A history of the Pemberton Pool

 

In 1928, the Pemberton Parents and Citizens’ Association raised funds for 140 students to go to Bunbury for a two-week holiday at the seaside. Because of the costs associated with the trip, the idea of constructing a swimming pool in Pemberton emerged as a cheaper alternative.

On 4 November 1928, a scheduled fund-raising saw almost every worker and local citizen donate 5s. out of their pay cheque to raise a total of £58, and that same evening a contract was let to build a dam on a ‘small stream running into ‘Big Brook’ (Lefroy Brook).

 

Once an inconspicuous little stream, the pool was transformed through some wonderful engineering on the part of local doctor Dr. Abbott and Pemberton school headmaster at the time Mr. Glew.

An earth wall 140 ft long and 19ft high was built across the gully, in such a way that the pool could be kept fresh by the constant flow of the natural stream. The finished pool was 350 yards long, 50 yards wide, and 14ft deep at the deepest point, taking four years to build.

 

In late 1929, the Minster for Lands approved ‘an area embracing the Swimming Pool to be declared a reserve for National Park’.

In 1931, trout fry were air lifted from Victoria to Pemberton to establish a trout hatchery for recreational fishing that was developed as a tourist attraction from the 1930’s. Pemberton has fantastic trout fishing, and this remains a popular activity. Remnants of the original trout ponds can still be seen today if you take a short walk upstream (approximately 100m).

Mr. Glew and the Fish and Game Society even donated white swans for the school students to release and care for, which proved popular with local children and visitors.

There are both Marron and Trout in the pool. If you look closely around the shallow edges, you may be able to see Marron, and if you try your luck fishing you may even catch trout.

 

In 1937 a Swimming Pool board was formed. On 8 November 1937 at its first Annual Meeting, it was decided to hold the first swimming carnival on 5 December and the next carnival on the second Sunday in February 1938. Other community events held regularly at Pemberton Swimming Pool included community picnics, celebrations, and even log chopping competitions. A particularly memorable log chopping event was held in 1946, with the town putting on a display for the Duke of Gloucester when he visited Pemberton during his tour of the South-West region.

 

The board’s first Annual Report noted further plans for the pool - The riverbed was to be straightened to avoid erosion, the emergency spillway was to be re-built, and the base and walls of the bathing and paddling pools concreted. A beautification policy specified the forested hillside overlooking the pool was to remain in ‘virgin state’, and the Pool was to be kept ‘in as natural a setting as possible, no exotic tree or shrubs to be planted.

 

Each winter the pool was drained for maintenance, (which continues to this day – usually around October).

Annual memberships and entrance fees funded maintenance and improvements, community busy bees did much of the work, State Sawmills donated timber and Pemberton Power and Lighting Company gave sponsorship. There was no funding received from Warren Road Board or the government.

 

In 1938, further works included the construction of a running track and the erection of a high diving tower utilising a cut off tree trunk about 20 ft. high with a platform about halfway up, though only a few people dared to dive or jump from the very top.

There was even a sled ride running nearly 100ft down the hill into the water! If you look across to the far side of the pool you can still see the remains of the original timber tracks. The ride down the hill was fun, fast, and not for the faint hearted!

 

In 1946, the reserve was expanded, increasing in size to 256 acres.

In the early 1950’s, it was decided to establish a caravan park in proximity to Pemberton Swimming Pool, and the Board concentrated on achieving this goal before turning its attention to improving the facilities at the Swimming Pool, which was well used by visitors to the caravan park and children attending the Forest Youth Camp, which opened nearby in February 1954.

 

On 25 March 1984, Pemberton Forest Park, including Pemberton Swimming Pool and the Caravan Park, were vested in Pemberton Visitor Centre.

 

In 2007 it was proposed to utilise the steep hillside to develop mountain bike trails.

A small team of hardworking volunteers started planning and got to work carving out the hillside to make some thrilling bike trails. Over the years the Pemberton Mountain Bike Park has made remarkable progress – today there is an amazing 36km of trails, spread over 300+ acres of beautifully scenic Karri Forest. Our trails attract thousands of riders annually and the MTB park also plays host to several large events each year.

 

Our Pemberton Pool remains a community owned asset, including all the trails within the Pemberton Mountain Bike Park. Rather than being funded and maintained by local government, our pool is managed by the Pemberton Visitor Centre and funded through sponsorship from the Pemberton Caravan Park – a community owned not-for-profit business.

The Pemberton Caravan Park operates in partnership with the Visitors Centre and provides funding for the maintenance and insurance of the swimming pool and surrounding trails. The caravan park also provides sponsorship for our local Pemberton Cycling Association – to support the fantastic team of passionate volunteers who work very hard to build and maintain all the trails.

 

This place is very special and is highly valued by the community, who want to ensure it will continue to be enjoyed by future generations of local residents, and visitors to the South-West. 

 

This place demonstrates the innovation, determination and ability of an isolated regional forestry community to work together despite limited financial resources to provide and construct its own infrastructure and facilities for the benefit of the community and visitors alike.

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References:

• Heritage Council of Western Australia

• Western Australian State Library

• Shire of Manjimup Municipal Heritage Inventory