By Tania Phillips
Eighty years ago a group of Killarney locals got together to build a pool in the small town – this weekend another group of locals, many descendants of that group, will get together to celebrate.
Pool manager Shirley Bloomfield said celebrations would take place on Saturday with lots of fun and cupcakes to be had.
Shirley, who has had forty-year association with the beloved local icon, said the pool had become an important part of the town.
“The Killarney pool was built by a team of locals in the late 1930s and was opened in November 1940,” she said.
“All of their children, grand children and great grandchildren have played here, learned to swim here and loved it. “
She said pool was originally filled out of the creek every week.
“You couldn’t see the bottom then, they’d empty it and clean it out to be filled again,” Shirley laughed.
“They say it was great fun for everyone back then and it still is today.”
Celebrations will begin from Noon on Saturday as the community comes together to celebrate the pool and the locals who got together to build it.
“We will open at 12 like we normally do and we’re having activities like flipper ball, aqua aerobics and some sprints like old people having a swim. At 3pm we’re having speeches and a little bit of afternoon tea and then after that we’re going to put the inflatable up and have a barbecue. Hopefully we’ll be finished by 6pm.”
She said there was a great community that surrounded the pool.
“The swimming club is going really well and our aqua aerobics – Ellie does that and she’s great,” Shirley explained.
“We have like a youth group and they come on a Monday.”
Like many locals Shirley Bloomfield learned to swim there, taught her kids and now has her grand children learning – as yet another generation embraces the facility – one of the focal points of this small town.
