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DescriptionCalling all Greymouth Swimming Club members from the decades of the past- who's keen to share memories of those great times? Date of PhotoOct 2022.Map[1] ContributorMelva Crampton
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Location (city or town)GreymouthOrganisation (eg business)Greymouth Swimming ClubEventGreymouth Swimming Club - Proposed reunion.Oct 2022.
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Date Created12th May 2021CommentsMary Fenemor
Maree Mathieson
Maree McNeill
Mary Fenemor
Had great times at the pool.
I used to bike up early in the morning before school for training.
No roof on pool .
One night each week
the Swimming
Club held races.Lots of fun.I won the Devonport Memorial cup in 1965 for Girls and John Newton won it for the boys .
Margaret Devonport was really good at breaststroke
Biked all the way up from Preston Rd ,
and biked back which was quite late.
Would never do that now .
Good old days.
· Reply · 9h
Karen Potter
Maree McNeill I remember you swimming Marie you were very good.
\Maree McNeill
Karen Potter
Thanks Karen.Christine Rose Ashdown
Wow I used to go to swimming club way back in the 50s
Wayne Leckie
We would climb the wall at night for a swim great times\
Alan Messenger
Wayne, I doubt that will qualify you for the reunion
Wayne Leckie
Alan Messenger
James Codyre
I remember Snow Rochford yelling "No Running on the edge of the pool".
Jennifer Gaskell
Brent O'Keefe, Stephen O'Keefe.
\Sonia Dando
We were not allowed to go to the swimming pool growing up as our father wouldn’t let us well I wasn’t anyway no wonder I never learnt to swim
Wayne Leckie
Sonia Dando you missed out on so much fun
Vincent Knapp
Sonia Dando Allan was a good swimmer Blaketown school had a pool were you not allowed in that ??
Sonia Dando
Vincent Knapp yes went in that pool but because I’d been dunked at the beach by Alan’s mates I was scared of water and just froze in the water
I wrote notes no swimming today pretending it was from mum then I got caught
Sandra Arnott
Great times here,swimming!
]\Eddie Parsons
Had a lot off fun there,with a lot off great people,go the reunion,keep me informed
Paul Agnes Smith
Night shift cleaners from the engine shed used to scale the wall for night swims.. Of course, I would know 'nuffin 'bout that' !! Also had great pleasure smoking out the High School swimming sessions.. Now that, I do know about.....
Craig Utting
Paul Agnes Smith must've been all that night-time swimming practice...
Michele Wilkins
Kylie O'Donnell I hope you can make this reunion to
Delwyn Hughes
Kylie O'Donnell I’ll go with yah
Kylie O'Donnell
Delwyn Hughes girls week away...
David Rodgers
I'm glad someone has taken, and kept, a photo of this pool. So many memories
Craig Norman
was it cold?
'
Wayne Leckie
Craig Norman only for 30 seconds
Alison Blogs
we sneaked over wall at night, cant remember how we got over though
Des Kennedy
Remember the days before the pool was heated and just after the pool was refulled after cleaning gee that was cold. But we all still jumped in and had a good time. Would go to three sessions a day....morning, afternoon and evening.
Brendon Pongia
Tarsha Parkin I know right. Memories
Tarsha Parkin
Lots from that pool!
Sheila Dixon
St Patrick’s and St Mary’s swimming sports - 1960’s - the eel that was thrown into the pool and would hide under the pipe. I never liked swimming in the first lane alongside the pipe!!
Gaelyn Watson
Peter Watson have you seen this.
Delwyn Hughes
And there was our club trip to Australia oh boy that was amazing.
Darryl Eason
Great Memories from days swimming at the Memorial pool morning and evening training back in the day My coach Tom Vincent and the whip that kept us in line Mrs Veale Good memories from the trip to Aussie as well
Robert Porter
I remember going to swim club and the race night.
Karina Cook
Robert Porter I remember those days!
