In December 1930, the
Townsville Daily Bulletin reported
that Townsville seemed to be “a city of baths”. It was referring to the growing
number of public swimming baths that were popping up all over the city.
In that month alone, swimming
baths opened at two separate locations. One was at Picnic Bay on Magnetic
Island, while the other was in a more unlikely location – behind Queen’s Road,
in Hermit Park.
According to the Bulletin, on Sunday 7 December, “hordes
of residents made the trip to Magnetic Island, to see the Mayor open the baths
at Picnic Bay”.
Picnic Bay swimming baths in foreground, with jetty in centre of photo, no date. Photo: Townsville City Libraries. |
The Mayor, Alderman
W.J. Heatley, described the occasion as “a most eventful day for Picnic Bay,”
but more importantly, he believed that: “bathing had been rendered safe from
sharks, and an attraction had been created for tourists”.
About a week later, the
banks of Ross Creek, above the Queen's Road crossing (known as Sandy Crossing) were
packed with people “who had travelled from every suburb in the city to see the
new Queen’s Road baths opened”. Up to
3,000 people attended the occasion.
“The portion of Ross
Creek which constitutes the new baths is filled up to nine or ten feet by every
high tide, and form a natural swimming pool, over a quarter of a mile long and
200 yards wide. There was only one thing that prevented people bathing there with
safety, and that was the fact that sharks made a habit of patrolling up and
down,” the Bulletin reported.
To combat the shark
threat, a group of residents headed by Messrs. Garbutt Bros. (E.T., Jack and
Arthur) banded together and formed a working bee, spending all their spare time
erecting a substantial wire netting and post fence to ensure a shark proof area
between the Queen’s Road bridge and the new barrier.
On the day of the
opening, there was a “splendid high tide, with the sun shining brightly, and
the people lost no time in taking to the water,” which was soon teeming with
hundreds of bathers.
“Lads in their home
made canoes paddled about, and a couple of speed boats raced about in whirls of
foam and noise on the upper reach,” the Bulletin
noted.
Alluding to the
depressed economic climate, in a speech made on behalf of the working bee
participants, Mr E.T. Garbutt said it was a lesson for the people of Queensland.
“In that working bee
were all denominations, and all shades of political opinions pulling together,
and if the people of Queensland pulled together and worked as they did, the clouds
of depression which were hanging over them would soon disappear,” he said.
In officially opening
the baths, Alderman Heatley praised those who had given up their free time so
that others could enjoy themselves.
“The baths were free
and that was something neither the Council nor the Government could give them;
it could only be accomplished by a band of men, getting together, and giving
their services free,” the Bulletin
reported.
Flooding at Sandy Crossing, Hermit Park, 1968. Photo: Townsville City Libraries. |
Note: I have not been able to find a photograph of the Sandy Creek swimming baths. If any readers have a photograph in their possession, I'd love to see it.
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