Access to toilet and/or change facilities Actively maintained Disabled Access

Men Women Children

Current Use: Children's ocean baths.
Condition: Now badly silted.

From early 1990s
Less able swimmers were advised to cool off in the small swimming pool at East Ballina. Both Ballina's popular and patrolled Shelly Beach and Lighthouse Beach have a  rating of 6 on Australia's 10-point Beach Safety scale.

2002
The Shelly Beach Rock Pool was cited by Tourism New South Wales as 'perfect for toddlers'.

The earliest people in the Ballina area were the Banjalang (Bundjalung) people.

1840s
The red cedar trees along the shore of the Richmond River attracted cedar-getters and cedar camps spread up the Richmond River.

1860s
Gold was found at the mouth of the Richmond River.

1875
Over 70 sugar mills operated along the Richmond River.

1883
Municipal district of Ballina was proclaimed.

Early 1900s
Dairy farms operated alongside the sugarcane plantations.

Even before mixed daylight bathing and surfing was fully accepted on the NSW coast,  people visited Ballina on Sundays to fish, hire boats and paddle in the waves. Others visited during Christmas holidays or spent their honeymoons there. Some holiday-makers rented houses, while others camped in tents.

1930s
Ballina's popularity as a seaside resort grew because it offered camping, bathing, surfing, swimming and good oystering, as well as a pleasing set of landscapes.

Council had constructed a road across the sand connecting the town of Ballina with East Ballina, where 'an excellent site for camping-out' and dressing -sheds had been constructed with a small sum from council and volunteer work. The beach there was considered 'a splendid bathing facility, shallow for a long distance out and 'perfectly safe for children, when the waves roll shoreward in lazy languor, surfing may be indulged in with pleasure and absolute safety'.

1976
Ballina Shire Council was formed by amalgamating the Ballina municipality and Tintenbar Shire.

To be added.

The East Ballina Children's Pool is historically significant because it demonstrates the evolution of a simple pool on rock platforms into a formalised ocean baths, specifically catering for children's aquatic recreation needs, rather than for adult sport and recreation. Perhaps the northernmost of the NSW ocean rock baths.

Assessed significance: Local.
Current heritage status: Not considered a heritage item in its own right.
 

Related Topics Children Tourism

Studies & References To be added.