Queensland making a splashMemorial pools and the body politicsof reconstruction

Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampsonjgosseyeuqeduau andahaarchitecticloudcom

Abstract

In April 2015 The Pool emerged as the winning proposal for Australiarsquos exhibi-tion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale1 Creative directors Aileen Sageand Michelle Tabet explained that the pool was lsquoa lens through which to ex-plore Australian cultural identityrsquo and lsquoaptly represents a distinctively Australiandemocratic and social spacersquo2 In Australia the public pool was popularised inthe post-war period particularly in Queensland where it offered relief from thelong hot and humid summers Although Brisbane already had several floatingbaths along the Brisbane River from the mid-nineteenth century large-scalein-ground pool construction in the state did not start in earnest until the mid-1950s when the personal and social benefits of recreational time with familyand friends became well established In Queensland as elsewhere in the coun-try the government encouraged the construction of swimming pools and manybecame memorial pools dedicated to those who had fought to defend an Aus-tralian lsquoway of lifersquo Their design was to reflect the civic and social foundationsof the initiative and in Queensland architects took delight in all the opportuni-ties it afforded The result was a widely diverging collection of predominantlyhumble and economical structures that were rarely ordinary or dull Analysingthree key pools that were constructed in regional Queensland between 1955and 1965 mdash in Rockhampton Mackay and Miles mdash this article draws out someof the defining features of Queenslandrsquos modern memorial pools and highlightshow this typology became the quintessential lsquoAustralian democratic and socialspacersquo3

Modern bodiesWorld War I destroyed human bodies on an unprecedented scale ten million deadtwenty million severe casualties and eight million people with permanent disabil-ities4 Modern war obliterated those in its path with unsparing mechanical effi-ciency Mass injury and mutilation shocked families and came to haunt personalmemories5 However the same modernity that had destroyed both body and mindduring the war set out to reconstruct the body in its aftermath as artistic forms

178 Queensland ReviewVolume 23 | Issue 2 | 2016 | pp 178ndash195 | ccopy The Author(s) 2016 |doi 101017qre201628

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 1

Max Dupain Sunbaker 1937

became deeply implicated in the drive to perfect and beautify the human body6

The body thus became a central motif in modernism Many believed that by re-constructing the body mdash thought of in the classical ideal of mindndashbody harmonywhich attributed social values to bodily facts7 mdash people would rebuild their livesand their communities and society would be reshaped As a result from the 1920sbodies were no longer locked away or relegated to the sphere of tortured memo-ries but became the objects of the dynamic spirit of transformation through massculture and art8

In Australia where World War I had left 60000 dead and 150000 injured thehealthy lsquoreconstructedrsquo body also became a central theme in the arts Here unlikein Europe and America large sections of the population were only a short tramor train ride away from some of the worldrsquos best beaches In combination withtemperate weather conditions this made beach life prosper across the continent9

In Australia the lsquoreconstructionrsquo of the body through the arts was thus connectedto the countryrsquos beach and bathing culture One of the most widely recognised ofall Australian photographs is Max Dupainrsquos 1937 Sunbaker Taken from a lowangle this iconic photograph depicting the head and shoulders of a healthy youngman lying on a beach has frequently been called an lsquoAustralian iconrsquo and symbolicof the Australian way of life10 Throughout the early twentieth century the artisticfocus on the body mdash which was strongly tied to the countryrsquos sunbathing culturemdash continued Charles Meerersquos lsquoAustralian Beach Patternrsquo (1940) for instance

Queensland Review 179

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

presented an unflinchingly modern scene to the Australian people and contributedenormously to the myth of the healthy Australian nation symbolised by the tannedgod-like bodies of the sunbathers

In the aftermath of war such depictions of modern ideals assisted people whowere wanting to renew their bodies through the living principles of balance anddynamism Life thus became connected to art as people responded to these imagesand sought to reconstruct their bodies individually11 As a result the focus shiftedfrom bathing to swimming in early twentieth-century Australia where the popu-larity and acceptability of the sport was enhanced by the rise of personalities suchas Annette Kellerman

An Australian professional swimmer who in 1905 invented the streamlinedone-piece female swimming costume Kellerman became known as the lsquoDivingVenusrsquo and the lsquoAustralian Mermaidrsquo through her work as a vaudeville and moviestar12 She not only represented bodily discipline her story also epitomised self-transformation through sports At six years of age Kellerman had contracted poliowhich condemned her to the life of a cripple The weakness of her legs forced herto wear steel braces which caused much discomfort to the high-spirited little girland made her cry every time she was forced to wear them In desperation herparents took advice from their doctor who suggested that swimming could pos-sibly strengthen her limbs By the time she turned sixteen her legs were strongand straight and she began to give swimming performances at the Melbourne CityBaths the Princess Court Entertainment Centre and the Melbourne AquariumHere visitors were amazed to see mdash among the exotic fish and marine wildlife mdasha young woman dressed in a bathing suit fearlessly gambolling with sea creaturesEven more amazing was that she then calmly peeled and ate a banana under water13