Karina Cook
It was Thursday night
Sandra Arnott
Karina Cook yip it was!
Karina Cook
Good fun
Lisa Coppersmith
Loved that pool .
Wayne Leckie
I remember those days! And all great. Jump the wall at night swim for hours and ????
Anne Bruce
I belonged to the Masters Swimming group in Greymouth, enjoyed it, even did a scary swim in Lake Brunner, it was out to a marker and back, I did not look down into the murky water.
Wendy Barrow
Had a couple of dips there in the 60s and 70s
Cheryl King
So many hours spent at the pool, progressed from 2 blue lines to swimming many lengths, and just having fun as well. Snowy was a legend as was Mr and Mrs Anderson
Reply
22h
Karen Green
I was always 3rd Munn and Anderson always beat me I really wasn't that competitive and mum was must have been so annoying for her coming from Rapahoe to Greymouth
Marlene Jackson Perry
I learnt to swim here back around the early 1950s.
Biked from Cobden.
Vanessa Hay
I was taught by Melvas mum in the small pool, great teacher we learnt the basics in a week, bet parents wished the tutors were as good now
John Coffey
Time to own up! I still have my NZ Amateur Swimming Assn Beginners (5 yards) certificate dated 14-4-1958. But I reckon I walked three of those yards. The other water skills awards are all blank -- I had gone back to playing cricket.
Murray Beckman
haha. Always were a naughty boy John
Margaret Jacobs
Learnt to swim in this pool and then went onto swimming club
Bob Ilton
Margaret Jacobs and then onto the surf club at Karoo ah Margaret.
Alan Smith
I remember jumping the fence at night for a swim lol
Glenda O'Donnell
Yes I bet you did that lol
Delwyn Hughes
Yep spent a few early mornings and days at swimming club. Went on the club trip to Aussie. Fun times.
Linda Winchester
Delwyn Hughes those were the good old days heaps of fun ah.
Delwyn Hughes
Linda Winchester that was a fun trip for us kids lol yeah was great times
Gordon Dixon
Good old day al ,pulled that sheet of iron back we were in about 20 of us, all with togs on??
Lyn Roberts
Many memories sneaking over the wall all hours of the morning skinny dipping to sober up with lots of others!!
Mary Morgan
Lyn Roberts what year was this remember doing this myself
Lyn Roberts
Mary Morgan 1977
Glenda Bishop
3 blue lines, then graduated to a width. Then a length
Dave Maitland
Did a few laps in that pool back in the day at the odd west coast Comp, fun times
Darryl Eason
I swam a few lengths of the pool back in the day I have find memories of the club trip to Aussie back in 1974-5 thanks to the Veales,Stenifords ,Anderson’s coach Tom Vincent and all the other parents involved
Mark Bradford
Gone now. probably pulled down by
Small minded Council
John Newton
Mark Bradford yes Mark unfortunately they were very old baths and the heating and clouride system had come to it end ,leaking to much ammonia and swimming clubs now race in metre pools not yards
Phillip Murphy
Mark Bradford Hey Mark been a while
Nancy Jones
Mark Bradford Nothing last forever, Greymouth now has an amazing aquatic centre thanks to Council.
Darryl Eason
Swam many lengths back in the day , coach Tom Vincent and the Andersons,Stenifords,Veales it was a great atmosphere to grow up in
2d
Reply
Darryl Eason
Also the Neville’s can’t forgot Bill,Lynette ,Deb and Barry
Linda Winchester
Darryl Eason don't forget the Cowe girls and the Cawley family. They were great days alright.
Darryl Eason
Linda Winchester your are right about that I have some great memories especially the swimming club trip to Aussie
Linda Winchester
Darryl Eason me too. It was just fantastic going to Australia so young and with a great bunch of people.
