Oh, boy! Good news for swimmers: Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool – Sydney’s much-loved outdoor saltwater pool, perched right in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens – has reopened on the first day of spring following extensive renovations. This stunning 50m pool, which literally hangs above the harbour in Woolloomooloo Bay, has been closed for the past 16 months for its serious glow-up, which included laying 47,000 new tiles, installing new decking, shade sails and a lift for accessibility. The pool’s heating has also transitioned, moving from fossil fuel gas to a greener, more efficient electric heating system. How good.
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Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO, says these works will mean the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool will now be able to be enjoyed for years to come.
“This is a harsh marine environment for an outdoor pool and working on a structure suspended above the harbour has been a challenging engineering feat,” the Lord Mayor says.
“Our team has laid close to 50,000 tiles before refilling, treating and heating the pools so we’re ready to welcome back swimmers today, the first day of spring.
“We’re leading on climate change and, given pools use so much energy, swapping out gas heating systems for more efficient electric heat pumps really shifts the dial and gets us closer to our sustainability goals.”
Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool is now open from 6am to 8pm daily, from September through to April. An adult admission costs $7.90 and a child $5.10.
Before the renos, Time Out's Editor in Chief Alice Ellis reckoned the pool was one of the most photogenic inner-city swim spots in Sydney. Now, it’s looking even better. Pre- or post-work laps have never sounded so good.
Find out more here.
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