Our pool is a community treasure. It serves not only for exercise but for social connection, play, learning of essential water safety skills, aiding movement and rehabilitation and last but not least, is a great place to meet new people!
In 1971 the then principal of our school, Bob Dunn, had the dream that every child in Kangaroo Valley would be able to save themselves should they fall into the river, and be proficient swimmers by the time they went to high school. With that in mind, he enlisted the KV Apex club to help make that dream a reality. Land was allocated by council and, following a successful delegation to the NSW Minister for Police, a portion of the police paddock was added. Fundraising was a major focus and the growing Apex club ran an Art Union, travelling throughout the region to sell raffle tickets every weekend. There was a lot of excitement as the prizes were two cars and a colour TV that had been purchased by the community!
Finally in 1976, assisted by Leightons, Citra and Blue Circle Cement, ground was broken and the pool began to take shape. Shoalhaven Shire donated the filtration plant and in December, 1976 the pool was opened.
Many current residents remember this as a wonderful time where the community pulled together with a common goal. They are particularly proud that they built our pool without grants or government subsidies of any kind. Not many communities can claim this magnificent feat, and we owe our thanks to those tireless fundraisers and workers who got the job done. Take a look at the plaque at the pool which captures this sentiment.
At first the pool was unmanned with an honesty box for the 20c entry charge. When the need for lifeguards was mandated the box was removed and Jacquie remembers finding more sticks and paper than coins! For the next few years the pool was run by a licensee and when this contract expired in 2002, the KV Lions Club stepped in. Under their oversight, our pool was staffed by local teenagers who loved the opportunity to attain their life saving credentials and serve their community at the poolside. The pool was open from the October long weekend till mid-March, 7 am till 6pm with an hour off for lunch. As the times changed things seemed to become more complicated, so after 15 years of successful pool management, the Lions club handed the baton to Shoalhaven City Council.
Some poolside moments:
SWIM CLUB: A brilliant swim club for all ages was run from the mid to late 1970s by Bob and Irene Dunn
SCHOOL SWIMMING: KVPS has held its swimming carnival here annually since 1976 as well as using the pool for its water safety programs and school sport.
THE BOYLEY CUP: Conceived in 2008 as a fundraiser for KV Bowling Club, it is now named in honour of our dear friend, neighbour and promoter of all things outdoors, Ian Boyle. This annual team event is a highlight on the community calendar. If you haven’t been in it, 2025 is the year to get on board.
Fast forward to the present: the situation at the time of writing is that Shoalhaven Council has cut the length of our swim season in 2024 down to a paltry 16 weeks, from November 31 to mid-March, as well as closing early on weekends. This is part of a raft of cost-saving measures across a wide gamut of council services. We hope this might be changed so we can get into our pool as usual! To that end, we have created an informal Swim Club with the aim of promoting our pool! Thank you to all those who responded to our survey. Some key results are included below. The most important message is that the community strongly values our pool and is extremely dissatisfied that the season has been shortened. In fact, the main suggestion for improvement is to open it more, to increase the range of activities available, such as fitness classes, and add new features such as a cover and solar heating.
What people say about our pool:
“A magnificent effort by the community” Garth, one of the original Apex members
“Summer’s rule: keep cool in our pool” Irene, Boyley Cup participant
“It’s always fresh and cold.” Maya, KVPS student age 10
“Much loved resource for respite, relaxing… supporting our health and wellbeing” Pam, lap swimmer
“Everybody is there – it’s a free play date” Hattie, KVPS student age 8
“What’s important to me is it’s open early…I can do laps before it gets busy… I love the surroundings and seeing other locals for a chat” Sandy
“It’s a great equalizer – open to all” Trudie
“Vital gathering place for a solo parent on a hot day” Brad
“Fabulous to see local children learning to swim without having to drive over a mountain” Helen
“I’m addicted: I try to go every day” Katrina
“A wonderful community hub” Jennifer
“The Boyley Cup: light on, full of fun and community spirit” Alison
“Community building, fitness, rehab, leisure and laps for all ages” Trish
As a community it’s definitely time to take a fresh look at our pool. How can we use it more? What activities can be run at the pool to draw in more patrons? How can we team with the council to keep our pool alive and well? I hope that our petition will convince Shoalhaven City Council to reconsider their resolution to keep our pool closed until December, and that they will include us in planning problem solving in the future.
Katrina Thomas
Pool Enthusiast!