Kellermanrsquos story not only exemplified how through sport injury and impairmentcould be overcome mdash an important lesson for a nation healing from a devastatingwar mdash but perhaps even more importantly it also showed how by reconstructingthe body physically the mental state of people could be transformed as Kellermancame to epitomise independence and self-determination

The focus on the healthy reconstructed body and the concomitant rising popu-larity of swimming as a sport also affected the applied arts most notably fash-ion design The Australian Speedo brand for instance developed an aestheticfirmly based on modern functionalism and bodily perfection Originally estab-lished by the Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae who began manufacturingunderwear and knitwear in Sydney in 1914 the company moved into the pro-duction of wool and cotton swimwear in the 1920s14 Advertisements for Speedocostumes not only promised lsquothe maximum comfort and the minimum of resis-tancersquo but also emphasised their lsquoinstant appealrsquo as they offered lsquomaximum bodyexposure to tonic sunshinersquo15 Not long after Speedo began producing swimwearQueensland designer Paula Stafford introduced the two-piece swimming costumeto Australia Born in Melbourne in 1920 Stafford began making two-piece swim-ming costumes for herself in the 1930s16 Exposing the midriff but leaving thenavel concealed the two-piece swimming costume was only a small step removedfrom the full-fledged bikini which soon became popular on Australian beachesparticularly in Queenslandrsquos Surfers Paradise lsquoas a result of beautiful models wear-ing Staffordrsquos swimsuits and the accompanying sensationalistic newspaperreportagersquo17

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 2

Annette Kellerman c 1916 Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division WashingtonDC

Early poolsQueenslandrsquos hot sub-tropical climate made swimming very popular from earlysettlement on particularly during the summer months18 The activity was generallyreferred to as lsquobathingrsquo rather than swimming and was recommended for hygienicpurposes In country areas creeks rivers and waterholes served as bathing spotswhile coastline settlers indulged in a dip in the ocean Unfortunately the majorityof the colonists possessed limited swimming skills and drownings were frequent

Queensland Review 181

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

Furthermore natural dangers such as sharks and crocodiles discouraged swimmersin many areas19 These incidents received considerable press coverage and by themid-nineteenth century an attempt was made to gain public support for the con-struction of bathing houses for the safety and health of the citizenry In the late1840s a lsquofixedrsquo bath was constructed in the Brisbane River and Ipswich had one inoperation from 1852 the Flower Bank Bathing House20 However many believedthat floating baths were a better option In January 1849 the Moreton Bay Courierreported

In a warm climate like this few things are more conducive to a sound state ofhealth than regular bathing the bath has an invigorating effect upon thewhole system most delightful and refreshing after the lassitude produced by ahot summer day But bathing in the river Brisbane is prohibited at presentand would be absolute madness in consequence of the number of sharks in theriver This circumstance and also the reflection that many persons are unable toswim even if there was no such danger have led us to consider the expediencyof endeavouring to establish a floating bath We have obtained from MrAndrew Petrie plans of a floating bath which could be moored at any part ofthe river and removed from time to time to different parts of the towns as mightbe required Mr Petrie has also made an estimate of the probable expense Theplan comprises two separate baths with eight dressing-rooms and other requisitearrangements we cannot but repeat that the subject is one of deep importanceto the health of the people21

Petriersquos son Walter had drowned a year earlier when he was twenty-two years oldgiving his father a deep personal interest in this campaign However the responsefrom the Brisbane public mdash in terms of contributions for the building mdash wasdisappointing and the pledged subscriptions did not allow for the construction ofa floating bath22 Eight years later little progress had been made still Exasperatedthe Moreton Bay Courier reported

It has often surprised us that in Australia and especially in this district so littleattention has been paid to the subject of public baths We are particularlysurprised that in Brisbane with such facilities as it has in its noble river for theestablishment of public baths nothing has been done towards the supplying ofsuch a want The erection of public baths on some convenient spot on theriver would be an important addition to our comfort and would go a great wayto the promotion of the moral and material prosperity of the community Achurch a public house and a lock-up are said to be the essential constituents ofevery Australian township let us hope that the public bath will also be recognisedat some early day as one of the lsquoinstitutionsrsquo in every town in Australia23

The first floating bath in Brisbane opened in 1857

The floating bath which we have previously alluded to as being in course ofconstruction by Mr Winship is now finished and ready for the reception ofbathers The bath is moored close to the river bank in about 14 feet of watera little to the westward of the Hospital It is 75 feet in length and 24 feet widepart of the interior space being occupied by small dressing places at each endand a gangway allround [sic] but still leaving room sufficient in the centre for acomfortable lsquoflounderrsquo or lsquoswimrsquo without the fear of being disturbed by sharksAt one end the bath is 3 feet deep at the other 6 feet the bottom at the shallower

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 3

Swimmers in the Brisbane River at Chelmer c 1930 John Oxley Library State Library of QueenslandBrisbane

part being closely floored and in the deeper part secured with wooden scantling2 or 3 inches apart the four sides under water are also secured in a similarmanner with wooden grating allowing the free flow of the tide we hopethat Mr Winshiprsquos enterprise in providing such a desideratum will be suitablyencouraged If sufficient encouragement be afforded we understand that thecomfort of morning bathers will be provided for in the supply of hot coffee24

