Parramatta is a city without a pool no more.
The people of western Sydney have sizzled through six summers since the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre was bulldozed to make way for a new stadium.
So is the new Parramatta Aquatic Centre, which opened this week, worth the wait – and its $88.6m price tag?
Guardian Australia gave the facility – with its 50-metre heated outdoor pool, 25-metre indoor pool, splash playground, gym and sauna – a road test to see if it lives up to the hype.
While it could have been bigger, the spiffy new centre – complete with yellow umbrellas, concrete beams and pleasant pool temperatures – is a solid addition to the list of Sydney pools.
The centre itself is built into the hills of Parramatta Park, designed to blend into the district and not obscure the historic views. And while that makes for interesting aerial photos, it does not make for easy access.
Road access is via a single-lane entry, and a no right turn exit, meaning you must drive through Westmead when leaving.
Once you’ve paid the $8 for admission, you will have to navigate the centre’s confusing doors: some open with a green button, some are automatic and others require pushing. It was an ongoing guessing game.
Wide lanes and a workable temperature
Once outside, you are greeted with the warm familiarity of a traditional Australian outdoor pool.
The 10-lane pool is a generous one, lined with sparkling new white tiles and the kind of cement that will mark your wet footsteps. Large yellow umbrellas dot the outskirts of the pool, with a variety of seating available.
The pool itself is warmer than anticipated, at 26C, and certainly not as cold as a Sydney ocean swim can get. It seems a very workable temperature (particularly for this reporter, who struggles with the cold).
It has an accessible entry point, and while it’s deep enough to jump into, it only reaches 2 metres at its deepest. Not the best for deep diving, but it seems to be sufficient for a group of teenagers lining up to bomb their way in.
One, 15-year-old Jasmine, highlights the nicely placed footholds along the pool’s edge.
“It makes it easier to get out, then jump back in,” she says between bombs.
Overall, being the newest pool in the city (and so, by default, the cleanest) it makes for a good swim, with lanes wide enough to allow for multiple swimmers.
The indoor vibes
The indoor areas – which house a spa, sauna, a “program pool” and an indoor splash area – are lit via windows in the concrete above, making for a subterranean feel. While this may trap the heat in the winter, it feels stuffy on a warm day.
The indoor heated pool is exactly as expected. Nothing in particular stood out, although the spa is in the same area, so it can feel very loud as you’re attempting to relax.
But that doesn’t seem a problem for Ahmet, who is leaning back in the spa with his eyes closed as he remembers the old pool.
“We didn’t have a spa back then, this is much better,” he says, barely moving.
Food and views
The design of the centre, with its circular perimeter and use of concrete and natural light, makes for some appealing sights.
The skyscrapers in the CBD are just visible if you’re sitting on a bean bag along the grassy area, meant to invoke nostalgia for the old pool, which was built in 1959 and demolished in 2017.
But the grass is still new and there isn’t anywhere near enough bean bags to accommodate the daily pool capacity of 1,700.
The cafe is also disappointing, having had a chaotic opening week with machines not working, the menu seemingly changed last minute and long wait times.
A customary order of hot chips costs $8, while a Maxibon ice-cream is $5.50. Amid a cost of living crisis, this is sadly common.
The chips come in a small, clear plastic container – a far cry from the old-school yellow cardboard boxes – but they were salted well enough.
But just like the grass area, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere near enough seating, with only four small table areas.
“Could’ve done with more seating,” a mother, Janine says. “But at least there is somewhere to go in the summer.”
Was the wait worth it?
With a scorching summer forecast, and as western Sydney continues to see hotter temperatures on average compared with the rest of the city, a pool was necessary in Parramatta.
And while it is nice to look at, with its clean cement and wooden finishes around the perimeter, it ultimately feels small for its $88m price tag and six-year construction timeframe.
It’s certainly small for the region, which continues to grow at nearly double the rate of greater Sydney and in a location without easy access to swimming facilities.
Perhaps it needs a diving board to really seal the deal.
• This article was amended on 30 September 2023 to change “six-year construction” to “six-year construction timeframe”. Actual building works started in 2021.
