IT was not that long after the Lithgow 50 metre outdoor ‘Olympic Pool’ opened more than 50 years ago that agitation began for an indoor pool to cope for the vagaries of mountain weather.
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One of the most concerted campaigns was headed by John Isbister who was County Clerk of the old Hartley County Council at the time.
Their efforts at the time came to nothing but John and his pioneering campaigners would have been pleased that even though it had taken decades the indoor pool finally became ‘official’ yesterday.
It was a long time coming but guests at yesterday’s official opening of the Lithgow Aquatic Centre indoor facility seemed satisfied it had been worth the wait.
The indoor pool actually opened for business last month and the contractors moved to the next phase, the upgrade of the outdoor pool.
Yesterday came the formalities when guests gathered poolside to ‘make it all official’.
Mayor Maree Statham summed up the development when she said the indoor heated pool was ‘not a luxury; it’s a necessity’.
Praising all involved in bringing it to reality she said it would not have been possible without a $3.2 million grant from the NSW Government negotiated by State Member Paul Toole.
“I was astounded when we were called down to Parliament House for the announcement that we had the money,” the mayor said.
She also had high praise for the input by Centennial Coal and other contributors and committee members and for the high quality of the work carried out by Icon Constructions.
Mr Toole said the indoor pool was a facility that would serve the district community and visitors well into the future.
He too was impressed with the quality of the finished product.
“This not just a facility for young people.
“It will benefit everyone in the community,” he said.
“It’s an incredible asset for this city, even for people who don’t swim.”
Chairman of the Aquatic Centre Committee, deputy mayor Ray Thompson, said this was a project that had been ‘more than 35 years in the making’.
Behind him was an exhibition board of Lithgow Mercury cuttings including a front page referring to another official opening when the outdoor pool ‘became official’ in September 1962.
Cr Thompson also referred to the work of Icon Constructions and said the new pool was ‘much better than we expected’.
He said the momentum for the grant had begun when Paul Toole invited State Cabinet to a meeting in Lithgow that enabled personal representations to be made to the then Treasurer Andrew Stoner.
“Without Paul Toole’s help we would not be having this opening today,” he said.
Cr Thompson made special mention of the work of the former chairman of the committee, the late Cr Wayne Marshall.
