Know your town

Before the Centennial Baths
In the 1920s and 30 Martinborough had two great swimming places, one on the bend of the Ruamahanga River (now he tuck wash) and the other upstream from the Huangarua River bridge (known as ‘the Tannery hole’- and yes there had been a tannery). Each were safe places to swim.
However each were also quite a long walking distance from town. On a hot summer day by the time children had walked all the way home they would be ready for another swim!

The Council Minutes of 1928 record a donation of ten shillings (2011 = $46) to the Huangarua Swimming Club, one wonders what the ‘club’ spent it on. Maybe towards the changing shelter which had been erected by the bridge – a very temporary affair of some timber frame and sacking.

The first ‘Martinborough Swimming Club’ was formed a year later this based on the swimming hole at the bend of the Ruamahanga An opening carnival at the hole was planned for Boxing Day 1929, however the weather didn’t co-operate and the river was in flood. The event was cancelled. After a year the committee members of the time, Laurie Turner, Bill Bissett and Frank Duffy, had become discouraged and the club was disbanded. However with the opening of the new baths in 1940 the club was reconvened.

By 1950 a combination of the high numbers using the baths and tightening regulations a filtration and chlorination plant for the baths were urgently required. With the hugely successful 1939 Queen Carnival held to raise funds to construct the pool in mind it was decided to have another such carnival. This again proved to be a fun filled and financially successful event.

Miss Lynn Te Maari was crowned Queen with Miss Carol Hayman Runner Up. The organisers , Mrs Rita Chapman and Charles Michell handed the Borough Council four thousand five hundred pounds (2011 = $ 281,660) toward purchase of the plant for the next season.

In my days (the 1940s/50s) Joe Fitchett was a tireless worker for the club.

Mate Higginson