Rediscovering the 1959 Birrell Toowong Pool

This project attempts to answer the following questions:

How do we retain the Toowong Pool’s cultural significance post demolition?

and

To what extent was the Toowong Pool eligible for heritage listing prior to its demolition?

To answer these questions, a package has been prepared that contains a detailed and experiential model of the Toowong Pool and a Cultural Heritage Significance Assessment (CHSA) (written as if it is the year 2000) that aims to heritage list the pool to prevent its demolition. Emphasis was on producing a piece of easily accessible digital media that captures the history of the pool and the experience of visiting Birrell’s architecture. The model is based on the 1959 James Birrell iteration, with the minor variations it received from 1959 to 2001 being amalgamated to ensure the primary focuses are on Birrell’s architecture and the Pool’s laid back, social and community atmosphere. As no drawings of the 1959 Pool were available at the time, the model was reconstructed by using archived photos found in the John Oxley Library, Brisbane City Council and UQ archives, aerial photography of the Ipswich train line (which is adjacent to the site) and drawings and interviews with Judy Marr, who lived in the Pool's caretakers residence with her husband George Marr (appointed caretaker) from 1965 - 1972).

The digital recreation can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzef3gibkvc

The CHSA focused on as much of the Toowong Pool’s history as time permits within the project scope, with its establishment in 1909, redevelopment in 1959 and demolition in 2001 being key moments. The Pool’s cultural significance stems from it:

- having strong community associations relating to its establishment and use

- being representative of a 20th century ideology that viewed physical activity as one of the foundations for a cohesive society and

- being a significant and sculptural piece of architecture and a work by notable Queensland architect Jim Birrell.

Following the CHSA format, it appears that the Toowong Pool can achieve criteria a, d, e, f, g and h, and therefore should never have been demolished due to it being a significant contributor to Queensland's history.

The CHSA report and Toowong Pool history can be found here, alongside archival photographs and new architectural drawings: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dS-4Bbf1N1nEbvTAJZc6rrxVAdaFiL3C?usp=drive_link

Through the architectural qualities rediscovered in the digital model and the proof of cultural significance established by the CHSA, it can be seen that the Toowong Pool was a place of value and that its demolition was unwarranted.