Mackay Memorial

The Mackay Memorial Swimming Centre opened in December 1963 as a "living memorial", a war memorial which combines remembrance with community amenity. It honours all those from the Mackay district who lost their lives fighting in World War I or World War II. This public asset was constructed with an Olympic-sized 50 m pool, children's wading pool, an entrance building, and a plant building, set in generous landscaped grounds. A war memorial mural made of Italian glass mosaic tiles is set into the front wall of the entrance building. The place has a strong and ongoing community association, and is important in demonstrating the historic pattern of war memorial swimming pool construction which…

The 1963 Mackay Memorial Swimming Centre occupies a large site at the western edge of the Mackay central business district. It addresses a main thoroughfare, Milton Street, to the east and is bounded by Victoria Street to the north, undeveloped land to the west, and Gordon Street, a major entry point to the city centre, to the south. The entrance building stands near the centre of the Milton Street boundary, with the plant building located to its north. The Olympic-sized 50m swimming pool is located immediately behind the Entrance and Plant buildings, and the curvilinear wading pool to the southwest of the entrance building. Between the pools and the entrance building are formal landscaped…