Murray Saunders
Darryl Eason - your lot and the Neville’s had webbed feet I swear…
Ann Hobden
Learned to swim there. Snow Rochford was caretaker of the pool and swimming club coach
Ian Haussmann
Ann Hobden Snow was a great fella
Ann Hobden
Ian Haussmann
Reply
Ann Hobden
Sure was Ian
Vicki Roper
Ian Haussmann he really was
Kerry Keating
Had a lot of fun there. Climb over the wall for a late night swim,,,, no charge of course.
Garry Wick
Kerry Keating Same here too .
Carolyn Graham
Garry Wick I remember doing the same thing. I wonder if it was with you LOL.
2d
Reply
Glenda Bishop
Loved those times with friends at this pool. My dad used to run the swim meets alongside Snow.
Remember Swimming Club, starting off with 3 blue lines before you could swim the width, then a length lol
2d
Reply
Edited
John Newton
great pool to swim in,it's going back a few years when it didn't have a roof
2d
Reply
Helen Fielding
I reckon we need a swimming club reunion. Maybe I'll sort that after I retire
2d
Reply
Brent OKeefe
Helen Fielding I think Shirley Anderson was looking at having a reunion, a couple of years ago but not sure if it happened.
Delwyn Hughes
Helen Fielding yeah good idea
Helen Fielding
you all have to wait until I am a free woman in 2027 and then I will see what I can do.
Paul Agnes Smith
Used to smoke out the school sports from the loco sheds....
Carolyn Luck
Many happy memories of the Municipal Pool.
Maxine Helmling
Remember coach Snowie Rochford would put the hose on us to make us swim faster
Chris Munn
Hi John. Do you remember when they ran out of the heating stuff. Training at 6.00 with you guys…it felt like the top of your head was being cut off.
John Newton
Chris Munn plus all the soot of the steam engines next ,use to put a layer of soot on top of the pool every morning, had to do a few honey pots to start clearing into gutter
Janenne Oates
Loved this place such happy memories
Murray Beckman
Great memories. Casual, swim club, Surf Club.
Dave Maitland
remember going to some good fun competitions there, nice deep pool
Jennie Scott
Wow it seemed way bigger when Hoki schools came up for sport!
Warren Colleen Inkster
it was good
Marlene Jackson Perry
I remember training here MANY years ago.
Maree Mathieson
Maree McNeill
Mary Fenemor
Had great times at the pool.
I used to bike up early in the morning before school for training.
No roof on pool .
One night each week
the Swimming
Club held races.Lots of fun.I won the Devonport Memorial cup in 1965 for Girls and John Newton won it for the boys .
Margaret Devonport was really good at breaststroke
Biked all the way up from Preston Rd ,
and biked back which was quite late.
Would never do that now .
Good old days.
· Reply · 9h
Karen Potter
Maree McNeill I remember you swimming Marie you were very good.
\Maree McNeill
Karen Potter
Thanks Karen.Christine Rose Ashdown
Wow I used to go to swimming club way back in the 50s
Wayne Leckie
We would climb the wall at night for a swim great times\
Alan Messenger
Wayne, I doubt that will qualify you for the reunion
Wayne Leckie
Alan Messenger
James Codyre
I remember Snow Rochford yelling "No Running on the edge of the pool".
Jennifer Gaskell
Brent O'Keefe, Stephen O'Keefe.
\Sonia Dando
We were not allowed to go to the swimming pool growing up as our father wouldn’t let us well I wasn’t anyway no wonder I never learnt to swim
Wayne Leckie
Sonia Dando you missed out on so much fun
Vincent Knapp
Sonia Dando Allan was a good swimmer Blaketown school had a pool were you not allowed in that ??
Sonia Dando
Vincent Knapp yes went in that pool but because I’d been dunked at the beach by Alan’s mates I was scared of water and just froze in the water
I wrote notes no swimming today pretending it was from mum then I got caught
Sandra Arnott
Great times here,swimming!
