Gentlemen's Pool is one of the oldest rock pools in the Illawarra, cut into the platform just north of Continental Pool in North Wollongong. Once for men only, it's now free and open to everyone, with a new ramp in and a quieter feel than its busy neighbour.
Key facts
- Type
- Rock pool
- Facilities and access
- Cliff Road, North Wollongong
- Managed by
- City of Wollongong
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- No
- Public transport
- Wollongong station, 15 to 20 minutes' walk
- Best time to go
- Calm days, low to mid tide
- Water quality
- GoodNorth Wollongong Beach, 0.4 km away. Sampled 24 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleaning
- Not stated
- Town
- North Wollongong, NSW
What it's like
This is a simple rock pool below Cliff Road, a short walk from the city and harbour, and on a calm day the water is clear and still. In a swell the waves wash right across it. People have swum here since at least the 1850s. In the 1890s a contractor blasted out the old Clarke's Hole to make the Gentlemen's Baths, back when local laws kept men and women bathing apart.
When to go
Calm days at low to mid tide. Cleaning dates are estimates that change with the weather and sea.
Getting there and facilities
The pool is just north of Continental Pool on Cliff Road, North Wollongong, on the Blue Mile foreshore path, and a new ramp makes it easier to reach. Toilets and change rooms are at Continental Pool next door. Wollongong station is about 15 to 20 minutes' walk.
Good to know
There are no lifeguards at this pool, though Continental Pool next door has them during its opening hours. The rock platform is slippery.