Australia’s ocean pools

Brydie Piaf’s The Sunrise Swimmers of Merewether Ocean Baths

March 3, 2018 by Marie-Louise McDermott

The Sunrise Swimmers of Merewether Ocean Baths – A book and exhibition by photographer and storyteller, Brydie Piaf.

The Sunrise Swimmers of Merewether Ocean Baths is a collection of portraits, seascapes and stories documenting the regular early morning swimmers of Newcastle’s iconic Merewether Ocean Baths. The Sunrise Swimmers is Brydie Piaf’s celebration of the saltwater life and the people who greet the sea before the sun each day. The exhibition (proudly supported by Olympus) is open from 24 February to 17 April 2018 in the Local History Lounge at City Library, Laman Street, Newcastle, NSW, Australia.

Back in 2017, Brydie Piaf was awarded:
– $200 in prize-money for the All into Ocean Pools Inc Sheridan Evans Award for artwork relating to ocean pools, and
– an Honourable Mention for the All into Ocean Pools Inc Pat Skinner Award for writing relating to ocean pools.

Art award presented to Graham Gall

September 21, 2017 by Marie-Louise McDermott Leave a Comment

After many delays, Graham Gall was on Friday 15 September 2017 presented with the prize money cheque and certificate for his award-winning entry in the 2017 Sheridan Evans Award for artwork relating to ocean pools. Thanks to our member Barbara Smith for organising that presentation in Canberra.

Here’s the award winner – Graham Gall

(Thanks to Barbara Smith for providing this image)

Here’s his award-winning artwork – Kiama Ocean Pool at Sunrise#5

Australia’s ocean pools – Scheduled Skype Sessions

September 7, 2017 by Marie-Louise McDermott Leave a Comment

Starting in mid-September, Marie-Louise McDermott is offering our members a series of free weekly Skype discussions on each chapter of her book Australia’s Ocean Pools, due for publication as an ebook at the end of this year. It’s a great chance to find out more about these wonderful pools and how they came to be the way they are.

Sessions are limited to members of All into Ocean Pools Inc and other invited guests and will be held at 3pm West Australian Time (Greenwich +8). Each session will last around 45 minutes.

Here’s the schedule:

10 September – Overview and introduction

17 September – Ocean pools for colonial bathers

24 September – Ocean pools for colonial swimmers

1 October – Part of a new nation’s beaches and poolscape

8 October – Ocean pools, the Great Depression & WWII

15 October – Ocean pools in the 1950s and 1960s

22 October – Part of a treasured and threatened coast and poolscape

29 October – Ocean pools, futures and friends

If you would like to be part of any of those sessions, send an email with your Skype name and the sessions of interest to you to allintooceanpoolsinc@mail.tidyclub.com

Please mention any questions or issues you would like to see covered in a particular session.

Presentation of art prize money to Olga Baldock

August 12, 2017 by Marie-Louise McDermott Leave a Comment

Peter Baladock, Olg Baldock, Sheridan Hopkins (Left to right: Peter Baldock, Olga Baldock and Sheridan Hopkins)

On Sunday August 6, Olga Baldock received her $300 prize money cheque and a certificate recording her success in the 2017 Sheridan Evans Award for art relating to ocean pools at a cafe near Sydney’s Fairy Bower Ocean Pool. The cheque from our award sponsor, Diverse Productions Pty Ltd, was presented by All into Ocean Pools Inc Committee Member, Sandra Blamey. Also present for the presentation and brunch were All into Ocean Pools Inc member Sheridan Hopkins and Olga’s husband, Peter Baldock.

Certificates had already been posted to prize money winners Oliver Scarlin and Brydie Piaf, who received their prize money by bank transfer.

Arrangements are now underway for Graham Gall to receive his $200 prize money cheque and a certificate recording his success in the 2017 Sheridan Evans Award for art relating to ocean pools at a presentation in Canberra.

Awarded image – Brydie Piaf’s Mackerels

August 2, 2017 by Marie-Louise McDermott Leave a Comment

Brydie Piaf was awarded AU$200 in prize money for entering this work Mackerels in our 2017 Sheridan Evans Award for artworks relating to ocean pools. The Australian ocean pool depicted in this image is the Merewether Ocean Baths on the New South Wales coast. As Brydie Piaf’s entry note ‘ Since 1972 the Merewether Mackerels winter swimming club have been swimming at Merewether Baths’.

You can find more fine photographs by Brydie Piaf on the Facebook Page for the Merewether Mackerels.