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Early days at the Killinchy School pool
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TitleEarly days at the Killinchy School pool
DescriptionThe first record of a desire to build a school pool at the Killinchy School occurred at the 1930 school committee AGM where it was resolved to send a letter to the Canterbury Education Board to enquire about “particulars with regard to construction of a school bath, specifications and probable cost.
Also if the Board would subsidise any funds raised towards same”.
The Board replied offering to supply plans and subsidise any money raised locally up to £200.
The chairman offered £20 if four others would come forward with a like amount and the committee were asked to find out how much support there was among the householders.
Sometime prior to a letter written to the secretary of the Education Board by T.E.G. Allen, secretary of the school committee in October 1949, an application for a learn-to-swim bath had been made and the residents of Killinchy had raised £317 at a bazaar.
The residents were prepared to supply labour if that was not a sufficient sum to pay for the new pool.
A letter from the Education Board followed in November of the same year saying that the building controller had now approved the release of cement to enable learn-to-swim pools to be installed at schools and asked the Killinchy committee to provide further information.
Priority was to be given to those schools where committees had the necessary funds on hand and where there were no engineering difficulties.
The Education Board had decided to standardise the size of pools and while the district wished to have a 45’ x 15’ pool, the school committee suggested they would be happy with a 40’ x 15’ pool.
The school committee suggested that the pool could be emptied into the county water race.
In March 1950 the Board advertised in the Christchurch newspapers for tenders for the construction of pools at Halswell, Dunsandel, Killinchy and New Brighton South. Clifford D. Dalzell from Market Street, Leeston tended £746 contract price for the Killinchy pool and affirmed that the pool could be completed by February 1951.
In December 1950 the tender was reduced to £640. The assistant secretary of the Education Board applied to the Director of Education for a £300 subsidy on a 40’ x 15’ learn-to-swim pool and noted that the school committee had the balance of £340 in hand.
Dalzell applied for a progress payment of £300 which was approved in February 1951.
The architect applied for a building permit to the
District Building Controller in mid-February 1951 pointing out that there were 26 pupils on the roll and the nearest bath was situated at Leeston, 4 miles away also that it was not desirable for Killinchy children to receive swimming instruction at Leeston for many reasons.
The school committee sent their £340 cheque to the Board towards the end of February 1951.
The consent for building was approved on 22 March 1951 with the specification that galvanised piping was not to be used for hand rails.
As evident in the photo, the pool opened without a fence, so in early October 1951, the Killinchy committee decided that it was time to erect a fence and dressing shed, and wrote to the Board asking if plans needed to be approved and if there was any subsidy available.
They were told that the architect needed to approve the design and materials and informed them that there was no further subsidy. And so the pool began its many years delighting swimmers.
Mike Noonan & Sandra Opie
Date2 September 2021SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationkillinchy
DescriptionThe first record of a desire to build a school pool at the Killinchy School occurred at the 1930 school committee AGM where it was resolved to send a letter to the Canterbury Education Board to enquire about “particulars with regard to construction of a school bath, specifications and probable cost. Also if the Board would subsidise any funds raised towards same”.
The Board replied offering to supply plans and subsidise any money raised locally up to £200.
The chairman offered £20 if four others would come forward with a like amount and the committee were asked to find out how much support there was among the householders.
Sometime prior to a letter written to the secretary of the Education Board by T.E.G. Allen, secretary of the school committee in October 1949, an application for a learn-to-swim bath had been made and the residents of Killinchy had raised £317 at a bazaar.
The residents were prepared to supply labour if that was not a sufficient sum to pay for the new pool.
A letter from the Education Board followed in November of the same year saying that the building controller had now approved the release of cement to enable learn-to-swim pools to be installed at schools and asked the Killinchy committee to provide further information.
Priority was to be given to those schools where committees had the necessary funds on hand and where there were no engineering difficulties.
The Education Board had decided to standardise the size of pools and while the district wished to have a 45’ x 15’ pool, the school committee suggested they would be happy with a 40’ x 15’ pool.
The school committee suggested that the pool could be emptied into the county water race.
In March 1950 the Board advertised in the Christchurch newspapers for tenders for the construction of pools at Halswell, Dunsandel, Killinchy and New Brighton South. Clifford D. Dalzell from Market Street, Leeston tended £746 contract price for the Killinchy pool and affirmed that the pool could be completed by February 1951.
In December 1950 the tender was reduced to £640. The assistant secretary of the Education Board applied to the Director of Education for a £300 subsidy on a 40’ x 15’ learn-to-swim pool and noted that the school committee had the balance of £340 in hand.
Dalzell applied for a progress payment of £300 which was approved in February 1951.
The architect applied for a building permit to the
District Building Controller in mid-February 1951 pointing out that there were 26 pupils on the roll and the nearest bath was situated at Leeston, 4 miles away also that it was not desirable for Killinchy children to receive swimming instruction at Leeston for many reasons.
The school committee sent their £340 cheque to the Board towards the end of February 1951.
The consent for building was approved on 22 March 1951 with the specification that galvanised piping was not to be used for hand rails.
As evident in the photo, the pool opened without a fence, so in early October 1951, the Killinchy committee decided that it was time to erect a fence and dressing shed, and wrote to the Board asking if plans needed to be approved and if there was any subsidy available.
They were told that the architect needed to approve the design and materials and informed them that there was no further subsidy. And so the pool began its many years delighting swimmers.
Mike Noonan & Sandra Opie
Date2 September 2021SourceThe Ellesmere EchoLocationkillinchyConnections
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Early days at the Killinchy School pool (2 September 2021). Selwyn Stories, accessed 29/05/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/5342