Bogey hole
The Bogey Hole , also called Commandant's Baths , is a rock pool located near Newcastle in New South Wales , Australia . The historic swimming pool is listed on the Australian List of Historic Monuments. It is the first man-made swimming pool ever created in Australia and the only one built by convicts.
Location and name
The Bogey Hole is at the foot of the shepards Hill towering cliff in Newcastle's King Edward Park . The swimming pool can only be reached by stairs on the edge of a cliff.
In Australia, rock pools are pools that are built on rocks by the ocean and bordered by artificially created walls. The walls of this rock pool are made of rubble from the local Hawkesbury sandstone .
The name Bogey goes back to the local Darug Aborigines and means "to bathe" or "a place to bathe". It has not been proven that Aborigines bathed in the bogey hole before the Europeans. The middle name Commandant's Baths refers to James Morisset, who as city commander gave the order to build it.
Building description
The bogey hole was created when Australia was still a convict colony . It was built by convicts under the city commander of Newcastle, Lieutenant General James Morisset (1780-1852), who lived in a nearby building and wanted to use the swimming pool exclusively for himself.
The basin was built between 1819 and 1822. It was originally smaller and opened to the public in 1863. In 1883 the pool was enlarged and in 1953 new changing rooms were built. The bogey hole is an average of 1.5 meters deep and is now around 10 by 6.5 meters. For safety reasons, the side facing the sea is secured by a steel cable that is guided through posts. Securing is necessary as the bogey hole can be washed over by ocean waves. There is a risk that bathers will be washed into the open sea. The original fuse, which was originally made of wood, is no longer there. The swimming pool can only be reached via steps cut into the rock.
Renovation work
The government of New South Wales is responsible for the bogey hole, which in 2012 ensured safe access by refurbishing the stairs and creating a new platform.
In April 2016 it was announced that the bogey hole would be closed for a period of three months because of fear of falling rocks on the towering rocky coast . After the bogey hole was still closed on September 17th, 2016, a signature collection initiative was founded to collect a petition with 10,000 signatures for the preservation of the historic swimming pool.
Swimming accidents
It was reported that a young woman was rescued on January 8, 1881, after she slipped barefoot into the swimming pool and was washed out of the rock pool by a wave. The woman screaming for help was rescued from the sea by a young man, at the risk of his life.
In Wales -born poet and literary critic Jones Thomas Henry drowned on 29 January 1965 at the Bogey Hole.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Bogey Hole , on newcastle.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved September 23, 2016
- ^ A b c King Edward Park Group (Bogey Hole) Public Baths , on environment.nsw.au. Retrieved September 23, 2016
- ↑ Nicholas Gerber: Local Treasures - Bogey Hole , July 5, 2012, on abc.net.au. Accessed September 23
- ^ New Bogey Hole dressing shed during construction . Photo titled August 6, 1953. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ↑ Emma Tonkin: Newcastle's iconic Bogey Hole rock pool to remain closed indefinitely , from April 11, 2016, on abc.net.au. Retrieved September 23, 2016
- ↑ `` Petition to save Newcastle's Bogey Hole '' , from September 17, 2016, on www.nbnnews.com.au. Retrieved September 23, 2016
- ↑ Julian Croft: Hash on The Australian, Windsor, Richmond, and Hawkesbury Advertiser January 8, 1881. Retrieved September 23, 2016
- ↑ Jones, Thomas Henry (1921–1965) , on adb.au.edu.au. Retrieved September 23, 2016
Coordinates: 32 ° 56 ′ 6.7 ″ S , 151 ° 46 ′ 54.1 ″ E