MANY complaints were made today regarding the condition of the water in Merewether baths which during the weekend and in last night's heat were visited by thousands from all parts of the district and from northern towns.
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Last night one of the biggest crowds in Merewether's history visited the beach. Today after an inspection of the film of scum on top of the pool, many left without having a swim.
So reads a newspaper article 'Baths Dirty'. And while it might as well be written around last Christmas when one of two pumps at Merewether Ocean Baths (MOB) went kaput and there was no spare to address the shortfall, 'Baths Dirty' can be found in the 22 November 1938 edition of long-kaput newspaper The Newcastle Sun.
The issue of water quality at MOB is as old as the baths themselves. A little over a week following the 'Baths Dirty' report, Merewether councillor Alderman Wiggins expressed the view that issues around pollution in the water at MOB was "being created by the Press." Alderman Dunkley agreed, arguing "people should not be whipped into a scare".
But hygiene and cleanliness at MOB feature in many headlines in the Trove newspaper archives. Pumps. At MOB, it's mostly about the pumps. In November 1938 - when the initial all-in ruckus erupted over the state of the water - Alderman R. Norris said that some capital had been made of the fact that a thousand pounds might be required for pumping gear.
"If we have to spend a thousand pounds, what of it?" he asked. "The health of the people is at stake, and money should not be begrudged for that purpose. This pool is a district asset. It attracts people from all parts. It is one of Newcastle's premier resorts. We must protect it and the people who bathe in it," he said.
In March 1939, The Newcastle Sun (Boycott of Baths at Merewether, 2/3/39) reported the President of the Junction Parents and Citizens' Association Mr. H. D. Quinlan was fuming about 'slime'. He said "one of our members is suffering from throat trouble through deciding to find out for himself if the Merewether Baths are as bad as reported...Today he is a sick man. He unhesitatingly says that his trouble was caused by the water in the baths..."
Newcastle Council hit back, with Alderman R. Norris returning fire. "The criticism of our baths seems to be an annual pastime of the President of the Junction Parents and Citizens' Association...(he) should get his facts straight before making wild statements," he said.
By June 1939, the money was found for the new pumps, and work commenced to install them. There didn't seem to be a lot of argument during the 1940s, perhaps because the nation was at war for half that decade. But by 1951, the President of the Northumberland Progress Association Mr H. S. Bowerman was of the view that MOB was "filthy". City engineer Mr Baddeley countered with the view that the baths were clean and properly maintained.
Same as it ever was.
Councillors and staff change from time-to-time, but the argument remains the same.
And it is readily apparent from the archive that there has been a long history of argy-bargy between MOB swimmers and councils. Councillors and staff change from time-to-time, but the argument remains the same. Swimmers say the water is dirty and council has long responded by claiming tests show the water in the pool is the same quality as it is in the ocean.
It's therefore pleasing to report City of Newcastle (CoN) has now installed two new pumps at MOB. Two of three sluice gates have been replaced, with the third gate scheduled for installation next month. Most of the pool walls have been freshly painted.
While the 2021-22 La Nina event has seen the ocean and MOB murky for a few months, City of Newcastle is confident that the substantial investment in new hardware will have a significantly beneficial effect on water quality.
Time will tell if this reset provides the new beginning many regular MOB swimmers have been asking for, or whether it's just another phase in the cycle of ongoing disagreement between council and swimmers about water quality at the largest ocean pool in the southern hemisphere.
It's worth revisiting the words of Alderman Norris uttered in 1938.
"The health of the people is at stake, and money should not be begrudged for that purpose. This pool is a district asset. It attracts people from all parts. It is one of Newcastle's premier resorts. We must protect it and the people who bathe in it."
