The small Queensland town of Tara was always proud of its big pool, and as bulldozers arrived this week to destroy it community members felt grieved, angry, and defeated.
The local council condemned the pool and deemed it unsafe and unsuitable for repair.
"It hurts me to see this part of history being destroyed," Tara resident Phyllis Brown said as the sound of heavy machinery echoed into her living room.
The Olympic-sized Tara Memorial Swimming Pool was built in 1963 with 4,800 hours of work from local volunteers and donations from businesses and the RSL.
It tells a story of post-war Australia's changing cultural landscape, when outdoor public pools were built in many communities after the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
"The whole community got together and built it, so from day dot it was the proud beacon as you turn into Tara," Amateur Swimming Club lifetime member David Gunther said.
'Bulldozing memories'
Mr Gunther said the pool was the centre of many childhood memories and social lives for generations.
"Even for myself growing up, swimming club was the highlight of my childhood," he said.
Tara community members fought for years to stop the destruction of their beloved pool.
Some wrote country songs, and many more wrote letters and made petitions to local officials — resolute in the decision to replace the old pool with a new one half the size.
Mr Gunther said the new 25-metre swimming pool was unsuitable for local club competitions and represented a downgrade in local services for the town.
Western Downs Regional Council (WDRC) mayor Paul McVeigh said the new $7.9 million "modern aquatic complex" would support squad swimming, local swimming competitions, as well as recreational swimming.
"Due to the extent of the structural deterioration, it was not possible to repair the pool."
Size matters in Tara
The most significant bone of contention in Tara has been the size of the replacement pool.
Mr Gunther said the Olympic-sized pool should be replaced with an equal-sized facility, rather than the 25-metre pool chosen by the council.
Mr McVeigh said the council could not afford to install a new Olympic-sized pool.
"We recognise the decision hasn't been popular with some local community members, but there was much consideration behind the decision, including council's responsibility to make sound financial decisions for the whole of the region," he said.
The pool was one of the last significant pieces of public infrastructure built before the Shire of Tara was amalgamated with others into the WDRC in 2008.
The current council's decision to replace the pool with one half the size has left some locals feeling they have lost meaningful representation in their local government.
"It's a lot to do with how we've been treated by WDRC since we've been combined with them, and the council seems to be concentrating on Dalby, Chinchilla, and Miles," Tara Action Group member Gayle Porter said.
D-Day for the pool
As heavy machinery arrived on site earlier this week, locals lamented the loss of their beloved pool, and tempers flared.
Western Downs Regional Council said it reported incidents of alleged trespass and verbal abuse of workers at the demolition site to police.
Mr McVeigh said he was disappointed by reports of abusive behaviour on site.
"Council appreciates the project is not popular with some community members, but abuse is never okay and all council staff — including our contractors — have the right to work in a safe environment," Mr McVeigh said.
"This project is going to be a fantastic addition to Tara and the wider Western Downs, and we are excited to see works progressing on the new $7.9 million facility."
What was a symbol of the small town's unity has caused division within the community.
Mr Gunther said the council's unwillingness to consult the community properly and properly consider its requests were to blame.
The town will get a new pool, but the memories and sentimentality of the Tara Memorial Swimming Pool are much harder to replace.
