Explore the Australian obsession with swimming, beach life and water through these photographs from the State Library of New South Wales’ collections.
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| Cousins at their grandparents enjoying a dip in the swimming pool – Mount Kuring-gai, NSW, no date |
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| [Swimming class for girls], c. 1930s, by Sam Hood |
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| An official hands a young woman swimmer a token, Tramway swimming at Coogee Aquarium, 27 March 1935 |
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| Possibly Mina Wylie with an unidentified female swimmer, probably Stockholm Olympics, 1912 |
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| Swimming exams at Newcastle Oce an Baths, by Sam Hood |
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| Snowy Baker, Duke Kahanamoku and Frank Beaurepaire, Sydney, [between 1914-1924] photographer unknown |
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| Cecil Healy, Olympic swimming gold, silver and bronze medallist in Manly Surf Life Saving Club swimsuit, [no date] |
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| Acrobats, Sydney, 1930s Sam Hood |
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| Tooth and Co. Ltd. float at the Australian Sesquicentenary, 1938 Hall & Co. |
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| Newcastle Beach on Christmas Day, 25121954 by Sam Hood |
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| Bondi surf lifesavers, n.d. by Sam Hood |
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| Beach scene, 1930s by Sam Hood |
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| Mr J Prentice and Miss J Howat doing acrobatics, Bondi Beach, Jan 1935 by Ted Hood |
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| Mr J Prentice and Miss J Howat performing beach acrobatics at Bondi Beach, 2 Jan 1935 by Ted Hood |
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| Peggy Bacon in mid-air backflip, Bondi Beach, Sydney, 621937 by Ted Hood |
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| Chorus girls in Rhonrad wheels roll across Bondi Beach, ca. 1935 by Sam Hood |
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| North Bondi team march past, 1930s by Sam Hood |
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| Theatre Royal chorus, Tamarama Beach, ca. 1938 by Sam Hood |
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| Valerie Hays from the cast of Over she goes being leapfrogged, 1937 by Sam Hood |
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| Beach studies, 1930s by Sam Hood |
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| Beach studies, 1930s by Sam Hood |
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| 26 Start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, 1971 |
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| Women’s team, Coffs Harbour Jetty Surf Life Saving Club |
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| Australias first women Olympians, Fanny Durack and Mina Wylie, 1912 |
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| Coogee Pier, Sydney, between 1928-1932 Samuel Wood |
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| Giles’s Hot Sea Baths, Coogee, c. 1930s, by Sam Hood |
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| Beautiful Bondi [Ladies Dressing Rooms], c. 1900-1927, Broadhurst Post Card Publishers |
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| David Cant, aged 3, Nielsen Park, Sydney, n.d. Sam Hood |
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| Bronte Beach, c. 1900-1910, by Star Photo Co. |
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| Dirigible over Tamarama, 1908, Hall & Co. |
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| Fairy Bower, Manly, c. 1900-1910, by Star Photo Co. |
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| Women in bathing suits on Collaroy Beach, 1908, photographed by Colin Caird |
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| Billy and Graham Green from the Salvation Army Camp practise a little deceit, Collaroy Beach, ca. 1940 photographer unknown |
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| Annette Kellermann, as a mermaid, ca. 1915-1925 photographer unknown |
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| The Australasian (combined Australian and New Zealand) Olympic Team at Stockholm’s Roddforening [Rowing Association], 1912 photographer unknown |
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| A young diver in the air as he dives from the high-board, St Aloysius College swimming at Manly, 17 March, 1935, by Sam Hood |
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| Start of a relay race showing five swimmers diving in, Colleges swimming at Drummoyne, 13 March 1935, by Sam Hood |
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| Inspectors of Schools and Swimming watch Stewart House swimming exercises on the beach, South Curl Curl, 10 Jan 1935, by Sam Hood |
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| Country children at Stewart House Preventorium learn to swim, South Curl Curl Beach, 10 Jan 1935, by Sam Hood |
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| Tin can used as a floatation device in learn-to-swim class, Domain Baths, c. 1930s by Sam Hood |
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| Start of a race at a Belmore Central School’s second swimming carnival, Enfield Pool, 27 March 1935, by Ted Hood |
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| Men and boys swim and play in canoes in a beach rock pool, n.d. by Sam Hood |
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| Oak Park rock pool ca.1950, by Sam Hood |
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| Swimming carnival, Roseville Baths, c. 1930s, by Sam Hood |
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| General view of the Baths (Domain Baths, Woolloomooloo, c.1930s, by Sam Hood |
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| Juniors line up for the start, c. 1920s, by Sam Hood |
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| Depression at ‘Happy Valley’, Brighton-le-Sands, Sydney, 1930’s Sam Hood |
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| Levuka, Fiji, ca. 1883 photographer unknown |
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| Reserve and beach, Cronulla, Sydney, ca. 1928 Samuel Wood |
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| Hargrave family, Probably Hilda, Margaret and Geoffrey, Stanwell Park beach, unknown photographer |
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| Manly Harbour pool, 193- |
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| Tipping horse for Manly Harbour pool built at Kurraba Point, 193- |
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| Ferry Dee Why and Manly Harbour pool, 193- |
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| Balancing wheel, Manly Harbour pool, 193- |
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| Manly Harbour pool, 193- |
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| Bronte Baths, c. 1930s, by Sam Hood |
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| Bondi Beach, Sydney, 1922 photographed by R. P. Moore |
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| Bondi Beach, Sydney, 1922 photographed by R. P. Moore |
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| Bondi Beach, Sydney, 1922 photographed by R. P. Moore |
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| Bondi Beach, Sydney, 1922 photographed by R. P. Moore |
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| Bondi Beach, Sydney, 1922 photographed by R. P. Moore |
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| Pictorial post card, Miss Annette Kellermann, Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver of the World |
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| Pictorial post card, Miss Annette Kellermann, Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver of the World |
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| Pictorial post card, Miss Annette Kellermann, Champion Lady Swimmer and Diver of the World |
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| Start of a girl’s swimming race, Mina Wylie with raised hand |
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| Mina Wylie, Coogee, 1913 |
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| Portrait of Mina Wylie |
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| Portrait of Mina Wylie |
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| The Women Co. girls on Tamarama beach, 2 February 1939 photographer Sam Hood |
