The free public pool Jack built to stop ‘haunting’ fears of parents

Teacher Sarah Houston said her “heart sang” when two of her students, eight and 11, saved a teenager from drowning in a public pool – which carries the Houston family name – by doing what she had taught them in swimming lessons.

Learning to swim in the 50-metre John Houston Memorial Pool – free of charge since it opened in 1967, a rarity for public pools – is part of the culture of the Riverina town of Hay, population 3000.

Sione Polhill and Bella Garner have travelled from Hay, NSW, to participate in a swimming carnival in Sydney.Credit: Janie Barrett

After four drownings in the Murrumbidgee, a black spot for drowning, the late Jack (John) Houston insisted that use of Hay’s pool be free, and it should be located on the highway, where it couldn’t be missed. Houston said Jack had wanted to remove the lifetime worry that had “haunted the parents of this town” when children swam in the river.

“If it wasn’t free, the kids would still use the river instead of use the pool,” Jack had said, she recalled.

That fear remains today. The sign Jack used for the pool’s fundraising drive – “You can swim, but what about him?” – hangs in the Houston family home.

Today, Houston is the third generation of the family to campaign for water safety. As sports co-ordinator at Hay Public School, she and the school’s principal reintroduced a two-week-long school swimming program every December for the school population of 217 students.

The sign created by John (Jack) Houston from the wishing well that raised money to fund Hay’s free public pool. Credit: Houston family

“Swimming is the only sport that saves your life. I don’t need everyone to be an Olympic swimmer, but I do need people to be able to save themselves,” she said.

On Thursday, two students from Hay Public School, Sione Polhill, 8, and Bella Garner, 11, competed in the public school swimming championships that attracted 2500 athletes at Olympic Park.

Neither qualified to go beyond the heats. But they were happy, given the closure of their pool since February for renovations, the size of the town and the absence of the professional coaching and squads that city-based rivals had received.

Swimming lessons took place in the river before Hay’s free pool was completed.

Sione said he had been practising freestyle in the river by swimming against the current.

The Garner family had been taking Bella – who wants to go to the Olympics like Ariarne Titmus – to practise for the 50-metre breaststroke in Griffith due to the local pool’s closure. It is a 340-kilometre round road trip that involves dodging what Houston called a “shocking number” of kangaroos.

Bella’s father, Lionel Garner, who is on the local council, said the town was committed to keeping the new $12 million pool – now under construction – free of charge.

Because the river was so dangerous, Hay Shire Council fears children would swim there if the pool wasn’t free.

“If you hear kids have gone to the river after school [without adult supervision], you drop whatever you are doing and get down there just in case,” he said.

It was also more economic than charging entry, which required a full-time pool manager.

Sione’s dad, Justin, said having a free pool and lessons at school made access more equitable.

Hay Public School is bucking a national trend identified by Royal Life Saving Australia’s surveys that found schools have cut back on swimming lessons and carnivals.

Learn-to-swim classes were in the river before the free Hay pool was opened. Credit: Hay Public School

Teachers at other schools told Houston that numbers were dropping off at their swimming carnivals. In contrast, she said Hay’s carnival was getting bigger and taking longer.

Children who wouldn’t have been able to participate in the past were entering races, including the 50-metre freestyle at the swimming carnival.

Not every teacher loves getting in their cossie, said Houston, but it had become part of the culture.

Water safety lessons paid off when two students, Jae Nisbet and Nash Payne, rescued a teenager last year who had blacked out in shallow water.

The NSW Department of Education disputes that the fall in lessons has been as great as Royal Life Saving’s data suggests. In a statement, a spokesperson said 84 per cent of NSW public primary schools, or about 106,500 students, participated in lessons.

Out of Australia’s 2103 public pools, Hay is one of 500 that needs updates and repairs.

Royal Life Saving Australia (RLSA) general manager, capability and industry, R J Houston, who is not related to the Houston family in Hay, said areas where public pools were made free for some or part of the time had an increase in participation, while the risk of drowning decreased.

RLSA supports reducing barriers to public pool access. The problem, it says, is that councils fund pools, but the health savings flow to state and federal governments who pay for health and emergency treatments.

“When people visit a pool, it generates $30.50 in significant health savings to state and federal governments. It is a great fun place to bring the family, that is supported by the work of professional lifeguards,” R. J. Houston said.

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