Plans to revive Hobart’s long-lost tradition of public bathhouses are making waves, with proposals to create new swimming facilities along the city’s waterfront that would reconnect locals with the River Derwent.
Architect Mat Hinds is leading discussions with the Hobart City Council and TasPorts to bring back the ritual that dates to 1830, when Governor George Arthur established the first public bathing facilities in the capital.
“There is a remarkable tradition of bathhouses that were built first by Governor George Arthur that predate the public bathhouses that were being built in London in Marleybone in 1842,” Hinds told ABC Radio.
The original facilities were designed as inclusive public spaces, with Arthur describing them as “accommodations for all classes to enjoy the advantages of bathing”.
Built primarily from timber, the structures provided wind shelter for swimmers and developed a distinctive architectural style along the Derwent River.
These weren’t just cold-water plunges either. Many bathhouses offered heated seawater baths, though the heating systems didn’t always work as expected.
“Lady Jane Franklin complained in one of her visits that the fires hadn’t been lit,” Hinds noted.
The tradition survived for more than a century before fading in the mid-20th century.
The last historic bathhouse at Cornelian Bay was destroyed by fire in 2009.
Constitution Dock has emerged as the frontrunner for a new facility, with Hinds highlighting the benefits of city-centre swimming.
“The idea that the public can swim effectively in the middle of the city does a couple of things. It’s a great lunchtime thing to do, easy, massive patronage,” Hinds said.
“The other thing it does is it signals that the river is healthy and that relationship between the public body and the river is brought back together again.”
While water quality concerns might arise, Hinds believes the Derwent could support swimming with appropriate remediation work.
Alternative locations under consideration include Pavilion Point, which previously hosted sea baths and another at Cornelian Bay.
Hobart councillor Ryan Posselt has welcomed the proposals, saying they could deliver significant health benefits.
“[It’s] great to see community coming forward with bold ideas for our future … connecting us back to our river in the city centre,” he said.
