In 1960, John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in the presidential election, Chubby Checker danced the Twist and in the small coastal town of Sidney, residents gathered at their city pool for summer fun. Now, after a half century of outdoor swimming, the city’s pool may close. The pool’s closure would be a blow to the town, where swimmers young and old are part of the community’s fabric.

But many Sidney residents aren’t prepared to let the pool die. Gail Younts and Rhonda Hobbie co-manage the facility, and they have a plan: They want to form a committee to explore funding options.

They also have a message: “Sidney needs an outdoor pool for kids to swim and hang out with their friends,” Hobbie said. “With the pandemic, we have so many kids stuck at home and they need something to do.”

The community of Sidney has a long history of using local rock pools and ocean beaches for recreational swimming and socialising. Ocean swimming has skyrocketed in the past 18 months during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many people seeking out the harbour’s pristine surrounds and warm seawater temperatures. But Sydney is in desperate need of more outdoor pools, and councillor Lyndon Gannon is calling for a series of free netted saltwater pools to be created in the city’s waterfront parks.

There are plenty of other swimming spots around the city, including a series of iconic rock pools known as Wylie’s Baths on the south end of Coogee Beach. The pool was named after Henry Wylie, an Australian champion long-distance swimmer and one of the first public pools to allow mixed-gender swimming. The baths are popular with locals, who love to relax, swim, sunbathe and enjoy the beautiful views of Coogee Beach.

Unlike traditional paved swimming pools, these rock pools are natural and unheated, and they have a distinctive look and feel. They are surrounded by lush vegetation and are great for families who enjoy the outdoors and nature. You can even find a few shady nooks in the rocks that are perfect for a nap.

If you are considering building a swimming pool in your backyard, it’s important to follow safety standards. NSW laws require that your pool fence be at least 1.2 metres tall from the ground, and it must have self-closing and self-latching gates that open away from the pool. You also need to make sure that the gate opens at least 1 metre away from any other fences or structures, and it must be fenced in an area that’s safe for children.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need a permit before starting construction on your new swimming pool. Check with your local council to find out more about the requirements for your area. You’ll also need to ensure that you don’t cut down any trees that are protected by preservation orders or are on private property. You can ask your local council for a list of approved pool contractors.