After years of waiting, locals swimmers are one step closer to the opening of Parramatta’s new aquatic facility after its name was officially revealed.
Despite some frustrations from councillors in a recent council meeting, City of Parramatta has finally named the new facility simply as ‘Parramatta Aquatic Centre’.
Set to open in 2023, the aquatic facility will feature a 50m outdoor pool and landscaped leisure area, 25m indoor pool, programming pool, water play area, spa, steam and sauna.
It will also include a large café, and a full-sized wellness centre, with a gym floor and program rooms.
However, not everyone has agreed with the official name.
Both Cr Phil Bradley and Cr Kellie Darley were in favour of ‘Parramatta Pool, Barramada Badu Ngurra’, a dual name option that includes a First Nations translation.
“I think it’s a really important option to recognise the proud and enduring history of our Burramattagal Dharug nation,” Cr Bradley said.
“It’s really important to the custodians of this land, who have been here for more than 30,000 years, and it’s an important tourism element of Parramatta to promote the proud First Nations history of this land.”
Although Cr Darley conceded most people would refer to the new aquatic facility as just
“Parramatta Pools”, she said the dual name would acknowledge First Nations people.
“I think to have the dual name acknowledges the significant history and contributions of First Nations people and reinforces the history of the pool, which was demolished a number of years ago,” she said.
The Parramatta Aquatic Centre will look to tell the story of the First Nations history of the site by delivering a heritage and interpretation suite of elements throughout the building, in line with requirements from the Heritage Council of NSW. Dharug community representatives, cultural knowledge holders and councillors were involved in the development of this suite.
Built in the Mays Hill Precinct, the new facility replaces the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre (PWMSC), which opened in 1959 and closed in 2017 as part of the expansion of what is now CommBank Stadium.
The grandstand seating at Parramatta Aquatic Centre will be named after Kevin Hession, who was closely associated with PWMSC over many years. The former grandstand bleachers at PWMSC were also named after Mr Hession. The facility will also honour PWMSC by naming the 50m outdoor pool the ‘Memorial Pool’.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.