Lord Byron - Swimming Poets
Lord George Gordon Byron is regarded as one of the greatest British poets but what is less widely known is that Lord Byron was an excellent open water swimmer.
ThemeHistorical Swimming 
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Historical Swimming
Robbie Burns & Cold Water
Robert Burns had a fatal connection with cold water swimming at the the young age of 37 after years of failing health.
The oldest pool
Built in the 1880s, the oldest pool and swimming club in Australia is the Dawn Fraser Baths. It is a tidal saltwater pool located in Elkington Park, Balma…
Wilhelmina “Mina” Wylie – Swimming Legend
Wilhelmina "Mina" Wylie (1891 - 1984) was one of Australia's first two female Olympic swimming champions, the other being her friend Fanny Durack (refer to…
Truganini Swims
Cultural warning: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island readers are advised this article contains images and names of deceased people.
The Tasman Bridge Collapse 5th Jan 1975
The annual Trans Derwent swim is part of the schedule of events for the Royal Hobart Regatta which celebrated its 185th year in February 2024.
JFK & Caroline Swims
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was a competent swimmer which enabled him to save lives during his US Navy service in Wor…
Beatrice Kerr Australia's Champion Lady Swimmer & Diver
Beatrice Kerr was a swimmer and aquatic performer originally from Albert Park in Victoria.
The Swimming Rats of Tobruk
In World War 2, Australian forces were dispatched to secure the Italian-held port of Tobruk in Libya to deny the Axis forces a supply point in their easter…
Gertrude Ederle Swims the English Channel
On August 6, 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the sixth person and first woman to swim across the English Channel. In the face of widespread doubt that a woman…
Swimming made easy for women
On the 3rd of March in 1876 a Sydney Illustrated News article titled "Swimming made easy for women" suggests that the first step in swimming is to "Wet the…
Capt. Mathew Webb swims the English Channel
On 24 August 1875, Captain Matthew Webb of Great Britain became the first person to swim the English Channel. His swim was considered a feat of the impossi…