CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28742, 13 November 1958, Page 18

CASHMERE HIGH SCHOOL

New Swimming Pool

In Use

The swimming pool at Cashmere High School, one of the biggest in Christchurch, was used by pupils for the first time yesterday. The pool, construction of which began at Easter last year, is 33 1-3 met-es long, 42ft wide, and between 3ft 6in and 4ft in depth. The pool follows the latest trend of not having a deep end. Instead provision has been made for a separate diving area at the north end of the pool, with a depth of 10ft and a three-metre board.

Much of the auxiliary work on the pool has been done by pupils and members of the staff. The pool itself was built by contractors, but much of the excavating and concreting was done by volunteer labour at week-end working bees and during physical education periods. The parent-teacher association, under Messrs E. F. Johnson and J. Macleod, and the pupils raised more than £3OOO in just over 14 months towards construction, and the Government provided a subsidy of £2ooo—£lsoo for the pool and £5OO for the filtering plant for water purification.

The concrete sides for the filtering plant have been built, but the installation of the plant has been delayed because the suppliers have been unable to make delivery on time. The plant is expected to be operating when the school year resumes next February. Stand Next Year

Supporting posts for a stand along the north side of the pool have been sunk, but the stand will not be built until next year. The pool is well sheltered from the cast and the north by tall trees and protection from the south-west is given by dressing sheds.

The pool was finished before the winter, and the surrounding ground was allowed to consolidate until recently. The concrete finish of the walls of the pool is called aquelia, a design which is used extensively for waterproofing mountain tunnels in Switzerland. The headmaster (Mr T. H. McCombs) estimated that the pool would have cost £lO,OOO had the work been done by contract, and a large portion of this had been saved by volunteer work, and the excellent efforts of the parentteacher association, staff and pupils in raising money.