Palm Beach

Palm Beach Rock Pool

Visitor info

Highlight: Olympic size, at the southern end of the beach
Entry: Free
Open: Open at all times
Cleaning: Closed for cleaning Sunday evening, reopens Monday. Weekly September to April, fortnightly May to August. Unavailable roughly three hours before and twelve hours after.
Where: 1 Rock Bath Rd, Palm Beach NSW 2108 (eastern side, southern end). Access off Ocean Rd. Change rooms and toilets.
Council page →

History

At the southern end of Palm Beach, what started as a modest rock pool in the 1920s was given an Olympic size makeover in the 1930s. While one of its most famous characters, Johnny ‘Jack’ Carter, passed away in May 2021, his legend lives on in the pool that bears his name, and in the memories of more than 10,000 children that he taught to swim here over 70 years of morning lessons.

Water temperature by month

Much the same right along this stretch of the Sydney coast. Approximate — the water runs about a season behind the air.

Jan 22–23°C

Feb 23–24°C

Mar 23–24°C

Apr 22°C

May 20°C

Jun 19°C

Jul 18°C

Aug 18°C

Sep 18–19°C

Oct 19°C

Nov 20–21°C

Dec 21–22°C

Approximate. Sources disagree by a degree or two. The water lags the air by about a season, so autumn stays warm after the crowds leave and spring stays cold after summer seems to have started.