Save Coburg Olympic Pool

Ride to Pool 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:44:00 +0000

RIDE TO POOL DAY

Sunday 19 February 2012

11am - 6pm

Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool

Murray Road, Coburg 3058

9354 2096

FREE ENTRY!

We encourage you to pedal to the pool to enjoy a free day of swimming, live music, kids activities and valet bicycle parking! Located on the shady banks of the Merri creek, the Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool is conveniently accessed by the Merri Creek bike path.

This event is presented by Friends of Coburg Pool, Moreland City Council and YMCA Victoria.

Fun activities for all the family:

Sausage sizzle fundraiser
Pool inflatables and jumping castle
Aquasafe Mascots
Crazy dive competition
Alcohol free/no glass
SunSmart venue

Live music by:

Newlands Primary School Choir
The Young Ones
Jody Galvin & the Tender Hearts
Nick Murphy & Jeff Samin
The Short Order Schefs
& some special guests!

In the event of inclement weather the event will be postponed to Sunday 26th February 2012, and communicated through activemoreland.com.au

Coburg Olympic Pool closed for two weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:10:00 +0000

Moreland city Council have advised that the repair of the circulation pump at the Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool is taking longer than previously anticipated due to uncontrollable delays in procuring specialist parts for the pump. Council and the YMCA anticipate that repairs will be completed in the next two weeks, after which several days will be needed to return the pool’s water to the desired quality and clarity.

In the meantime, they are encouraging members and pass holders of the Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool to make use of Moreland’s other aquatic facilities, including those nearby at Pascoe Vale and Oak Park. Coburg Olympic season pass holders are also able to use all aquatic facilities until the end of the month. Moreland residents are encouraged to visit activemoreland.com.au for updates on the pool’s reopening and details of our other aquatic and leisure facilities.

Unfortunately, the delay in repairing the pump has resulted in the cancellation of the Family Fun Day scheduled at the Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool on Sunday, January 15. Family Fun Days will be held at Oak Park Aquatic Centre on Sunday, January 22, and Fawkner Leisure Centre on Sunday, January 29.

The Ride to Pool Day at Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool, organised by Friends Of Coburg Pool in partnership with Active Moreland and Council, will be still held on Sunday, February 19, 2012.

Temporary closure of Coburg Outdoor Pool

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:53:00 +0000

The Coburg Olympic Swimming Pool is currently closed for urgent maintenance on the pump.

Specialist contractors are working to fix the problem as soon as possible, and Moreland City Council expect the pool to reopen sometime in the week beginning 9th January 2012. Read about it on the Moreland Council website here.

Outdoor Pools, Hot and Cold Weather Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:48:00 +0000

by Janet Grigg
Here is the City of Moreland's Hot and Cold Weather Policy for Outdoor Pools. It can be found on the council's website here, scroll down to Outdoor Pools. In view of the pool's closing times on the last two very hot nights, it makes interesting reading.
Policy - Outdoor Swimming Pools - Hot & Cold Weather (1)
A couple of points come to mind after being shunted out of the pool, along with many other patrons enjoying a cool dip, at 6 o'clock on two successive nights when the temperature was well over 32C. It would have been really lovely to have dinner at the pool and stay there until about 8. This wave of hot weather has been forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology in the seven day weather forecast. It has arrived as predicted and was not a surprise, so there was plenty of time to plan staffing. Sure it was a public holiday, but the policy does not say that the pool can only be open late on weeknights or similar. The policy also talks about outdoor pools being primarily used as recreational venues and that opening and closing times should be responsive to community demand. The demand was certainly there tonight and last night. I wonder if the pool will be open late tomorrow night?

Coburg Olympic Pool excluded from heritage overlay

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 02:13:00 +0000

A recent report has recommended that Coburg Olympic Pool be subject to a Heritage Overlay. However as reported in the Moreland Leader on 13/06/2011 Moreland City council did not accept those recommendations in relation to our pool.

