Tepid Baths
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tepid Baths are historical indoor public pools in Auckland, New Zealand. Built in 1914 on the previous site of a small drydock,[1] Tepid Baths was originally leased from the Auckland Harbour Board, and contains two separate pools, a "male" (25 m, 6 lanes) and "female" (18 m, 4 lane). The "male" pool was the largest pool in New Zealand at that time. The pools were heated via hot water from the nearby tramways power plant, and the system was considered an engineering masterpiece of the time. [2]
The pools were not only extensively used for both recreative and competitive swimming, but also for some other uses - in one event, a pentecostal minister baptised a hundred new faithful in the pools (in about 1931).[3]
In 1974, the salt water pools (previously fed from the Waitemata Harbour) were transformed into fresh water pools. The facility was refurbished in 1986 and again after the YMCA received the management lease in 1997 from Auckland City Council. Renovations include new sauna and steam room, and a Gym on the upper level (YMCA club members only).[2] Nowadays, a large part of the Tepid Baths' customers are people working in the Auckland CBD who swim here before or after work.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Development of naval repair facilities at Auckland, New Zealand 1841-1962 - Bell, J.A.; AMRINA Deputy Constructive Manager HMNZ Dockyard
- ^ a b Welcome to Tepid Baths (from the YMCA Auckland website)
- ^ Dallimore, Arthur Henry (database entry in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography)
- ^ Swimming pool strategy (from the Auckland City Council website)
[edit] External links
- Tepid Baths (from the YMCA website)
