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The Wynnum Wading Pool is a heritage-listed tidal pool, located on the foreshore of Moreton Bay in the suburb of Wynnum, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The shallow oval-shaped pool was built during the Great Depression and opened to the public in 1933.
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Swimming in wynnum wading pool
Background
During the Great Depression, the Government of Queensland established the Bureau of Industry to fund public works and provide unemployment relief. The Queensland Government paid the wages of workers and the council provided the materials. Those in "The Susso" were assigned work based on their family circumstances. A man with a wife and one child would work a three-day week and receive 27/- a week. Many projects around Queensland resulted from this scheme. In the Wynnum-Manly area, including in this area, the wading pool, sections of the retaining walls, and the Falcon Street Wall at Manly.
Prior to this period, swimming had taken place in the sea or in the swimming pools which were attached to the various public jetties. The still waters of Moreton Bay were preferred over the exposed beaches with large waves. The fear of shark attacks and being stung by jellyfish remained even in the waters of the bay. Enclosures for safe swimming existed along the Brisbane River and at Sandgate.
In 1922, Alderman J. Patterson presented a scheme that included the building of a bund wall at low water mark using dredgings from Wynnum Creek to reclaim land for use as recreational purposes, including a pool. The construction of the railway to Wynnum the area developed seaside tourist destination.
Construction
Construction of the Wading Pool began in 1932 at a spot where there was a small indentation known as the saltpan. The parkland was reclaimed from the sea, a revetment wall was built and backfilled, and an area left empty to create the tidal pool. The wall runs a short distance along the foreshore and acts as a promenade.
The pool is around 128 m by 54 m with automatic valves to maintain the maximum water depth from the tide at 75 cm. It has a sandy bottom, five shallow steps on three sides, a concrete ramp and a slippery slide. Hundreds of people attended the official opening on 21 January 1933 and witnessed the sailing event of 10 footers arranged for the occasion. The installation of floodlights allowed bathing on hot nights.
On 13 July 2008, the wading pool was re-opened by Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman after a A$6.5 million upgrade.
Heritage listing
The pool was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 1998.