Denise Spencer Aquatic Centre - June 2025 Update

Published on 01 July 2025

Our monthly update on the progress of the Denise Spencer Aquatic Centre development.

What’s Happened This Month

• Continued demolition works, including excavation of the 50m pool and discovery of the shell of the Roma Baths’ 36m pool beneath the old concourse area
• Offsite removal of all waste and recyclable materials, with onsite crushing of reusable demolition materials such as concrete and bricks
• Excavation of the 25m pool’s onsite stormwater detention (OSD) and balance tank, preparing for footing installation and the next phase of pool excavation

What’s Next

Over the coming month, activity onsite will include:

• Bulk earthworks to shape the site, including excavation of the 25m pool, pool hall, and new 50m pool

Spotlight Moment

A key moment this month was the rediscovery of the original Roma Baths structure, uncovered beneath the old pool concourse. Built in the mid-1930s, the Baths featured state-of-the-art facilities for their time, including underwater lighting and a filtration system.

Measuring approximately 120ft (36m) in length & ranging from approx. 1.0m - 2.4m in depth, these Baths were Roma’s first public pool and the training ground for young swimmers like Denise Spencer.

When the Roma Swimming Pool (later renamed the Denise Spencer Memorial Pool) was built in the 1960s, much of the Baths were demolished to make way for the new pool. This time, the remains of the Baths have been completely removed.