]\Eddie Parsons
Had a lot off fun there,with a lot off great people,go the reunion,keep me informed
Paul Agnes Smith
Night shift cleaners from the engine shed used to scale the wall for night swims.. Of course, I would know 'nuffin 'bout that' !! Also had great pleasure smoking out the High School swimming sessions.. Now that, I do know about.....
Craig Utting
Paul Agnes Smith must've been all that night-time swimming practice...
Michele Wilkins
Kylie O'Donnell I hope you can make this reunion to
Delwyn Hughes
Kylie O'Donnell I’ll go with yah
Kylie O'Donnell
Delwyn Hughes girls week away...
David Rodgers
I'm glad someone has taken, and kept, a photo of this pool. So many memories
Craig Norman
was it cold?
'
Wayne Leckie
Craig Norman only for 30 seconds
Alison Blogs
we sneaked over wall at night, cant remember how we got over though
Des Kennedy
Remember the days before the pool was heated and just after the pool was refulled after cleaning gee that was cold. But we all still jumped in and had a good time. Would go to three sessions a day....morning, afternoon and evening.
Brendon Pongia
Tarsha Parkin I know right. Memories
Tarsha Parkin
Lots from that pool!
Sheila Dixon
St Patrick’s and St Mary’s swimming sports - 1960’s - the eel that was thrown into the pool and would hide under the pipe. I never liked swimming in the first lane alongside the pipe!!
Gaelyn Watson
Peter Watson have you seen this.
Delwyn Hughes
And there was our club trip to Australia oh boy that was amazing.
Darryl Eason
Great Memories from days swimming at the Memorial pool morning and evening training back in the day My coach Tom Vincent and the whip that kept us in line Mrs Veale Good memories from the trip to Aussie as well
Robert Porter
I remember going to swim club and the race night.
Karina Cook
Robert Porter I remember those days!
Karina Cook
It was Thursday night
Sandra Arnott
Karina Cook yip it was!
Karina Cook
Good fun
Lisa Coppersmith
Loved that pool .
Wayne Leckie
I remember those days! And all great. Jump the wall at night swim for hours and ????
Anne Bruce
I belonged to the Masters Swimming group in Greymouth, enjoyed it, even did a scary swim in Lake Brunner, it was out to a marker and back, I did not look down into the murky water.
Wendy Barrow
Had a couple of dips there in the 60s and 70s
Cheryl King
So many hours spent at the pool, progressed from 2 blue lines to swimming many lengths, and just having fun as well. Snowy was a legend as was Mr and Mrs Anderson
Reply
22h
Karen Green
I was always 3rd Munn and Anderson always beat me I really wasn't that competitive and mum was must have been so annoying for her coming from Rapahoe to Greymouth
Marlene Jackson Perry
I learnt to swim here back around the early 1950s.
Biked from Cobden.
Vanessa Hay
I was taught by Melvas mum in the small pool, great teacher we learnt the basics in a week, bet parents wished the tutors were as good now
John Coffey
Time to own up! I still have my NZ Amateur Swimming Assn Beginners (5 yards) certificate dated 14-4-1958. But I reckon I walked three of those yards. The other water skills awards are all blank -- I had gone back to playing cricket.
Murray Beckman
haha. Always were a naughty boy John
Margaret Jacobs
Learnt to swim in this pool and then went onto swimming club
Bob Ilton
Margaret Jacobs and then onto the surf club at Karoo ah Margaret.
Alan Smith
I remember jumping the fence at night for a swim lol
Glenda O'Donnell
Yes I bet you did that lol
Delwyn Hughes
Yep spent a few early mornings and days at swimming club. Went on the club trip to Aussie. Fun times.
Linda Winchester
Delwyn Hughes those were the good old days heaps of fun ah.
Delwyn Hughes
Linda Winchester that was a fun trip for us kids lol yeah was great times
Gordon Dixon
Good old day al ,pulled that sheet of iron back we were in about 20 of us, all with togs on??
Lyn Roberts
Many memories sneaking over the wall all hours of the morning skinny dipping to sober up with lots of others!!
