Peaceful Petersham Park Pool

Yesterday morning when I went for a walk around the lovely Petersham Park I looked in on the pool. What I discovered was a very peaceful scene of about seven swimmers slowly lapping up and down the 33-metre pool.

With my regular swimming spot - Leichhardt Pool - crowded with holiday-makers at this time of year, I decided to switch to Petersham Pool. I will swim there until everyone goes back to work and order and rhythm is restored to the morning lapping environment at the 50-metre Leichhardt Pool.

Officially known as the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre, the 48-year-old inner-west complex was renamed after the champion Australian swimmer in 1999. Fanny was the first woman swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Games.  In her latter years she lived in Douglas Street, Stanmore up the hill from the Petersham Park Pool as it was originally called.

While there were a few more than seven swimmers at the pool this morning I had a lane to myself, which made for a very pleasant swim in the somewhat patched-up, ageing pool. At the end of my session I had a nice chat with Uta, visiting from Germany and her daughter Bettina from Stanmore.

As well as swimming laps in the early mornings Bettina takes her children to the inner-west centre. She describes the pool as "a luxury because it's not too crowded". "It's not 50-metres but 33-metres is a good compromise," she adds.

Another swimmer I met recently at the new Annette Kellermann Aquatic Centre at Enmore is also a fan of the slightly grungy Petersham pool. Its appeal to Sue is that it reminds her of the 33-metre pools she swam in as a child growing up in country NSW.

With historic Petersham Park just outside the complex, the centre is surrounded by majestic established trees. On Saturdays during the cricket season the sound of willow on ball by Randwick-Petersham club players adds to the gentile atmosphere.

If you want to experience Petersham Pool in its original state, and 33-metres in length then you will need to drop by before it closes on March 31.  In mid-year it is expected that Marrickville Council will begin work on upgrading the site and redeveloping the main pool into a 25-metre, 8-lane pool. Among a number of additions and changes there will also be a new toddlers' pool and kiosk/cafe. Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre is at 1 Station Street, Petersham, a five minute walk from the station.

A kaleidoscope of colours at Annette's pool

When I was at the new Annette Kellermann Aquatic Centre 10 days ago I captured some amazing reflections in the water.

There were so many beautiful colours, patterns and shimmery shapes it reminded me of looking through a kaleidoscope.

The vibrant greens, yellows, oranges and reds of the newly opened aquatic centre took on new shades  reflected in the water.

The pool became a dreamy world of purple, mauve, soft greens, pale pink, faded red, light yellows and blue.

Just the sort of seductive space Marrickville-born Annette Kellermann would have enjoyed diving into during her days performing across Europe and the United States as the Australian Mermaid and Diving Venus in the early 1900s.

Colourful centre opens in Enmore

There was a real sense of excitement when the new Annette Kellermann Aquatic Centre opened its doors for the first time yesterday. Locals streamed into the indoor complex which includes an 8-lane, 50 metre pool, a children's leisure pool and a hydrotherapy and program pool.

Some just came to have a look; others, especially the children couldn't wait to get in the water. There were squeals of delight throughout the $18 million facility. Little ones and big ones loved the wading pool with cascading water spouts raining down on them.

There was standing room-only in the middle-sized program pool where mums and dads played with their kids or watched them as they duck-dived through each other's legs, did handstands or floated about on noodles and kickboards. In the 50-metre pool there was just as much fun happening with boys and girls diving off the blocks, bombing and flipping, while a few adults lapped up and down the pool.

It's a place of vibrancy and colour, the new Annette Kellermann Aquatic Centre.  There's splashes of colour everywhere from the lime green beams on the internal roof, to the yellow and orange feature walls, multi-coloured lane ropes and striped, spotty and flowered shower doors.

It's a much improved version of the old Enmore Pool (closed in July 2009) with better ventilation and loads of natural light beaming in through large areas of glass throughout. The creative use of colour gives the centre an atmosphere of fun, daring and diversity, which seems to fit well with the character of the inner west community.

As Sue from Leichhardt said: "It feels like Marrickville. It is a reflection of Marrickville with all the different types of people (who live here). I like the feel of it. It has a villagey atmosphere not like the big city pools that seem more corporate."

Another plus for Sue is the hot showers and that it's not a 'poser pool'. "You don't have to feel self conscious here," she said.

Long-time Enmore residents' Merle and Thelma also dropped in for a look. While Merle has been a keen swimmer in the past she said these days she can get into a pool but has trouble getting out.

Tempted to return to the water after seeing the new complex, Merle said: "I think I could still get into my cossie."  With disabled access in both the Olympic-size pool and the program pool, we might see Merle and Thelma back in the swim.

As well as the aquatic facilities, the centre has a pleasant outdoor sitting area with tables and chairs with umbrellas, which overlooks lovely Enmore Park. There is also a grassy area where a few teenage girls lay on their towels and enjoyed a chat in the sun.

The complex also has gym facilities where a variety of fitness programs including yoga, pilates, strength training and cardio equipment will be held. And perhaps most importantly, there will be a cafe which will be accessible to both park and pool users.

All-in-all the centre is a great addition to the Marrickville Municipality. Annette Kellermann, the Marrickville-born swimmer, aquatic performer and film actress would be proud to have it bear her name.

The Annette Kellermann Aquatic Centre is located in Black Street, Marrickville. It is open from 6am-8pm Monday to Thursday, 6am-6.30pm on Saturdays and from 8am-6.30pm on Sundays.