.: Club History

It was at a meeting convened by Nunawading City Council on 22nd July 1960, where a decision was taken to form the Nunawading Amateur Swimming and Life Saving Club. Following a talk by Mr. Les Phillips of the Victorian Amateur Swimming Association, it was decided to affiliate with this Association. An interim committee was formed and received a donation of ten guineas from the Nunawading Chamber of Commerce.

In December 1960 the Nunawading Memorial Swimming Pool opened. The pool was classified the Memorial Pool in recognition of those who served in the wars of 1914-18, 1939-45 and 1950-53.

Mr. Don Smith was appointed as the Club's first Captain/Coach in March 1961 together with Mr. Dick van der School as the Manager/Coach of the proposed Water polo team. The first Annual General Meeting was conducted two months later.

In April 1962 the Committee received advice from Nunawading Council allocating an area as the site for the proposed clubrooms and in May 1962 at the second A.G.M. the President announced the opening of the Clubrooms Building Fund. Mr Len Booth was later appointed as overseer of the actual construction.

The Nunawading City Council loaned the Club 2000 pounds ($4,000) towards the building fund and the Lions Club donated 500 pounds ($1,000). Other principal fund raising efforts were - a popular girl contest, Bingo, operations of the pool kiosk, and numerous marathon swims. A Bank loan of $10,000 guaranteed by Mr. Paul Hamlin (the book publisher) was received and repaid within four years.

The total cost of the Clubrooms was $26,385 raised between 1962 and 1972. The Governor of Victoria, SIR ROHAN DELACOMBE KCMG, KBE, C13, DSO, and KSG held the Official Opening on 10 April 1969.

The Club quickly established itself as a major force in Speed Swimming, Water Polo, and Synchronized Swimming with members from all sections competing at National and International competitions.

Leigh Nugent Head Coach from 1979 to 2000 and Mark Thompson Head Coach 2000 to 2005 have been the driving forces behind the success of the Club in past years.   The Club has produced Olympians and Commonwealth Games representatives including Rod Lawson, Rob Woodhouse, David Wilson, Adrian Radley and Brooke Hanson.  In July 2008, Amanda Isaac was named as the Head Coach of Nunawading Swimming Club.

The Club has a strong affiliation with NYP Water Polo Club, Nunawading Synchronised Swimming Club and has recently formed relationships with Nunawading Triathlon and Masters Swimming Clubs.

The Club has one of the largest memberships of a local swimming club in Australia and has established a strategic focus on creating an environment where success is inevitable.

In 2002 the Executive Committee reviewed the Club's overall direction and strategy.
A steering committee comprising a cross section of club members, parents, staff and swimmers was set up to do this.

This involved a comprehensive survey of the club's community to determine strengths , weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Based on this information the committee formulated a new vision for the club " to be the most recognised and well regarded swimming club in Australia both in Learn to Swim and Speed Swimming". A streamlined constitution was developed together with a new professional management structure to ensure the ongoing future success of the club. Believed to be a first for a swimming club, Australian Swimming's National Events Manager, Gary Barclay was appointed as the first General Manager of Nunawading Swimming Club Inc in 2003.

In 2004, Leigh Nugent, Nunawading Swimming Club's former coach (1980 -2000) was appointed as Head Coach for Australian Swimming and will lead the National Swimming Team to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Leigh is well respected for his dedication and commitment to the development of swimming over a long period of time and his appointment to this position is rightly deserved.