You can read the North of Bell Street Heritage Study here or at the planning desk at the Moreland Civic C. The pool is mentioned on pages109-113. Page 110 states that Coburg Olympic Pool is one of only a few municipal swimming complexes dating from the 1950s and 1960s in Victoria to survive largely intact. The conservation guidelines allow plenty of scope for modifications of the complex to allow the important objective, ie the use of the complex as a public pool to continue.

Read the Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool letter to Moreland Council below.

FCoP Letter to Councillors Regarding Heritaqge Study 15/06/2011

Heritage Significance of the Coburg Olympic Pool

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:53:00 +0000

The Coburg Olympic Pool is part of a long history of swimming on the banks of the Merri Creek in Coburg. The history of Coburg by Richard Broome (Between Two Creeks) describes the banks of the creek as an Aboriginal feasting site – in the 1920s a shell midden was discovered in Pentridge. After European settlement the Merri creek and later Coburg Lake which was dammed in 1917, became important swimming holes. Coburg lake had a series of pools, changing rooms, a diving board and champion swimming teams, also a water polo team. Locals continued swimming in the creek even after the Lake pools were closed due to pollution. In the late 1950s two children drowned in the creek at East Coburg and a campaign to build an Olympic Pool began. The pool was explicitly built to replace the lake and creek for swimming, and until these are clean enough to swim in again, the Olympic Pool provides an important opportunity to socialise and swim in a natural setting beside the Merri Creek.

The pool is closely linked with the history of community activism in Coburg. The push for the pool in the 50s and 60s came from the close knit community in the Newlands estate,which now has a local heritage overlay. Prominent Newlands local Frank Cox played a part in campaigning for the pool. The campaign for the pool involved a massive community fund raising effort including art shows, baby shows etc. Later waves of activism in the late 1990s kept the pool going and the pool was fixed and re-opened in 2008 after being closed for two years. The latest campaign was generated by a new wave of young families moving into Newlands and the campaign connected with a wide range of community members, including older residents. Frank Cox, now in his 90s, spoke at a Friends of the Coburg Pool event in 2008.

Coburg Olympic Pool is a site of shared memory for thousands of locals who grew up spending hot days at the pool when the local population was so big ‘you couldn’t find a spot for a towel’ on the massive grounds. Many locals learnt to swim at the pool– the students at Newlands High used to go over with a teacher at lunchtime, and students from Coburg Priamry School would walk to swimming lessons before the Coburg Leisure centre opened,.

The pool is an excellent example an increasingly rare example of a 1960s suburban Olympic pool (1965) architecture, with all 4 pools operational and featuring an unusual gravity fed system. The architecture is virtually intact and features a high modernist entranceway which is a local icon. The site has had buildings added – a multipurpose space currently used for a disability support program, and a table tennis centre, but apart from the removal of the diving towers in 2008, the site is intact; the stadium seating, the toilets and kiosk are all original and the Lions Clock is still in position (donated by the Lions Clock shortly after the pool opened so kids would not have an excuse to come home late for dinner). The grounds have established peppercorns and other leafy trees that have provided shade for over 40 years. The view over bush regenerated parkland toward Merri creek is an unusual natural feature for an urban outdoor swimming pool.

Show your love for our pool - get the t-shirt!

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:30:00 +0000

Karen has made a new batch of screen printed "I love Coburg Olympic Pool" cotton t-shirts in adult and children's sizes. T-shirts will be for sale at the February Fun day - this Sunday 18th off February. Prices range from $3 for a kids singlet to $10 for an adult t-shirt.

Hope to see you at the pool on Sunday. Fingers crossed that the weather is nice!

Fun day - Sunday February 20, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:16:00 +0000

Another fabulous fun day is planned at our beautiful creek side swimming pool. The fun day will be from 11.00am to 6.00pm on Sunday 20th of February. Entry is $1, there will be music, dive boards, bombing competitions, inflatables and the jumping castle.

