Ross Jones Memorial Pool is the easy Coogee ocean pool, right at the south end of the beach beside the surf club, where low concrete walls let the waves spill in at high tide. It's free, built in 1947, and full of kids on any warm day.
Key facts
- Type
- Ocean pool or baths
- Good to know
- Kids area
- Facilities and access
- Next to Coogee Surf Life Saving Club; no dogs, alcohol, glass or fires
- Managed by
- Randwick City Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Coogee Beach lifeguards nearby in season
- Public transport
- Buses to Coogee Beach
- Dogs
- Not allowed
- Best time to go
- Calm mornings, not Mondays
- Water quality
- GoodCoogee Beach, 0.2 km away. Sampled 28 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleaning
- Cleaned every Monday
- Town
- Coogee, NSW
What it's like
Step off the sand and you're there, which is why families love it. The walls are low enough that the sea pours over them at high tide and in rough weather, keeping the water fresh and sometimes delightfully choppy. Randwick Council built it in 1947 with Commonwealth compensation for wartime damage to its beaches. It's named after Ross Jones, a local alderman closely tied to the Coogee surf club, remembered on a plaque near the stairs.
When to go
Calm mornings are best. The pool is cleaned every Monday, and since no chemicals are used, algae can build up between cleans depending on weather and tides.
Getting there and facilities
The pool is next to Coogee Surf Life Saving Club. Toilets, showers, cafes and the Coogee bus stops are all a short walk along the beachfront.
Good to know
No dogs, alcohol, glass or fires. Coogee Beach is patrolled in season, and the pool sits right beside it.