Wylie's Baths is a heritage tidal pool on the cliffs south of Coogee Beach, established in 1907 by champion swimmer Henry Wylie and run today by a community trust. It is about 50 yards long, open every day, with a small entry fee.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Size
- 50 yard pool
- Facilities and access
- Run by an independent trust and open 365 days a year
- Managed by
- Randwick City Council
- Cost
- Small entry fee
- Public transport
- Buses to Coogee, then a short walk
- Best time to go
- Mornings
- Water quality
- GoodCoogee Beach, 0.5 km away. Sampled 21 Oct. Source: NSW Beachwatch.
- Cleaning
- Not stated
- Town
- Coogee, NSW
What it's like
The baths are set into the rock platform below the cliffs, with the sea flowing in and out through the outer wall, so you are swimming in real ocean water alongside fish and seaweed. Timber decks and boardwalks climb the cliff above the pool, giving plenty of room to sit in the sun. The main pool is about 50 yards long.
Henry Alexander Wylie, a long-distance and underwater swimming champion, took a lease of this part of the coast in the early 1900s and opened the baths in 1907. His daughter Mina Wylie and Fanny Durack became Australia's first women Olympic swimmers. Storms damaged the baths in the 1970s, and they reopened under council in 1978. A community trust has managed them since 1996, and the National Trust has classified them.
When to go
The baths are open 7am to 7pm from October to April, and 7am to 5pm from April to September. They can be fully or partly closed for private events or maintenance, so check before you go. Mornings are calmest.
Getting there and facilities
The entrance is at the end of Neptune Street, Coogee, a short walk south of Coogee Beach and on the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. There are change rooms and a kiosk selling coffee. Buses run to Coogee from the city and Bondi Junction.
Good to know
There is a small entry fee, with cheaper rates for seniors, students and children, and season passes. The money goes to running and restoring the baths.