Altona beachgoers have slammed Hobsons Bay council for leaving popular swimming spot Flemings Pool full of rocks and without sand last week as the mercury topped 30°C.
The pool at the end of Millers Road is named after the Fleming family that, in 1915, removed rocks to create a swimming hole.
Earlier this year, the council built a 45-metre stormwater pipe encased in a revetment and placed rocks at the site.
Sixth-generation Altona resident Katrina Fleming (unrelated to the pool’s namesake) posted on Facebook: “It’s 30 degrees, lunchtime, the beach is packed and Fleming’s Pool is full of rocks. Not Cool #hobsonsbaycitycouncil, not cool.”
She met Star Weekly at the site last Wednesday.
“The Flemings were pivotal at the Baptist church,” Ms Fleming said.
“They struggled to get parishioners on hot days so they decided to hold church meetings here in the water so that they could preach where everyone was cool and swimming.”
Ms Fleming said the Flemings had moved all the rocks out of the way, but the council had dumped them all back again.
Cheryl Gardner, granddaughter of one of the pool’s creators, Lawrence Fleming, said she had contacted the council.
“I used to take my kids there … it’s a lovely spot, it’s the best part of Altona,” she said. “My father and my grandfather moved a few big rocks … so people could go in there and swim.”
Historian Peter Weaver, who grew up 100 metres from Flemings Pool, said that while the council works were needed to stop erosion, the state the pool had been left in was “disgusting”.
“While nature will take its course and do something there, they need to address it for summer because everyone is up in arms,” he said.
“There’s no beach there at high tide any more.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Sandra Wilson and councillor Tony Briffa said the council would remove the rocks except for a line of larger boulders to bolster the seawall.
“This will clean up Flemings Pool, which is currently suffering the effects of the longer season of south-westerly winds,” Cr Wilson said.