Growing health concerns spurred on the proliferation of floating baths and severalmore were built in the mid- to late 1800s These baths not only offered swimmersa relatively safe area where they could indulge in their exercise but also controlledswimmers and ensured that they obeyed the laws regarding public swimming In-formed by Victorian attitudes surrounding bathing and the moral issues associatedwith such activities some of these laws including the one banning swimming onbeaches in daylight hours were in effect as late as 190025 However floating bathswere not ideal either these structures would periodically submerge and were fre-quently damaged by floods and storms26 prompting heated exchanges in the pressespecially when the rebuilding program lacked sufficient speed27

Due to these practical and moral constraints the sport of swimming in Queens-land only began in earnest at the turn of the twentieth century The statersquos firstswimming club was formed in 1885 and shortly thereafter the first club carnivalwith diving and novelty events such as the lsquocigar and candle racersquo was so successfulthat hundreds were turned away as the Metropolitan Baths (which were floatingbaths) were filled beyond capacity Around this time the first public in-groundpool in Brisbane became operational The Spring Hill Baths was formally openedin December 1886 when lsquoHis Worship the Mayor appeared in regulation bathingcostume and was loudly cheered as he stepped briskly along the springboard and

Queensland Review 183

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

took a ldquoheaderrdquo into the bathrsquo28 More in-ground pools soon followed most no-tably the Ithaca Baths in Paddington which opened in 191629 and the Valley Bathson Wickham Street which opened in 1925 However the first Olympic-sized in-ground pool in Queensland was not constructed in Brisbane but rather in Dalbya small town in the Darling Downs with a population of 3500 Clearly proud ofthe townrsquos aquatic achievement Dalby held an 800 pm evening opening on 14November 1936 for a reported crowd of 2000 people As the construction of poolssteadily increased Queensland gradually identified itself as a swimming state in theearly twentieth century However these developments halted abruptly as anotherbrutal world war erupted in 193930

Making a splashAs elsewhere in Australia public pool building in Queensland only began in earnestin the mid-twentieth century after World War II The global conflagration of warhad elicited a massive response from the free press and brought devastating im-ages of the battlefront home where the visual confrontation with mangled bodiesshell-shocked soldiers and disabled men increasingly caused fear among those athome These fears were mirrored in government concerns about economic relianceon the state and social anxieties about loss of independence and passivity31 Thedrive to reconstruct the body which was expressed through art in the interwaryears now became a very applied tangible goal as citizenship increasingly wasshaped in biological terms of health and reproductive competence and informedthe development of new (government-funded) welfare programs This led to theconstruction of numerous novel community facilities including kindergartens cul-tural centres libraries and public swimming pools32 Of this collection the publicswimming pool is not only the purest expression of the governmentrsquos ambition to(quite literally) reconstruct the body but also reflects the nationrsquos desire for a per-fect humanity Beyond reconstructing the body physically swimming in the poolwas believed to strengthen citizensrsquo minds thus assisting the nation in overcomingthe trauma of war and forging a new modern post-war community Striving to reg-ulate and socialise bodies to act on the one hand and to manage the populationrsquosreproduction and public health on the other Australiarsquos pool lsquoprogramrsquo presents astraightforward expression of the French philosopher Michel Foucaultrsquos conceptsof disciplinary power and lsquobiopowerrsquo33

In Australia the desire to reconstruct the body after the war which spurredon welfare programs that sought to encourage healthy leisurely pursuits coincidedwith an appeal for lsquousefulrsquo memorials such as memorial halls memorial schoolsand memorial pools34 Functional memorials many argued would not only com-memorate those who had fought and fallen during the war but would also attest towhat they had achieved the safeguarding of a modern egalitarian and enlightenedsociety The inclination to build useful memorial structures was actively supportedby the government From 1915 the Commonwealth offered income tax deductionsfor gifts for specified purposes including lsquocontributions exceeding pound5 in the aggre-gate in respect of each object of contribution made during the continuance of thepresent war to any public fund established in any part of the Kingrsquos Dominions orin any country in alliance with Great Britain for any purpose connected with thepresent warrsquo35 This legislation ndash the Income Tax Assessment Act ndash was amended

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Queensland making a splash

in 192736 to include income tax deductions for gifts of the value of pound1 and upwardsfor lsquoa public fund established and maintained for providing money for the construc-tion or maintenance by or on behalf of the Commonwealth a State or Territory ofthe Commonwealth of a public memorial relating to the war which commencedon the fourth day of August 1914rsquo As a result several memorial halls and schoolswere built across Australia as well as a few memorial pools37 Most dedications tothose who fought in World War I however still took the form of traditional mon-uments38 In 1942 the Income Tax Assessment Act was again amended to includelsquothe war that commenced on the third day of September One thousand ninehundred and thirty-ninersquo39 This legislation significantly advanced the developmentof memorial pools across Australia once the war had ended and wartime restric-tions had been lifted This development however came to an abrupt halt in 1973when the Income Tax Assessment Act was once again amended From then ondeductions were allowed only for contributions to public funds established before21 September 1973 lsquofor providing money for the construction or maintenance of apublic memorial relating to the war that commenced on 4 August 1914 or to thewar that commenced on 3 September 1939rsquo40 This amendment effectively put anend to the construction of new buildings for war memorial purposes