Mary Morgan
Lyn Roberts what year was this remember doing this myself
Lyn Roberts
Mary Morgan 1977
Glenda Bishop
3 blue lines, then graduated to a width. Then a length
Dave Maitland
Did a few laps in that pool back in the day at the odd west coast Comp, fun times
Darryl Eason
I swam a few lengths of the pool back in the day I have find memories of the club trip to Aussie back in 1974-5 thanks to the Veales,Stenifords ,Anderson’s coach Tom Vincent and all the other parents involved
Mark Bradford
Gone now. probably pulled down by
Small minded Council
John Newton
Mark Bradford yes Mark unfortunately they were very old baths and the heating and clouride system had come to it end ,leaking to much ammonia and swimming clubs now race in metre pools not yards
Phillip Murphy
Mark Bradford Hey Mark been a while
Nancy Jones
Mark Bradford Nothing last forever, Greymouth now has an amazing aquatic centre thanks to Council.
Darryl Eason
Swam many lengths back in the day , coach Tom Vincent and the Andersons,Stenifords,Veales it was a great atmosphere to grow up in
2d
Reply
Darryl Eason
Also the Neville’s can’t forgot Bill,Lynette ,Deb and Barry
Linda Winchester
Darryl Eason don't forget the Cowe girls and the Cawley family. They were great days alright.
Darryl Eason
Linda Winchester your are right about that I have some great memories especially the swimming club trip to Aussie
Linda Winchester
Darryl Eason me too. It was just fantastic going to Australia so young and with a great bunch of people.
Murray Saunders
Darryl Eason - your lot and the Neville’s had webbed feet I swear…
Ann Hobden
Learned to swim there. Snow Rochford was caretaker of the pool and swimming club coach
Ian Haussmann
Ann Hobden Snow was a great fella
Ann Hobden
Ian Haussmann
Reply
Ann Hobden
Sure was Ian
Vicki Roper
Ian Haussmann he really was
Kerry Keating
Had a lot of fun there. Climb over the wall for a late night swim,,,, no charge of course.
Garry Wick
Kerry Keating Same here too .
Carolyn Graham
Garry Wick I remember doing the same thing. I wonder if it was with you LOL.
2d
Reply
Glenda Bishop
Loved those times with friends at this pool. My dad used to run the swim meets alongside Snow.
Remember Swimming Club, starting off with 3 blue lines before you could swim the width, then a length lol
2d
Reply
Edited
John Newton
great pool to swim in,it's going back a few years when it didn't have a roof
2d
Reply
Helen Fielding
I reckon we need a swimming club reunion. Maybe I'll sort that after I retire
2d
Reply
Brent OKeefe
Helen Fielding I think Shirley Anderson was looking at having a reunion, a couple of years ago but not sure if it happened.
Delwyn Hughes
Helen Fielding yeah good idea
Helen Fielding
you all have to wait until I am a free woman in 2027 and then I will see what I can do.
Paul Agnes Smith
Used to smoke out the school sports from the loco sheds....
Carolyn Luck
Many happy memories of the Municipal Pool.
Maxine Helmling
Remember coach Snowie Rochford would put the hose on us to make us swim faster
Chris Munn
Hi John. Do you remember when they ran out of the heating stuff. Training at 6.00 with you guys…it felt like the top of your head was being cut off.
John Newton
Chris Munn plus all the soot of the steam engines next ,use to put a layer of soot on top of the pool every morning, had to do a few honey pots to start clearing into gutter
Janenne Oates
Loved this place such happy memories
Murray Beckman
Great memories. Casual, swim club, Surf Club.
Dave Maitland
remember going to some good fun competitions there, nice deep pool
Jennie Scott
Wow it seemed way bigger when Hoki schools came up for sport!
Warren Colleen Inkster
it was good
Marlene Jackson Perry
I remember training here MANY years ago.
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Jan 2024). Greymouth Swimming Club .. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 19:15, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29369