Dawn Fraser Baths upgrade
Dawn Fraser Baths re-opens via booking
Wednesday 8 September
We are pleased to announce that the Dawn Fraser Baths will reopen to the public for exercise purposes only from Wednesday, 8 September 2021.
Bookings are essential and available in one hour window periods.
Find out more about making a booking
The Dawn Fraser Baths is home to the oldest water polo and swimming club in Australia and the Baths is listed as a nationally significant heritage item. Inner West Council is proud to stand as the custodian of this much-loved community asset and is fully committed to the Baths' progressive conservation.
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Council will undertake additional improvements at the recently upgraded baths in 2022-2023.
Proposed works include:
- refurbishment of the northern pavilion
- accessible pool entry facilities and
- planning for long term access improvements to the baths’ entry from the surrounding streets and Elkington Park
Progress:
- Northern pavilion structural report completed
- The access consultant has been appointed and the holist access audit of the Baths completed.
- The recommendations from the report are being included for consideration in the revised Elkington Pk Plan of Management - completed.
- Revised concept designs, which included suggestions from the community engagement session, where presented to the IWC Access Advisory Committee for comment - completed
- Two concept design options were shortlisted -completed.
- Architectural and relevant sub-consultants are being procured for the preparation of the designs.
- Planning, heritage and engineering consultants have been appointed for the preparation and submission of the Integrated Development Application (IDA)
- Procurement for architectural services for the detailed design is to commence.
- Preferred concept design selected and priced by QS
- Detail timber structure report completed.
- Procurement for architectural services to start shortly
Budget: $600k
Completion Date: October 2024
Contact: David Di Biase (02) 9392 5946, david.di.biase@innerwest.nsw.gov.au


2020-2021 Project details
The works included:
- Raising boardwalks and ground floor levels of the Entry Building and Southern Pavilion
- Demolition and reconstruction of the Southern Pavilion at the new raised ground level
- Retention, alteration and repair of the Entry Building to the Southern Pavilion
- Installation of new solar panels to the Northern Pavilion and four water polo lights
- Installation of fire sprinkler system and emergency upgrades
- Associated alterations to the perimeter paths, seawalls and eastern perimeter entry
Council is spending approximately $6 million and also successfully obtained a $2.2 million grant from the NSW Government and a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth Government to fund the heritage upgrade.