Rockhampton

One of the earliest public initiatives to fund a War Memorial Pool in Queenslandwas in Rockhampton where local swimming clubs had been rallying for the con-struction of a lsquomodern poolrsquo since the early 1930s41 This appeal increasingly gainedsupport from the council particularly after 1936 when the first Olympic-lengthin-ground swimming pool in the state opened in Dalby and soon became the envyof many other Queensland towns and townships42 This spurred Rockhamptonto propose plans for the development of an Olympic in-ground pool in the late1930s43 but the council failed to gain ratepayersrsquo support and the start of WorldWar II froze all such aspirations44

Shortly after the end of the war the pool initiative resurfaced and was explicitlyconnected to the desire for commemoration In a 1946 article entitled lsquoMonumentTimersquo Rockhamptonrsquos Morning Bulletin reported that lsquosoon people all over Aus-tralia will be considering the most worthy manner in which to convey to posteritytheir sentiments towards the crisis which our civilisation has passedrsquo This consid-eration the newspaper suggested would inevitably lead to lsquoprojects for memorialsdesigned to provide service to the living as fitting tributes to the honoured deadrsquo in-cluding memorial pools The report cautioned that lsquoa memorial to the dead shouldnot become a shrine to utilitarianismrsquo or lsquoa civic project under the guise of a warmemorialrsquo but should fulfil three distinctive functions express gratitude stimulaterecollection and provide inspiration for posterity45

In 1952 Rockhamptonrsquos Mayor Reginald Pilbeam renewed the cause and es-tablished a fund to construct a memorial pool The scheme was accepted at a vocalpublic meeting and was completed through city council and state government fund-ing46 as well as with the aid of creative fundraising campaigns For example in1955 in honour of Rockhamptonrsquos centenary a lsquoQueenrsquo competition was organ-ised open to lsquosingle girls not less than 17 and not more than 30 years of agersquo47

However to be eligible for selection as lsquoRockhampton Centenary Queenrsquo eachcandidate had to raise pound500 for the pool fund48 The Rockhampton Second World

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

Figure 4

Plan for Rockhamptonrsquos Second World War Memorial Pool by Eddie Hegvold 1957 Drawings frominterview and correspondence with EA Hegvoldrsquos son Paul in 1997 Copies of Hegvoldrsquos drawings arealso held in the B Bullman Drawing Collection Rockhampton Regional Library (Bullman was a draftsmanin Hegvoldrsquos office and the Hegvold drawing collection is filed under his name)

War Memorial Pool was finally opened in 1960 in the presence of Premier FrankNicklin and swimming champions Dawn Fraser and Ilsa Konrads49

Situated on a rugged landscape the pool consisted of a series of structures in-cluding an entry amenities building two diving towers and an elegant double-heightgrandstand with a skillion roof50 In his design architect EA (Eddie) Hegvoldplaced great emphasis on the restorative capacity of visiting the pool as expressedin the complexrsquos carefully considered layout To enter visitors climbed three stepsfrom the footpath to an eccentrically positioned butterfly portico roof entry wherethey passed a series of turnstiles to enter the poolrsquos vestibule with ticket office Fromthis point on the sexes were strictly separated women were led to one side of thebuilding and men to the other where they undressed under the open sky Leavingthe changing rooms swimmers were ushered through a series of spaces of compul-sory hygiene first lsquoautomaticrsquo body-cleansing water-jets then a short wade througha small footbath before reaching the rear porch where the sexes were reunited acouple of steps above the airy open poolside This choreographed pre-bathingsequence was paralleled with a transition from the dark and cool interior of thevestibule to the light and warm changing rooms Bodily hygiene was paramountleaving the changing rooms uncovered for instance exposed the naked body tothe open air and the lsquocuringrsquo rays of sun which were believed to kill germs andaid in the drying process Apart from these practical benefits it also enhanced thepool experience by building anticipation As the swimmers methodically undressed

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 5

Front facade of Rockhamptonrsquos Second World War Memorial Pool Photograph by Alice Hampson 6June 1998

under the open sky they could already hear the splashing of the water in the nearbypool adults chatting and children laughing

The solemn valour and victory language of the symmetric well-balanced front fa-cade of Rockhamptonrsquos Second World War Memorial Pool which is reminiscent ofHegvoldrsquos 1959 design for Tobruk House (the headquarters for the Rockhamptonsub-branch of the RSL) clearly signals the buildingrsquos memorial status Nonethelessto ensure that the pool would not be seen as a lsquocivic project under the guise of a warmemorialrsquo very literal and explicit references to the war were also incorporatedin the complex For instance the shiprsquos bell from the HMAS Rockhampton wasinstalled alongside the pool the Airforce Association donated an electric wall clockand the street facade of the building was adorned with a flagpole Second WorldWar Memorial Pool signage and a pair of German howitzer canons reconditionedby the local RSL and set on concrete blocks flanking the entrance51

