Beverley Whitfield Ocean Pool is the Shellharbour ocean pool, a Depression-era concrete pool on the village foreshore that reopened in December 2025 with a permanent ramp on its western side. It's free and named for the local girl who won Olympic gold in 1972, and the harbour cafes are a short walk away.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Good to know
- Step-free or ramp access
- Managed by
- Shellharbour City Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- No
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings
- Water quality
- GoodShellharbour Beach, 0.9 km away. Sampled 24 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Shellharbour, NSW
What it's like
The pool sits on the rocks beside Shellharbour's little harbour, with lanes for laps and the sea washing over the outer wall when there's a swell. The new ramp runs into the water without costing any swimming lanes, and in 2026 council added a water wheelchair for use in the pool. People have swum here since at least the mid-1890s, when a small tidal pool was used for segregated bathing. It was rebuilt in concrete in 1930 and renamed in 1994 for Beverley Whitfield, who won the 200 m breaststroke in Munich.
When to go
Calm mornings are best. The pool closes for a few weeks each winter for maintenance, so check its status before a cold-season trip.
Getting there and facilities
The pool is on the foreshore beside Shellharbour Village and its harbour, with cafes and shops a short walk away. Ask the council about booking the water wheelchair before you go.
Good to know
No lifeguard watches the pool. The ramp can be slippery with weed, so take it slowly.