Every summer at the Macarthur pool, there are children taking lessons who are too nervous to go down the waterslide or swim a lap.
“By the end of the season, they’re all doing that really confidently,” pool committee secretary Linda Malseed told the Brolga.
Teaching kids the vital skill of swimming is one the reasons volunteers are working to strengthen the “community hub” in a town that has lost its pub and post office, among other local shops, in the last five years.
What’s going on: Volunteers at the Macarthur pool, which turns 60 this year, have raised $100,000 to update the pool’s heating system to a modern solar panel and heat pump setup with a thermal pool cover, aiming to make the water warmer.
“We did some research and discovered that yeah, Mortlake and Hawksdale already have the correct thermal blankets, and we don't,” pool committee treasurer Katherine Cameron told the Brolga.
The pool is L-shaped and at its longest extends for 25 metres. The water temperature currently fluctuates between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius.
Cameron said some of the smaller children aren’t able to finish their lessons as the water becomes too cold.
By warming the water to constantly sit at 28C, the committee is hoping to extend the pool’s summer season from December to March, by another four to eight weeks.
Another $48,000 is needed to complete the project and install the thermal cover.
Malseed said extended hours would make it more attractive for older people who want to do exercises in the pool.
Why does it matter? The Macarthur pool had 6,514 visits in 2024-25 and 3,939 visits in 2025-26.
“Pools require lots of funding, and we're aware of that, so we're trying to be proactive rather than reactive,” Malseed said.
Community support: The committee hopes to raise $5,000 at a trail run fundraiser at Budj Bim National Park on October 11.