Mackay

Exalting the healthy modern body was a key theme in the memorial swimmingpool that Russell Gibbins designed for Mackay in the early 1960s52 Adorned witha Plymouth Belvedere speeding past and a Boeing 707 overhead Gibbinsrsquo earlydesign sketches (dated August 1959) reveal his modern hopes and aspirations forthe memorial pool as they show a low-slung rectilinear building with an elongatedbutterfly roof and crisp clean lines Structural load-bearing elements were renderedin a virginal white while infills of exposed brick and concrete louvres promisedsubtle textural variations Moreover the landscape in his drawings was carefullymanicured a monumental fountain located between the pool and the entrance

Queensland Review 187

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

Figures 6 and 7

(Colour online) Design sketches by Russell Gibbins for Mackayrsquos Memorial Pool 1959 Mackay RegionalCouncil Artspace Mackay

building was surrounded by trimmed lawns symmetrically positioned rectilinearplanter boxes and a few statuesque palm trees This conditioned landscape providedan ideal backdrop for the sleek suntanned bodies in the front of the tableau Gibbinsclearly envisaged the pool as an enclave of bodily health and purity in the somewhatrugged natural surroundings lining the banks of the Pioneer River in Mackay

Like Hegvoldrsquos entry building in Rockhampton Gibbinsrsquo entry building to theMackay Memorial Pool had a long and (largely) symmetrically composed frontfacade that denoted its civic significance through an accentuated front porch De-lineated by two protruding buttresses spanning the width of the footpath thisporch functioned as a public outdoor foyer where citizens could gather beforeentering (or after exiting) the building Door-shaped openings in these protrudingbuttresses guaranteed the continuation of the footpath and allowed access to the

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 8

(Colour online) Mural embedded in the front facade ofMackayrsquos War Memorial Swimming Centre Glen Hall Collectionhttpwwwmackayhistoryorg

shaded outdoor space Built as a slab on grade the buildingrsquos indoor foyer wasseamlessly connected to this outdoor porch separated only by a roller grille doorHere swimmers paid a small entry fee at a counter53 after which women weredirected to the left side of the building and men to the right through a double setof turnstiles Dressing rooms were left open to the sky although bodily hygienewas not insisted upon as explicitly as in Rockhampton While the changing roomshad showers entering them was not a condicio sine qua non to gain access to theOlympic-length swimming pool on the other side of the building

Mackayrsquos War Memorial Swimming Centre was officially opened by the Post-master General Mr Davidson on 14 December 1963 The mayor of Mackay Al-derman Binnington acknowledged that it was fitting that Mr Davidson performedthe official part of the poolrsquos inauguration lsquoin view of his service in two WorldWars and his service to Australia as a member of the Federal Governmentrsquo54 Dur-ing the opening ceremony Archdeacon JHR Innes offered a prayer of dedicationfor the centre as a memorial to the fallen Mr Davidson and Mayor Binningtoninspected a guard of honour in front of the main building and members of theRoyal Queensland Regiment from Mackay fired three volleys as the Last Post andReveille were played55 The day of the poolrsquos opening the Mackay Daily Mercurypublished a letter from one of its readers which emphasised the appositeness ofbuilding a public swimming pool to commemorate the war lsquoThe opening of thepoolrsquo the author claimed would lsquohonour our servicemen who fought so gallantlyto give us a free and wholesome life and on their behalf an opportunity for the peo-ple of Mackay and district to enjoy themselves and the opportunity for the risinggeneration to learn to swim wellrsquo56 Reporting on the weekend opening of the poolon 16 December 1963 the Daily Mercury confirmed that while lsquothe centre hadbeen established as a memorial to those who lost their lives in two wars it wasalso a memorial to those who served their country and returnedrsquo The newspaperthus emphasised the value of living memorials which were to be used and not justlooked at57

Although the opening ceremony incorporated numerous explicit references tothe war Mackayrsquos memorial pool complex did not mdash unlike Rockhamptonrsquos mdash

Queensland Review 189

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

incorporate lsquoauthenticrsquo war paraphernalia Instead it featured a colourful 9 feet(3 metres) by 5 feet (15 metres) mural of glass mosaic tiles designed by Gibbinswhich was embedded in the front facade of the building (inside the outdoor foyer)It included figures representing the Navy Army and Air Force a Lancaster bombera battleship and a submarine an Owen gun the hills of New Guinea and the sandsof Egypt while in the background the sun shone on a dove of peace and theSouthern Cross Two bronze wreaths were placed on either side of the mosaicwhich was surmounted by the words lsquoDedicated to the Fallen of Mackay andDistrictrsquo58 This mural demonstrated the efforts made to introduce public art inremote towns and townships and attested to governmentrsquos growing belief thatengagement with artworks would cultivate citizens thereby creating lsquohealthy mindsin healthy bodiesrsquo59

Miles

By the mid-1960s most of the structures dedicated to World War II had been builtOpening on 4 March 1967 the swimming pool in Miles was by all accounts alatecomer Although the pool had been envisaged for many years mdash the nucleusof a memorial pool fund was formed in 1954 with the surplus of $24 from a fundestablished to install playground equipment in the townrsquos Anzac Park60 mdash raisingthe necessary contributions took time61