Here's the music line up;

12.30 - 1.00pm The night before tomorrow

1.15 - 2.15pm Newlands Children's choir

2.30 - 3.15pm Spoils Duo

3.30 -4.15pm Dave Ong and Jemma Rowlands

4.30 - 5.30pm BOOF

February Fun Day 2011

Hope to see you there, under a big shady tree or in one of the bright blue pools!

Ride to Pool 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:05:00 +0000

Ride to Pool day turned out to be a beautiful summer day. Perfect for hanging out by our pool and under the big trees. Nearly 1000 people attended and there were many, many bikes parked out the front and inside. The pool was busy (but not packed), the vibe was electric and people from all over Coburg enjoyed the music, pool inflatable and jumping castle.

Stay tuned for the nest event, the February Fun day which will be on Sunday, 20th of February.

After school swimming lessons

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:25:00 +0000

After school swimming lessons each Monday for 7 weeks - a great way to enjoy the Coburg Olympic pool once the holidays are over.

Book now via the Coburg Leisure Centre on 9354 3504!
7 lessons over 7 weeks for $70

Pedal Power makes a splash at Coburg Olympic Pool!

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 11:07:00 +0000

To celebrate this wonderful community asset, Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool are hosting a free ‘ride to pool’ day on Sunday 23rd of January 2011. People are encouraged to pedal to the pool to enjoy a free day of live music, food, kids activities and valet bicycle parking! Located on the shady banks of the Merri creek, the Coburg Olympic Pool is conveniently accessed by the Merri creek bike path.

After a do-or-die community campaign back in 2008 to save the iconic 1960’s outdoor swimming pool, the Coburg Olympic pool opens its doors again this summer to provide a unique retro pool experience.

WHERE: Coburg Olympic Pool, Murray Rd, Coburg North

WHEN: 11am to 6pm, Sunday 23 Jan 2011

Bands include: Jodi Galvin and the Tender Heart, Nick Murphy and Band, The Short order Shefs and Newlands Primary Children’s Choir

Playing times are:

1.00 - 1.30 Newlands Community Childrens Choir

2.00 - 2.45 Jodi Galvin and the Tender Heart

3.15 - 4.15 Nick Murphy, Band and Guests

4.30 - 5.30 Short Order Shefs

Opening hours policy for hot and cold weather

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:13:00 +0000

The Moreland Council hot and cold weather policy can be found on the Moreland City Council website here - scroll down and look for Outdoor Pool Hot and Cold Weather Policy. As we can't link to it directly, here is another way to read it.

Policy - Outdoor Swimming Pools - Hot and Cold Weather

Due to community pressure, the normal weekday opening closing time for the pool has been extended to 7.00pm. However, there is scope for the pool to be open even later in hot weather and to quote from the opening hours policy for hot and cold weather, "the planning trigger for considering extension of hours for the next day is when the Bureau of Meteorology weather forecast at mid afternoon for the next day is for a 32 degrees Celsiusm aximum or higher. This forecast will be monitored early each day to determine if there has been significant change of forecast on the day.The trigger for extension of evening hours on any day is when the temperature is 32 degrees Celsius or higher at 4pm according to the latest Bureau of Meteorology weather observationson that day, and there is reasonable patronage in the water (greater than 25 patrons one hour prior to usual scheduled closing) and numbers in the water are maintained at 25 or more. The rationale for specifying patronage ‘in the water’ is to avoid extension of hours simply because patrons want to remain in the grounds, without using the pools.When extension of hours is not feasible due to staffing constraints and/or occupational health and safety issues, including inadequate lighting, consultation must occur no later than 5pm on the day extension of hours is being considered between the centre manager and Council’s Aquatic Facilities Unit."

So basically, when the forecast is for more than 32C and there are at least 25 people in the pool, then extended opening hours need to be considered.

Late start to the summer season at Coburg Olympic Pool

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:50:00 +0000

Have tried to go for a swim and the pool wasn't open? Worried that we have lost our pool again?

Well, this is what has happened. Due a problem with one of the concrete filter tanks, some repairs need to be carried out before the pool is safe to open. The Moreland Council website is saying that the Coburg Outdoor Pool will now open on Monday 13 December at the earliest. Fingers crossed that the rain doesn't delay repairs!

