Bronte Pool: Olympians recognised with special photo installation
The newest addition to our glorious ocean pool at Bronte is making a big splash among the swimming community.
Wentworth Courier
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A new photographic installation has been opened at the historic Bronte Ocean Pool.
It celebrates the pool’s early female Olympians and it being the birthplace of the freestyle swimming stroke.
Among those honoured with the Waverley Council installation include Olympians Fanny Durack, Mina Wylie and Evelyn Whillier nee de Lacey and then 15-year-old Solomon Island boy Alick Wickham who swam the Australian crawl in the scenic pool in 1901.
The crawl went on to evolve into the freestyle stroke which is performed competitively around the world today.
The council has also nominated the pool for listing on the State Heritage Inventory.
Warren Whillier still lives today in the Bronte home where his grandmother raised him.
As well as teaching the next three generations of her own family how to swim in the pool, Mr Whillier said his generous grandmother was always dispensing advice, most of it for free, right up until she passed away in 2004.
“My memories of her were always down at that pool,” Mr Whillier said.
“She was always in there teaching someone to love the water.
“She’d teach the kids at Bronte Public School stroke correction before their carnival. If she saw anyone in there fighting the water she’d go up to them and she’d help them.”
Waverley mayor Paula Masselos was on the receiving end of Ms Whillier’s guidance in the late ‘90s when she was gaining her confidence as an ocean swimmer.
“She’d say to me, ‘I was watching you and you need to do this and correct that’,” Mayor Masselos said.
“She was so down to earth and such an accomplished woman.
“Bronte Pool has seen all sorts of wonderful events that are really important to place on our historical record.”