Although the pool was dedicated as a war memorial structure this designationwas not emphasised in local newspaper reports or even during the inauguration ofthe building As in Mackay the official opening of the pool was a grand affair butreferences to the war were muffled with greater emphasis placed on communityformation On the day of the opening the Dalby and District Silver Band led aprocession from Condamine Road through the town and reports indicated that lsquoavery big community effortrsquo had been made to prepare floats for the procession62

The net result was a spectacularly successful parade into which too much waswritten of the history of the district including the changing bathing costumes ofeach generation from the neck-to-toe styles of earlier days to the modern bikini63

The community festivities of the opening celebration concluded with an eveningprogram of a swimming carnival followed by lsquoan Apex Hawaiian night dance inthe Civic Centre with music provided by Ronnie and Ramblersrsquo64 With a crowdestimated as approaching 2000 people the Chinchilla News reported that theprocession was lsquorated as the best ever presented at Milesrsquo with lsquomany exceptionallywell prepared floats being presented by local organisations and trades people andthe community generallyrsquo65

Although limited in size and funds the Miles War Memorial Swimming Poolwas a dynamic brave and optimistic aquatic gem Architects Just amp Meisenhelterfocused their energy on late modernist preoccupations of form and materialityto celebrate the human body in South-East Queenslandrsquos hot arid landscape66

Composed of six hexagonal masonry blocks placed side by side (some of whichwere merged to form the changing rooms) the entry building assumed the form ofa line which was positioned obliquely and asymmetrically at the end of the MarianStreet vista to allow visitors a view through the foyer to the pool After traversingthis foyer bathers gained immediate access to the poolrsquos concourse from wherethey entered segregated (malefemale) changing rooms No sprays or footpaths wereincluded in the design as Just amp Meisenhelter reduced the typology of the public

190 Queensland Review

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Queensland making a splash

Figure 9

Plan for the Miles War Memorial Swimming Pool Copies obtained from Just amp Meisenhelter 445 RuthannStreet Toowoomba Copies are also held by the Murilla Shire Council Miles

Figure 10

(Colour online) Front facade of the Miles War Memorial Swimming Pool Photograph by AliceHampson 30 March 1997

pool to its bare essentials Also unlike the earlier pools the Miles War MemorialPool exposed all of the materiality of its structure it was unlined unsheeted andunadorned Textured brickwork surrounded the body with a single folded steelroof canopy over the entire structure while a slender cage of steel rods enclosed thegap between the two to outwit non-paying entry Constructed on unstable blacksoil the poolrsquos jagged zigzagged brickwork which interlocked at the junctions bothinternally and externally not only enhanced the buildingrsquos structural stability butalso emphasised the soft curves of bathersrsquo bodies

Physical references to the war were absent in the Miles pool There were nocanon or bells or murals only crafted letters splayed across the facade spelling out

Queensland Review 191

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

lsquoMiles War Memorial Swimming Poolrsquo By 1967 the connection to the war wasthus established through words rather than by adorning the building with objectsassociated with battles or artistic symbols In declaring the pool open Mr WMEwan stated

we must never lose sight of the fact that this pool is a memorial mdash a memorialto those who once lived among us I cannot believe that anyone here wouldregard a memorial to our war dead as a luxury Rather it is an obligation so thatnone of us mdash of the present generations or of future generations mdash is allowed toforget the sacrifices made by so many of our districtrsquos young men67

ConclusionGlorifying the healthy capable body under the sun became a way of commemorat-ing the wounded and deceased bodies of war as Queenslandrsquos post-war memorialpools increasingly adopted a key role in building local communities Enjoying one-self in a public pool became thought of as a way to not only construct Queenslan-dersrsquo physical and mental fitness but also as a civic responsibility to commemoratethose who have given their lives (and bodies) to preserve this quintessentially Aus-tralian way of life

Fearing that the physically crippled and mentally scarred victims of the warwould become dependent on the state the memorial pool initiative was financiallysupported by the Commonwealth which deemed swimming a healthy leisure pur-suit able to reconstruct both mind and body and to forge a new modern post-warcommunity In the second half of the twentieth century these fears and aspira-tions were carefully translated into the design of Queenslandrsquos memorial poolsproducing a large and varied collection of predominantly humble and econom-ical buildings that were rarely ordinary or dull and came to define Australiarsquosquintessential democratic and social space

EndnotesThe authors would like to thank both anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlierversion of this article

1 The Pool was an installation built in the Australian pavilion for the 2016 Venice Bien-nale of Architecture This installation a shallow angular pool surrounded by woodendecks was to stimulate critical engagement of architects in a broader public debate aboutthe civic and social value of the spaces they create See Linda Cheng lsquoCreative teamrevealed Australiarsquos 2016 Venice Architecture Biennalersquo Architecture Australia 21 April2015 httparchitectureaucomarticlescreative-team-revealed-2016-venice-architecture-biennale Amelia Holliday Isabelle Toland and Michelle Tabet lsquoThe Pool In-side Australiarsquos pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennalersquo Architecture Daily 29 May2016 httpwwwarchdailycom788471the-pool-inside-australias-pavilion-at-the-2016-venice-biennale