Email Council or phone them on 9240 1111 for more information on the status of the pool.

New look website

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 00:03:00 +0000

In preparation for the summer season ahead, we've moved the Save Coburg Olympic Pool from typepad to blogger. Everything should work just the same as before, but please let me know if there are any issues.

Hopefully not too long before we can swim in our pool again. See you in the lap lane this summer!

Ride to Pool Day 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:41:00 +0000

This year's ride to pool day was another fun event! I'm so pleased that the weather held and the forecast showers didn't eventuate, especially since bad weather put a stop to the first planned Ride to Pool Day.

1. learn to swim pool, 2. karen, 3. ross, 4. baby gene, 5. sunny, grace and merri dancing, 6. sunny, helke, grace and merri, 7. andy and dan, 8. the big pool, 9. view from the top, 10. entrance and kiosk, 11. big pool, 12. lazing in the sun, 13. watching the band, 14. ross, eve and denise, 15. dads and kids lining up for the bouncing castle, 16. virendra, 17. bouncing castle fun, 18. grace having a snack, 19. friends of coburg olympic pool, 20. Kitty and Cate, 21. freinds of coburg pool, 22. monique and mal, 23. learn to swim pool, 24. diving in, 25. leanne

Isn't it great that we've had our pool back for two season's? It certainly hasn't been quite as hot this year, but the Coburg Olympic Pool has still been great fun and is a fantastic place to meet and relax with friends. Last Sunday the learn to swim pool was action packed and there were kids queuing to have a go on the jumping castle. There was music and dancing, water and sunshine, lots of relaxing under the big shady trees and an all round good vibe. I just love our pool. It's so, so good to have it back.

Ride to Pool day, take two!

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:13:00 +0000

Hopefully the weather this Sunday will be fine. Ride to Pool day at the Coburg Olympic Pool has been rescheduled for 21/02/2010. This was a spectacular day last year and promises to be again, with music and dancing, swimming fun on the pool inflatable and in the jumping castle. Friends of the Coburg Olympic Pool will be selling some t-shirts and there will be a sausage sizzle from the High School for Coburg Group.

The music line up is:

2.00 - 2.30pm Que Paso (bluegrass band)
2.45 - 3.15pm Nicola Lester.
3.30 - 4.00pm Nick Murphy
4.15 - 4.45pm Ross McLennan
5.00 - 5.40pm Short Order Chefs

Entry is free as Christine Campbell, the member for Pascoe Vale, is
sponsoring the event. The pool will be open usual weekend hours from 11-6. Pass it on and see you there!

Ride to pool party cancelled

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:14:00 +0000

This years planned Ride to Pool day at the Coburg Olympic Pool has been more or less cancelled due to forecast rainy and windy weather on Sunday 17th of January 2010. The bands will not be playing and there will be no inflatables as rain makes operating the electrical equipment and inflatable pool equipment dangerous. The sausage sizzle has also been cancelled.
Hopefully, it's just a postponement though - there is talk of rescheduling festivities for the end of the summer season.

Ride to pool day this Sunday!

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:26:00 +0000

On Sunday January 17 it is the Ride to Pool day at the Coburg Olympic Pool. This was a spectacular day last year and promises to be again, with music and dancing, swimming fun on the pool inflatable and in the jumping castle. Friends of the Coburg Olympic Pool will be selling some t-shirts and there will be a sausage sizzle.

The music line up is:
2.00 - 2.30pm Que Paso (bluegrass band)
2.45 - 3.15pm Nicola Lester.
3.30 - 4.00pm Nick Murphy
4.15 - 4.45pm Ross McLennan
5.00 - 5.40pm Short Order Chefs

Entry is free as Christine Campbell, the member for Pascoe Vale, is
sponsoring the event. The pool will be open usual weekend hours from 11-6. Pass it on and see you there!

