16/09/2026
Did You Know?
Last time, we shared the story of how Cornelian Bay got its name.
This week, we're staying right there on the foreshore — but this time it's the story of a building that's no longer standing.
Swimmers were using this stretch of Cornelian Bay as far back as the late 1800s, with one local reportedly dating the original baths to 1875. In 1925, the Hobart City Council built (or rebuilt) proper baths at the eastern end of the boathouses, giving swimmers changing rooms, facilities and a diving board right on the water. On 22 November 1978, the Council handed the building over to its members free of charge, and from there it operated as a private swimming club.
For generations, this would have been the kind of place local kids learned to swim, and where swimming carnivals may well have drawn crowds along this stretch of the Derwent.
Then, on the night of 28 December 2009, fire destroyed it. Firefighters faced a long run to get water to the blaze, and by the time it was out, the clubhouse, the caretaker's cottage and a lot of members' equipment were gone.
So next time you're looking out at the boatsheds from our deck, spare a thought for what used to sit right alongside them.
Did you, or someone in your family, ever swim — or learn to swim — at the Cornelian Bay baths? We'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Photo: Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office
