Dressing sheds

When street wear and swimming costumes were both awkward to get into and out of, dressing sheds were essential for preserving respectability. There are records of some corset-wearing colonial women dressing in the open after a swim in Sydney Harbour.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, dressing sheds offered a respectable venue not only for dressing and undressing, but also for indulging in sun bathing, a practice not tolerated in the more public areas of many baths.

The splendour of the dressing sheds at their ocean baths was a point of contention between rival nineteenth century seaside resorts, even before they began to compare the size of their ocean pools and their facilities for competitive swimming,

While few of the dressing sheds were architecturally distinguished, facilities at dressing shed could include freshwater showers, a concrete foot bath at the entrance and copies of the baths regulations. In an innovative form of advertising, the Rexona Soap Company donated mirrors to the Wollongong Ladies Baths.

The state of the dressing sheds at the ocean baths was a concern for pool patrons, tourism businesses and councils. At some ocean baths, Honorary Baths Inspectors helped prevent pilfering of clothing and personal articles left in the dressing sheds. Locker offered another form of security for personal items.

A council's unexpected demolition of dressing sheds as at Wollongong's men's baths or failure to maintain dressing shed provoked community protests.

Storm damage or destruction of dressing sheds was a fact of life. Bulli, Bermagui's Blue Pool and other ocean baths have had their dressing sheds washed away.

The demand for dressing sheds at ocean baths and ocean beaches by the advent of quick drying swimwear, more readily removed clothing and by greater public acceptance of men and women changing in and out of clothes in or beside their cars, on the beach and at the baths has greatly reduced.

Once considered essential facilities, dressing sheds have disappeared at some ocean baths. The Spanish mission-style dressing shed at the Forster Ocean Baths were demolished. Dressing sheds have also disappeared from the Pearl Beach Baths, Kiama's Pheasant Point baths and Wollongong's two former ladies-only baths.

Older pool patrons often still strongly favour the provision of dressing sheds, arguing that changing behind a towel involves them in unnecessary gymnastic manoeuvres.

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