IT WAS a bittersweet farewell to the Mount Gambier Aquatic Centre on Friday afternoon as the city prepares to usher in a new era of recreational swimming.
After 34 years of operation the Mount Gambier Aquatic Centre officially closed its doors on February 28.
Centre manager Peter Collins offered the community a chance to get one last glimpse of the facility at a special celebration barbecue on Friday.
Staff past and present were among those to attend the Margaret Street complex, with members of the broader Limestone Coast community also reflecting on time spent at the public swimming pool.
“It’s bittersweet and a bit of a double-edged sword – there’s the sad part that it’s over, but then there’s the positive side of it there will be an amazing facility here in 18 months time,” Mr Collins said.
“I have only been here for about half the time it’s been open and I think the people before me started some amazing programs and turned it into the wonderful centre it is.”
With over 1000 children engaged in after school programs, Mr Collins put the success of the centre down to his “amazing” employees.
“We have amazing, vibrant and energetic staff and the success really does come back to them,” he said.
“Most are a lot younger than me, but I am really going to miss coming to work each day with such incredible employees.”
Reflecting on the past two decades at the centre, he said the closure really started to sink in a few weeks ago when the farewells began.
“I had a couple who were regulars come in and say goodbye and I told them it was still eight days from the close date,” he said.
“They informed me they were going on a holiday and that’s when it really started to sink in.
“From that point on I have had people giving me hugs and lots of thank yous, it’s been quite amazing.”
Looking forward, Mr Collins said he was excited for the new centre, expressing there was a “need” for more swimming facilities in Mount Gambier.
“The fact that we are only open half of the year, swimmers come in at the start of the season and then lose five or six kilograms by the end,” he said.
“Then they put it back on throughout the winter months and it is a bit of a ongoing cycle.
“An indoor pool will be great for the well-being and health of the community all year round.”
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin also attended the farewell on Friday and shared her own excitement for the future.
“You think back to when the other pool closed and they moved into this centre and the amazing service they were provided with,” she said.
“We look forward positively to the new centre, which is really going to increase the liveability of Mount Gambier and cater for all abilities.”
Mount Gambier Community and Recreation Hub committee chair Cr Ben Hood said change was always hard, but ensured the centre would be one for the whole community.
“We appreciate the community has their questions and that’s why the council undertook consultation back when they did,” Cr Hood said.
“It will be for all people, from young ones to old ones and everyone in between.”