Coburg Beach now open for the 2009-10 summer season

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:48:00 +0000

by Kitty Owens
Coburg Olympic Pool, secret oasis of the north, is now open for the summer season. The plantings of succulents out the front are doing well and suit the retro frontage of the pool. Grab your bathers and tell your friends to meet you under the peppercorn trees!

Upcoming events include a free event celebrating the start of the season on Sunday 13th, 11-6pm - the inflatables will be out. A pool party with bands is being planned for mid January, in partnership with the Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool.

Last year there was a big jump in attendances for the season (15 000) even though the pool had been closed for two years. Let’s build on the success of the community in getting the pool re-opened, and make the most of our lovely creekside pool and picnic area this season.

See you in the lap lane!

Have you seen the plants new plants in front of Coburg Olympic Pool?

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 22:26:00 +0000

by Janet Grigg
A couple of weekends ago, a few of the Friends of Coburg Pool (FCOP) met out the front of the pool armed with succulents from our gardens, compost, gardening tools and mulch for a spot of guerrilla gardening. We had noticed how sad the bed out the front looked and decided to do something about it. After an assessment of the soil (dry and water repellent) and consideration of plant placement, we decided to work on the long bed. Soil replenishment and planting then began in earnest. By the time we'd finished, it looked so much better.

If anyone is passing by, I'm sure the new plants would appreciate some water, maybe from your water bottle if you are nearly home. There is still another garden bed at the entrance to the pool with a weed tree (cotoneaster) that needs to be removed and that could could do with some plants. Perhaps another group might decide to do some more guerrilla gardening? Every time I go past on the bus and see the garden we planted still there and growing, I get a little thrill. By the time summer comes, I'm sure the garden will have grown, filling out the bed some more and be looking even more magnificent.

Saving Coburg Olympic Pool until we can swim in the lake again

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:50:00 +0000

by Melissa Alexander
The wind has been bitterly cold of late and it’s hard to imagine that in only a few more months we will be swimming in our beloved outdoor pool. After such a long fight to get Coburg Olympic Pool re-opened, summer seemed even sweeter as we relished every minute of swimming, splashing, picnicking and barbequing at Coburg’s favourite watering hole. Now that our pool is under threat again, I’m glad we stayed until the very last minute during the heat wave we call January. Leaving the cool depths of the pool, the shade of the paper barks and willows and the riverside ambience to go back to our hotbox houses seemed unthinkable.

Now our beloved pool is facing a major re-development. Within one summer we have gone from trying to keep the pool open to trying to preserve it from the clutches of unnecessary development. The concept plan of the Coburg Initiative (original link to www.thecoburginitiative.com.au/ is now broken) shows the demolition of the Coburg Leisure Centre to make way for a residential housing development and has the Coburg Olympic Pool and surrounds earmarked as the preferred location for a super-duper whiz bang aquatic facility. The line that we keep hearing from the council and the developers is that “Coburg doesn’t need two pools”. Well, here is a newsflash, which from all the community consultation should already be ringing alarm bells for the initiative people. Neither the Kodak site nor central Coburg has people living in them yet. Pentridge Village is still being built and already our local community services are stretched to full capacity, struggling to provide basic community needs. I cannot get my children into swimming lessons, the kinder has a waiting list that could fill three kindergartens, there is no local high school and the public transport system is failing miserably. At the risk of stating the obvious, cutting down our pool from one to two does not equal more services for more people, it equals less. Just imagine what this will mean when there are 20,000 more homes in the municipality.

The two pools have completely different functions and purposes and to change either one would be a huge loss to the entire municipality. The Coburg Leisure Centre is easily accessible by public transport and conveniently located for many people, particularly the elderly. After visiting the centre it’s logical that while you’re in Coburg you will do the shopping, go to the library, pop in to the post office and meet friends in the mall for coffee. The Coburg Olympic Pool on the other hand is on the bike path and readily accessible for families and young people who wish to spend the whole day lazing by the pool, jumping off the diving board, swimming laps or playing in the wading pool with the little ones. The outdoor pool took over from the local park and neighbourhood house and functioned as the village square over the summer months. I am not trying to show that there are disparate groups of people using the pools; this is not always the case, what I’m trying to show is that both pools serve completely different purposes and both are used by our community for many different reasons.

