Under the Sea

Audio description

Text description

Under the Sea
by Neil Tomkins (Birdhat) and Digby Webster, 2021
24 Kays Avenue, Marrickville

Inner West Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of these lands, the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora Nation.

This long mural is painted on a wall of varying height that extends for 50 metres along the side of a red brick house in Marrickville. The brick path that runs alongside the wall is fenced on the other side from the adjoining railway track. Starting from the left, the wall is low and forms the side of the small front garden. It is painted bright yellow and has two multi-coloured flower shapes and a green, purple and orange salamander or a lizard.

The wall gets higher and the background changes to navy blue decorated with small white blobs. Right in the middle is curled a larger colourful lizard who almost fills the wall. The lizard is poking out its blue tongue.

The next section comprises large oblongs loosely painted in purple, orange and yellow which are separated by thick black lines. A big blue and yellow angel fish swims leisurely along, his upper fins are cropped by the top of the wall. A series of yellow and purple circle sitting inside each other has black lines radiating out in all directions. To the right of the circles is a turtle with a blue, pink and yellow shell and a bright red face. It appears to be balancing on one leg and waving to us.

More shapes that are abstract lead to a long-legged turtle with a green neck, pink legs and blue and beige patterned shell. It walks to the right towards another angel fish swimming face-on with his turquoise fins waving on either side of his round yellow-spotted orange belly.

The next section is pink and has a bright blue and yellow fish. Its surrounded by a circle of blue blobs edged with yellow red stripes. This leads to a paler pink section with a flower, leaves and circle shapes scattered throughout.  The mural pauses between a brick arched doorway with a wrought iron gate.

Beyond the gate there are multi coloured flowers and circles and a piece of coral that looks like a white six-fingered hand sitting on the bottom of the mural. The background becomes a vivid blue with a pastel-coloured fish pursued by a vivid red lobster whose feelers run along the top of mural while his feet are at the bottom. Another circle, turquoise this time, sends out long black lines across a violet wall. A grinning angelfish poses front on. A green salamander and a little fish face off against a patchwork of coloured shapes before the wall ends with two large metal planter boxes filled with plants.

The walk along this busy interconnecting pathway is brightened by this imaginative, cheery and colourful glimpse of aquatic life.

This artwork was commissioned by Inner West Council through Perfect Match, a program matching artists with community to collaboratively produce site specific street art.

Audio description written by Vision Australia, and voiced by Nas Campanella.

Is your child comfortable in water?

YesNo

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Can your child dog-paddle independently for 3 metres and pop up and breathe?

YesNo

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Can your child dog-paddle and float?

YesNo

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Can they streamline, backstroke kick and do freestyle arms for a minimum for 5 metres each?

YesNo

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Can they swim freestyle, backstroke kick and breaststroke kick with a board for a minimum of 10 metres each?

YesNo

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Can they freestyle with bilateral breathing, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly-kick for a minimum of 15 metres each?

YesNo

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Can they competently swim freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke drills and butterfly kick for a minimum of 40 metres each?

YesNo

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Does the student have any swimming experience?

YesNo

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Can they submerge their face in water, exhale and control their breathing?

YesNo

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Can they swim freestyle and backstroke for at least 10 metres?

YesNo

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Can they swim freestyle and backstroke for 25 to 50 metres, and do they have experience swimming breaststroke and some knowledge of butterfly?

YesNo

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Water babiesWater Babes

This is the first level in our infants water-familiarisation program. Parents are required to be in the water with the infant in this level.

The class focuses on a gentle introduction to the aquatic environment through song and games, building confidence being in the water while introducing the concepts of breath control, floating and propulsion through the water. Children are prepared for submersion through a number of activities and are ready to build on their water confidence and foundation skills.

Please note all children under the age of four years of age must wear neoprene swimming nappies. These can be bought for a discounted rate for learn to swim participants from the our retail shop.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

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Water totsWater Tots

This is the second level in our infant’s water-familiarisation program. Parents are required to be in the water with the infant in this level.

We focus on building confidence in and around water through song and games and continuing to develop breath control, floating and propulsion through the water. Swimmers prepare for guided submersion through activities and songs. From here swimmers are ready to build on their water confidence and foundation skills.

Please note all children under the age of four years of age must wear neoprene swimming nappies. These can be bought for a discounted rate for learn to swim participants from the our retail shop.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

Early TadpolesEarly Tadpoles

This is our bridging level between our water familiarisation program and our Learn to Swim program.

The class focuses on water safety with safe entries and exits from the pool, building on confidence in the water through supported floating, gliding, propulsive swimming, and breath control. Parents have the option to stay in the water in this level while their child requires their support, working towards their child participating independently.

Please note all children under the age of four years of age must wear neoprene swimming nappies. These can be bought for a discounted rate for learn to swim participants from the our retail shop.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

TadpolesTadpoles

This is our first level in our Learn to Swim program and is where we build the foundation skills for strong swimmers.

The class focuses on water safety skills, confidence being in and under the water, breath control, floating, gliding and an introduction to propulsive swimming. This prepares our swimmers to add the skills needed to develop strokes in higher levels.

Please note all children under the age of four years of age must wear neoprene swimming nappies. These can be bought for a discounted rate for learn to swim participants from the our retail shop.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

FrogsFrogs

This is our level where the initial skills for freestyle and backstroke are introduced.

The class focuses on developing water safety skills, kicking on their front and back, streamlining, establishing freestyle arms, and further developing breath control. From here swimmers are ready to develop their freestyle and backstroke.

Please note all children under the age of four years of age must wear neoprene swimming nappies. These can be bought for a discounted rate for learn to swim participants from the our retail shop.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

DolphinsDolphins

This is our level where the initial skills butterfly and breaststroke are introduced, and freestyle and backstroke are further developed.

The class focuses on water safety skill development, kick development for butterfly and breaststroke, the introduction of backstroke arms, side breathing and diving. From here swimmers are ready to develop all strokes.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

SwordfishSwordfish Beginner

This is our level where bilateral breathing (side breath on both sides) is introduced, and freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke kick and butterfly kick are further developed.

The class focuses on side rotations for breaths in freestyle, increased endurance for freestyle and backstroke and further development of breaststroke kick, butterfly kick and diving. From here swimmers are ready to increase the distance they can swim freestyle and backstroke and further develop their breaststroke and butterfly.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

SwordfishSwordfish Intermediate

This is our level where we start to focus on the endurance of swimmers and the distance swum.

The class focuses on increasing the distance swum in freestyle and backstroke, and further development of breaststroke kick, butterfly kick and diving. From here swimmers are ready to increase the distance they can swim freestyle and backstroke and further develop their breaststroke and butterfly.

We are delighted to see that our learn to swim classes are in high demand! Open the booking link for your preferred centre below to find a list of our available class times, along with the current classes that are fully booked. If you don't see a class that fits your schedule, don't worry! You can easily add yourself to our mailing list for any full class, and we will send you a monthly update on availability. We encourage you to keep an eye out online for any new openings as well.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

Book in for deck assessment

Due to the high swimming ability of your child, we would recommend you to book in for a face to face assessment with our learn to swim team.

This assessment will be a 15 minute in water session where our wet deck will work out the most suitable level to match your child’s skills. After the swim we will go through our available days and times and complete the enrolment with you.

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre
Bookings at Ashfield Aquatic Centre

Start over

Adult stroke correction

You can make a booking via one of the links below:

Bookings at Annette Kellerman Aquatic Centre, Enmore Park
Bookings at Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre

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Page last updated: 17 Oct 2023