2 lsquoThe Pool Architecture culture and identity in Australiarsquo Australiarsquos exhibition atthe 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale httpwparchitecturecomauvenicebiennaleaustralian-exhibitions

3 lsquoThe Pool architecture culture and identity in Australiarsquo

4 We would like to thank Paul Sayer for the detailed information he provided on war memorialtax deductions

192 Queensland Review

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Queensland making a splash

5 The concept of lsquoreconstructing the bodyrsquo is explained in great detail in Ana Carden-CoyneReconstructing the body Classicism modernism and the First World War (New York OxfordUniversity Press 2015) The lsquoModern bodiesrsquo section in this article draws on Carden-Coynersquos introduction (pp 1ndash21)

6 Carden-Coyne Reconstructing the body p 8

7 Carden-Coyne Reconstructing the body p 7

8 From a cultural-materialist theory viewpoint the body is constructed it responds to shiftingcultural norms and values The relation between the body and the arts is thus complexand has shifted over time as well as across different artforms In literature studies it hasfor instance been noted that modernist writing privileges the lived and experiencing bodyUlrika Maude for example posits that lsquomodernist literature resists the bodyrsquos reductionto mere text or code insisting instead on the bodyrsquos fleshy visceral naturersquo Ulrika MaudelsquoModernist bodies coming to our sensesrsquo in Corinne Saunders Ulrika Maude and JaneMacNaughton (eds) The Body and the Arts Houndmills Palgrave Macmillan 2009) Suchstudies that focus on the relation between the body and different forms of art in moderntimes abound A comprehensive overview of these studies is however beyond the scope ofthis article

9 Christine Schmidt The swimsuit Fashion from poolside to catwalk (London Berg 2012)p 21

10 Geoffrey Batchen lsquoMax Dupain Sunbakersrsquo History of Photography 19(4) (1995) 349ndash57

11 Carden-Coyne Reconstructing the body p 10

12 Helen Graham lsquoAnnette Kellerman Australiarsquos million dollar mermaidrsquo Spirit of Progress3(1) (2002) 14ndash15

13 Graham lsquoAnnette Kellermanrsquo 14ndash15

14 Glynis Jones lsquoSpeedo From underwear to outerwearrsquo in Ann Stephen Philip Goad andAndrew McNamara (eds) Modern times The untold story of modernism in Australia (Mel-bourne Miegunyah Press 2008) pp 70ndash5

15 Speedo archive Speedo subject files Speedo Historical File 2001921-27 cited in JoneslsquoSpeedorsquo p 73

16 Schmidt The swimsuit p 24 An interview with Paula Stafford has been publishedin Janet Crawford lsquoPaula Stafford Leisurewearrsquo Brisbane Modern Magazine 3 (2009)19

17 Schmidt The swimsuit pp 25ndash6

18 The history of swimming in Queensland is documented in detail in Reet A Howell andMaxwell L Howell The genesis of sport in Queensland From the Dreamtime to Federation(Brisbane University of Queensland Press 1992)

19 Newspaper articles as far afield as Warwick and Charters Towers reported on the dangers ofthe Brisbane River lsquoAttacked by sharks whilst bathingrsquo Warwick Argus 30 November 1880p 2 Even by 1950 the Brisbane River was still deemed unsafe for swimming lsquoSharks makeBrisbane River dangerousrsquo Northern Miner 17 January 1950 p 3

20 Howell and Howell The genesis of sport in Queensland p 158

21 lsquoBathingrsquo Moreton Bay Courier 6 January 1849 p 3

22 Howell and Howell The genesis of sport in Queensland pp 56ndash7

23 lsquoPublic bathsrsquo Moreton Bay Courier 13 December 1956 p 2 The fixed bath that had beenbuilt in the late 1840s was destroyed by vandals in 1853 leaving city-dwellers without abathing facility for several years

24 lsquoFloating bathsrsquo Moreton Bay Courier 18 April 1857 p 2

Queensland Review 193

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Janina Gosseye and Alice Hampson

25 Howell and Howell The genesis of sport in Queensland p 158

26 By the early 1920s ideas were regularly mooted for enhancing the floating bathsrsquo floodresistance by developing methods to tow these structures to flood safe stretches of the riverlsquoRemoval of swimming bathsrsquo Brisbane Courier 25 February 1925 p 6

27 In 1928 for instance the flooded Brisbane River tore the floating Metropolitan Baths fromits moorings and swept it downstream lsquoFloating baths adrift in the Brisbane Riverrsquo BarrierMiner 21 April 1928 p 1 The Brisbane Courier subsequently reported that baths thatwere washed away at the beginning of 1928 would not be rebuilt until at least the followingsummer and whether it could even be undertaken at that time would depend on the cityrsquosfinancial position See lsquoNot this year New floating bathsrsquo Brisbane Courier 20 September1928 p 8

28 lsquoSpring Hill bathsrsquo Brisbane Courier 10 December 1886 p 6

29 lsquoBaths for Ithacarsquo Telegraph 15 Apr 1916 p 10

30 lsquoDalby swimming pool complexrsquo Queensland Heritage Register httpsenvironmentehpqldgovauheritage-registerdetailid=602564

