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24 April 2001
REMEMBER THE BATHS - A TALKFEST
6.30 – 8.30 pm, Thursday 10 May- Kafe Neio Café (Ground floor
courtyard area, St Kilda Seabaths, Jacka Boulevard)
Splash: St Kilda Beach and Baths, the exhibition detailing the history of bathing in St Kilda over the last 160 years, opened with a huge splash last Saturday night (21/4) at the new St Kilda Sea Baths. Deputy Premier, John Thwaites, launched both the exhibition and building at a gala event attended by over 300 people and climaxing in a huge fireworks show just offshore.
As part of the exhibition, the City of Port Phillip’s Art & Heritage Unit is also hosting a talkfest where a panel of local people will share their amazing stories of the St Kilda beach and baths over the past century.
Panel participants so far include John Wilson (Melbourne Swimming Club) and Gwyn Le Coulliarde (neé Parkes) who lived at in the baths from when she was two in 1931 to 1953 when she left to get married. She says that the sound of the waves under the boards meant it was like growing up on a boat. A selection of photos from the Parkes’ family album is included in both the exhibition and catalogue. Mr Wilson is hoping that the publicity surrounding the exhibition may help him locate a Melbourne Swimming Club Honour Board which went missing in the eighties. Council media officer, Carmel Shute, an historian by trade, is chairing the talkfest.
There is no charge for the talkfest but space is limited, so people need to book soon by ringing 9209 6452, and leaving their name, contact phone number and the number of people they would like to book for. Kafe Neio has a Mediterranean menu and undercover pay car parking is available on site (enter via Pier Road, off Jacka Boulevard).
Splash: St. Kilda Beach and Baths will be open up to 6.30pm for viewing before the ‘Talkfest’. Ordinarily, it is open 10 am – 5 pm each day until 20 May. The exhibition includes photographs and old news articles (some of which are reprinted on striped deck-chairs), quotes from people about the beach and baths, film footage of the baths from 1917 (kindly supplied by ScreenSound Australia) and old swimming costumes contributed by local residents.
Catalogues are on sale for $12.50. Despite the inclement weather, over 1000 people visited the exhibition in its first few days of opening and are universally positive about what they’ve seen at the exhibition.
Splash will be exhibited at Devonport Regional Gallery early next year and may also travel to other parts of Australia, including Kalgoolie, if funding is available.
Written by:
Carmel Shute
Council Media Officer
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