Closure and re-opening of the Baths (1974-1978)

The buildings and pool were badly damaged in May 1974 by high seas and the pool was closed to the public. Another storm in 1977 caused further damage. In 1978 the baths were re-opened under the control of Randwick Municipal Council and reverted to the original name of Wylie's Baths. A Committee of Management was formed in September 1978, composed of representatives from the Randwick Council and various swimming clubs including the South Maroubra Dolphins (formed 1960), Randwick/ Coogee Amateur Swimming Club (formed 1896), Randwick Digger's Swimming Club (formed 1936) and Coogee Surf Life Saving Club.^[4]

Restoration of the Baths 1995

In 1994 Randwick City Council resolved to repair the baths in response to public pressure. The successful tenderers were architects Allen Jack+Cottier, and restoration cost approximately $750,000. The work was completed early in 1995. In 1995 Allen, Jack+Cottier were awarded the NSW Greenway Award for Conservation by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects for their restoration of Wylie's Baths. The work included restoring the boardwalk and building new amenities blocks. The work was praised by the RAIA for its sensitivity in recovering the essence of the original baths. While the nature and style of the new work was clearly modern, it paid attention to the genius loci of the baths, adding a new layer to its history.^[4][14][15]

In 1996 Wylie's Baths Trust was established to manage the baths. The Trust consists of representatives of the four local swimming clubs, three local residents and a representative of the Randwick City Council.^[4]

Photography at the Baths

In recent years Wylie's Baths has become popular subject for both amateur and professional photographers. The dramatic cliff-hugging location of the baths is one aspect of their photographic appeal, as is the nostalgic seaside appeal of the wooden structures.^[4]

Condition

As at 30 January 2003, following extensive restoration in 1995, the baths are in good condition.^[4] Wylie's Baths have been repaired and altered over time. These alterations have been necessary for maintenance especially given the harshness of the marine environment. These alterations have tended to preserve the original vernacular nature of the buildings and contributed to a sense of continuity in the built forms.^[4] The extensive restoration by Allen Jack+Cottier in 1995 was praised by the RAIA for its sensitivity in recovering of the original essence of the baths while upgrading and modernising the facilities.^[4] Following the 1995 restoration, Wylie's Baths are in good condition.^[4]

Modifications and dates

• 1907 Wylie's Baths opened on 12 December.
• 1912 high timber boardwork and change rooms constructed.
• 1959 change rooms replaced and boardwork increased in width, the familiar chequerboard walling added. Kiosk and store added.
• 1974 baths closed due to storm damage.
• 1977 further storm damage.
• 1991 stainless steel railing replaced old timber and chain railing.
• 1995 restoration work by Allen Jack+Cottier and baths re-opened.^[4]

Bibliography

• Attraction Homepage (2007). "Wylie's Baths".
• City of Sydney. "Aboriginal people and place: Barani".
• EJE Landscape Architects; Ludlow, Christa (1994). Survey of Harbourside and Ocean Pools of the Sydney Metropolitan Region.
• Dickson, Francesca (2003). Baths make a splash on heritage list.
• Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) (2003). Consultation with Heritage Officer Adell Hyslop.
• Turbet, Peter (2001). The Aborigines of the Sydney District Before 1788 (revised ed.).
• PICMAN database. "(not stated)".
• Pollon, F.; Healy, G., eds. (1988). Randwick entry, in 'The Book of Sydney Suburbs'.
• Randwick City Council (2003). "Indigenous history of the area".
• Randwick City Council (1984). "Randwick: A Social History".
• Randwick Library Photo Gallery. "Photo Gallery".
• Slarke, Eileen (2001). A century of Wylie's Baths, Coogee : a cultural history.
• Wylie's Baths Trust. "History of Wylie's Baths".

Attribution

This Wikipedia article contains material from Wylie's Baths, entry number 01677 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.