Published: 20 November 2024
In 1989, Swim City was a new initiative offering swimming lessons in Lower Hutt’s public pools. Fast forward 35 years and it’s still leaving other swim programmes in its wake.
This month marks the 35th anniversary of Swim City, which Hilary Keenan established for Hutt City Council in November 1989. She was contracted as the Aquatics Director for its first 12 months.
“It was my idea to call it Swim City because we had so many swimming pools at the time, more than any other district in the country. There were loads of school pools as well.”
Inspired by what she saw when visiting swim schools in Australia, Hilary was the first person in New Zealand to introduce baby and pre-school swimming lessons, at Naenae Pool in the 1970s.
“It was easy to see the benefit of teaching the very young how to swim and be safe in the water.”
Hilary, along with her late husband Tony, are Lower Hutt swimming royalty. Their relationship started with a kiss in 1956 at the opening of the original Naenae Pool, sparking a decades-long romance.
Tony went on to become the Naenae Pool manager from 1971 to 1995.
Once Te Ngaengae opens in early December, the main Huia Pool and Children’s Pool will both close as part of an $8 million refurbishment. The hydrotherapy pool, gym, and swim school will operate as usual.
The moveable floors at Huia’s main pool will be replaced, a new liner and stainless-steel sides added, and the pool decks resurfaced with non-slip finishes.
The children’s pool will be upgraded, a spa pool replaced and another converted into a sauna. The old gas boilers will be removed and replaced with electric components as part of Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
Current Swim City manager Kay Lindsay says her teaching team are excited about offering more diverse types of swimming lesson programmes. The aim is to better cater to the neurodiverse, those with vision and hearing challenges, and even provide lessons in different languages to reflect community needs.
“Lessons in Te Reo Māori are something I’d like to be able to provide, even just for basic instructions,” says Kay.
Kay Lindsay and Hilary Keenan at Huia Pool