The embodied energy of both the pools is not factored into the equation when arguments about sustainability and energy use come into play. Yes, we agree that pools are huge energy guzzlers and it would be very easy for the council to close one down and subsequently talk about how green they are. Surely it is better to have a couple of communal facilities used by everyone than for individuals in the neighbourhood to have their own? Surely it is smarter, greener, more sustainable to keep what we have and improve on it rather than bulldoze existing facilities to build new ones? Surely we would save more energy walking to the pool than driving? To me that means having more quality facilities not less.
I have been to a couple of the consultation groups and I felt the biggest concern of the community was keeping and extending on our green and public space. After a look at the draft plan it seems that housing is encroaching on our communal space, it is certainly encroaching on our pool space. We need more houses and more green space, both are required for healthy, happy communities. We need to say to the developers definitively what we require and we need to say it loud, for once it’s gone we will never be able to reclaim it. Let’s save Coburg Olympic Pool until we can swim in the lake again, after all that’s what the outdoor pool was built for; we had polluted our water system too much to use it for anything but looking at.

The Coburg Initiative

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:47:00 +0000

by Kitty Owens
Coburg Olympic Pool is back in the spotlight due to a suggested 'redevelopment' as a result of the Coburg Initiative. The Coburg Initiative is a Moreland Council/Equiset (Grollo)planned development of inner Coburg. A draft concept plan which features Coburg Leisure Centre(currently a well used indoor pool/gym/exercise space) 'relocated' has been launched for comment - the plan is apparently to move the leisure centre to the site of the Olympic Pool - so that apartments can be built on the Leisure Centre site in central Coburg.

Moreland City Council Mayor, Lambros Tapinos has stated that he thought it was 'in the long term interests of the council and the community to have the indoor and outdoor pools in one location".

Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool are of the view that the two facilities serve different purposes, and that there is great value to the community in investing in the pools at the two sites. The Coburg Leisure Centre is well located for drop in recreational activities, in a transport and activity hub, whereas Coburg Olympic Pool is a destination for a riverside outdoor swimming and picnic experience. Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool would like to see minor improvements at the Coburg Olympic Pool site but do not want to see a mega indoor facility take over the 1950s suburban pool feel and riverside ambience.

To have your say on the proposed vision you can:

contact the Mayor, Lambros Tapinos
Mobile: 0433 419 075
Phone: (03) 9240 1193
Fax: (03) 9240 1179
Email: ltapinos@moreland.vic.gov.au

write to the Moreland Leader
make a comment here or
write to the Moreland Leader at moreland@leadernewspapers.com.au or
by post to The editor, Moreland Leader, 2nd Floor, 192 High Street, Northcote 3070

Unfortunately the opportunity to comment online on The Coburg Initiative has passed but you can see what others have written here.

Looks like our beautiful pool is under threat again.

End of season pool party

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:04:00 +0000

On Sunday the 15th of March Belgravia Leisure is hosting an end of season pool party at the Coburg Olympic Pool from 11.00 am til 6.00pm. There will be free entry, inflatable pool toys and a sausage sizzle.

Even if it ends up being too cold for a proper swim, it would be nice to hang out on the grass and enjoy our pool one last time before it closes at the end of March until December.

We've also started a Facebook page which you can find here.

early morning swimming sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Each Wednesday during February (that's the 4th, the 11th, the 18th and the 25th) there will be an early morning swimming session at Coburg Olympic Pool from 6.30am to 8.30am. Perfect for that swim before work. Or perhaps a chance to do some laps without the children. Or maybe a chance to enjoy the pool before the busyness and/or heat of the day.

The Friends of The Coburg Olympic Pool are contributing some of the money raised at Pool Together towards these mornings. We've thought all along that the pool really needs to be open early in the morning to reach full potential as a lap swimming venue. So this is an opportunity to test the waters and show that there is a demand for this timeslot.