31 Carden-Coyne Reconstructing the body p 4

32 See Hannah Lewi and David Nichols (eds) Community Building modern Australia (SydneyUNSW Press 2010)

33 Carden-Coyne Reconstructing the body p 8

34 Hannah Lewi and Caroline Jordan 2011 lsquoCommemorating and enhancing the everydayrsquoin Lewi and Nichols Community pp 200ndash36

35 Income Tax Assessment Act 1915

36 Income Tax Assessment Act 1927

37 Lewi and Jordan lsquoCommemorating and enhancing the everydayrsquo p 211

38 Lewi and Jordan lsquoCommemorating and enhancing the everydayrsquo p 207

39 Income Tax Assessment Act 1942

40 Income Tax Assessment Act 1973

41 lsquoModern swimming pool for Rockhamptonrsquo Evening News 5 April 1934 p 12

42 During the inauguration of the Dalby pool the Minister for Public Instruction Mr FACooper reportedly stated that lsquono other town in Queensland had such a modern and sosplendid a swimming poolrsquo (lsquoExample to other townsrsquo Morning Bulletin 16 November1936 p 9)

43 lsquopound25000 swimming pool wanted for Rockhamptonrsquo Telegraph 16 November 1937p 20 lsquoSwimming pool for North Rockhamptonrsquo Morning Bulletin 15 February 1938p 5 lsquoProposed swimming pool at Rockhamptonrsquo Daily Mercury 21 September 1938 p 9

44 In Townsville the construction of the memorial baths did commence in 1941 dur-ing World War II in spite of considerable public opposition See lsquoTobruk Memo-rial Bathsrsquo Queensland Heritage Register 20 January 2016 httpsenvironmentehpqldgovauheritage-registerdetailid=601575 See also Lewi and Jordan lsquoCommem-orating and enhancing the everydayrsquo pp 210ndash11

45 lsquoMonument timersquo Morning Bulletin 19 October 1946 p 4

46 Lewi and Jordan lsquoCommemorating and enhancing the everydayrsquo pp 210ndash11

47 lsquoQueen competition to aid memorial pool appealrsquo Morning Bulletin 19 November 1954p 15

48 lsquoQueen competition to aid memorial pool appealrsquo Morning Bulletin 19 November 1954p 15

194 Queensland Review

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Queensland making a splash

49 AE Hermann lsquoFloating and public bathsrsquo Developments of Rockhampton and District Book1 (Rockhampton Central Queensland Family History Association 2002) cited in Lewi andJordan lsquoCommemorating and enhancing the everydayrsquo p 210

50 Drawings for the main change room building are dated 1957 the canteen and grandstanddrawings are dated 1961 These drawings are held in the B Bullman Collection of EAHegvold at Rockhampton City Library

51 Alice Hampson 2006 lsquoEddie Hegvold and Central Queenslandrsquos mid-century modernrsquoTime and place Queenslandrsquos cultural heritage newsletters 14 5

52 Russell Gibbins designed the entrance building the councilrsquos works department was re-sponsible for the pool and ancillary works See lsquo1924 council talk of poolrsquo Daily Mercury16 December 1963 p 3

53 lsquoSwimming poolrsquo Daily Mercury 20 November 1963 p 3

54 lsquoPool open and his duty endedrsquo Courier-Mail 16 December 1963

55 lsquoSwimming centre openedrsquo Daily Mercury 16 December 1963 p 2 lsquoPool open and hisduty endedrsquo

56 lsquoSwimming pool openingrsquo Daily Mercury 14 December 1963 p 4

57 lsquoSwimming centre openedrsquo p 2

58 lsquoOpen pool Dec 14rsquo Daily Mercury 26 November 1963 p 2

59 Alice Hampson and Janina Gosseye lsquoHealthy minds in healthy bodies Building Queens-landrsquos community one weatherboard at a timersquo in John Macarthur Deborah van derPlaat Janina Gosseye and Andrew Wilson (eds) Hot modernism Queensland architecture1945ndash1975 (London Artifice 2015) pp 237ndash61

60 lsquoOfficial opening $154000 Miles swimming poolrsquo Chinchilla News 9 March 1967 pp 1 4

61 Announcing the official opening of the pool in March 1967 the Chinchilla News stated thatthis feat represented lsquothe culmination of a number of years of effort on behalf of the publicwho raised money towards the projectrsquo (lsquoPool opening big event Miles historyrsquo ChinchillaNews 2 March 1967 p 1)

62 lsquoPool opening big event Miles historyrsquo p 1

63 lsquoOfficial opening $154000 Miles swimming poolrsquo p 1

64 lsquoPool opening big event Miles historyrsquo p 1

65 lsquoPool opening big event Miles historyrsquo p 1

66 Malcolm Edward Just and Eric Meisenhelter were architects from Toowoomba Fromauthorsrsquo phone interview with Malcolm Justrsquos daughter Christine Wildman 24 November1999

67 lsquoOfficial opening $154000 Miles swimming poolrsquo p 4

Queensland Review 195

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