It would be great if readers of this site could spread the word about the Wednesday in February early swim sessions to other pool users or anyone else who might be interested. We've also just started a Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool page on Facebook. So if anyone wants to become a fan and spread the word....

Of course it's also pretty obvious that there's a demand for opening hours between 8.30am and 11.00am and again at the end of the day, particularly on hot nights. So expect a new campaign around opening hours soon. Let us know your thoughts.

Pool food

noreply@blogger.com (Friends of Coburg Olympic Pool) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 22:17:00 +0000

by Kitty Owens
Dinner at the pool is the newest coolest social occasion in the Northern Suburbs for the summer of 09. This is the start of some recipe sharing for pool foodies - and an invitation to dine for those who haven’t tried it yet. Coburg Olympic Pool is open until 8pm on very hot summer nights and there’s a free BBQ on site. Picnic/takeaway/BBQ dinner at the pool is THE ANSWER for hot families from the Republics of Moreland and Darebin, who can be seen nibbling and chatting in the generous shade of the noble pool trees.

Pool food I have noticed on nearby picnic rugs and towels

Thai takeaway – spring rolls, rice dishes etc. Overhead leisurely discussion of Thai restaurants in East Brunswick – all good.
BBQ snags and skewers, all kinds of salad, rolls – this is a popular choice
Cold soy chicken wings with pasta salad – very organised
Quiche from a fancy bakery
Leftover Indian curry
Tinned baked beans with sausage rolls from the kiosk
Home made caramelised onion frittata
Home made icy poles in an esky!

Pool food possibilities
Take away options nearby include

Fish and chips or pizza from the shops further along Murray road - on the corner of Elizabeth Street.
The best choice of kebabs in Australia – surely - from Coburg shops (Kebab Station for best bread, Half Moon Café for best dips).
Good Vietnamese from the pho shop near Preston Market (on High street) – Rice Paper rolls anyone?
Lovely modern Indian food from Café Sarabella in Coburg mall – buy it in the day when shopping and shove it in the fridge to take to the pool for dinner.
Veg to Go in East Brunswick has great vegetarian take away
Zaatar pizzas and cold salt yoghurt drinks from Al Alami on Waterfield St, Coburg

BBQ suggestions

Coburg Meat supply in Coburg mall does prize winning snags, and have organic, free range and halal options too.
Coburg market – for mushrooms, capsicums, eggplant, zuchinni to BBQ – and haloumi from Elli’s deli
Preston market has it all including a great range of fish
Tasty Rooster in Waterfield Coburg - barn raised not cage raised chicken – they really are tasty - and you can get cold ones from the day before.

Here’s Something I Prepared Earlier (more ideas for dinners to bring from home)

Gazpacho – mm lots of fresh tomatoes whizzed up with stale bread and olive oil and a little good vinegar. Icy cold in a thermos,Tortillas warmed on the BBQ with lots of fresh salsa (tomato, onion, fresh coriander, chilli, lime juice - mango optional – not traditional but good if you like mango).
Iced water with lemon slices in a glass bottle
Smoked trout with bread and salad
Tropical fruit skewers – with marshmallows optional for kitsch kid spoiling

Dream Pool Café menu – to be continued
The pool has a kiosk selling classic retro pool fare – icecreams, chips and sausage rolls, but many people muse wouldn’t it be great to have a café …apparently Prahan pool has a nice cafe. Suggested items the café could sell

Coffee frappes like they sell in Greece (instant coffee, evaporated milk and heaps of shaved ice) – this suggestion from the glamorous Greek women on the bench the other night
Decent coffee! ‘Isn’t it too hot’? I said ‘NO’ said Gina ‘I had to ring a friend who was on their way to the pool to get them to bring me a take-away coffee’.
Frozen bananas coated in chocolate and coconut – they sold these at Ceres for a while
Fruit smoothies
Those yummy Turkish salty yoghurt drinks (addictive)

PLEASE SEND IN YOUR IDEAS AND RECIPES – and pictures of pool food would be good too.