RSA Paddling Pool, Victoria Esplanade, Palmerston North

In 1937 the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, which had been founded in 1916, celebrated its twenty-first anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, local branches of the RSA presented statements to their municipal councils expressing their appreciation of the support provided by the community to soldiers both during World War One and in the years that followed. The Palmerston North branch decided they also wanted to provide “a tangible reminder of our gratitude.” This led to the organisation’s sponsorship of the paddling pool constructed in the Botanic Gardens on Victoria Esplanade.

Bertram (Bert) Jacobs, the Dominion vice-president of the RSA and president of the Palmerston North branch, had originally written to the town clerk on 4 March 1937, proposing that the association “donate to the City two seats of appropriate design in the close proximity (one either end) of the Memorial in the Square Gardens” (B. J. Jacobs to the Town Clerk, 4 March 1937). However, following  a meeting in May the RSA instead agreed to the suggestion of “a Children’s Paddling Pool … with seats at the sides and tablet on the back thereof” with the work to be “undertaken with R.S.A. labour employed by the Council” (Town Clerk to Jacobs, 25 May 1937). Work commenced on the pool in mid-1937 and it was ready for use in October. The Manawatu Times reported: “It was not long either, before the children discovered that there was water in the new paddling pool which the Palmerston North branch of the R.S.A. has constructed as a gift to the city.  Boots and socks were soon stripped off and the joy of a new pastime indulged in” (18 October 1937).

The total cost of constructing the paddling pool was £416-13-0, towards which the members of the RSA contributed a donation of £75. Labour costs included £38-16-7 for workers hired under the unemployment relief scheme and £90-18-4 for the wages of council employees.

The form of the paddling pool is that of a circle intersected by a rectangle, which broadly resembles the shape of the RSA badge. The pool is 80 feet (24.4 meters) in length and filled with six inches of water. Alongside the paddling pool are a pergola and brick wall, which were funded through donations from Palmerston North businesses. The commemorative marble tablet was donated by W. E. Jones and installed by H. W. Johnson. (‘Returned Soldiers,’ Manawatu Standard, 31 May 1938).

Repairs were made to the pool over the years, but by 1978 the loss of water through cracks had become a major problem. The Director of Reserves, John W. Bolton, recommended that the paddling pool be replaced and that a filtration system be installed to help maintain the cleanliness of the water. Upon learning of this proposal, Arthur Lockwood, president of the Palmerston North Returned Services Association, contacted Bolton, writing:

“The Paddling Pool is a gift of which we are extremely proud and one of the most used facilities in the City, and it would be a great loss to this Association if our connection with this facility was obliterated in any way.

     It is requested therefore that in any replacement Pool the sentiments of the Returned Soldiers original gift to the City of Palmerston North be preserved and to this end this Association would wish to be consulted and represented in any proposals for the replacement of the Pool.” (16 November 1978).

After being assured that the replacement would replicate the original design and acknowledge its connection to the RSA, the Palmerston North branch selected the paddling pool as their fundraising project for 1979. Later that year they presented a cheque for $2824 to the council, as a contribution towards the costs of either repairing or replacing the paddling pool.

The contract for reconstructing the pool was awarded to A.J. Wood and Robson Ltd and the new filtration system was provided and installed by Filtermaster N.Z. Ltd. Work commenced in September 1983 and the new paddling pool, which was painted ‘iceberg’ blue, was available for children’s enjoyment in December. In total, the cost of the project was $40,905. The brick wall, pergola and commemorative plaque are the original structures that were installed in 1937, although the wall beneath the pergola is now decorated with a mural by Gemma Farrell.

Sources:

‘Ex-servicemen Say Thank You: Paddling Pool Presented to Citizens as Appreciation of Assistance Rendered,’ Manawatu Times, 8 June 1937.

‘Gratitude of R.S.A.: Gifts to City: Co-Operation Appreciated,’ Manawatu Standard, 8 June 1937.

‘Sunshine and Cherry Blossoms: Esplanade Popular Rendezvous,’ Manawatu Times, 18 October 1937.

‘Returned Soldiers: Palmerston North Branch: Annual Meeting,’ Manawatu Standard, 31 May 1938.

PNCC 1/5/5:0:83/13/4 Part 1, Correspondence for Reserves: Esplanade Paddling Pool, 1937-1984.

‘Mural in Palmerston North Parks Pretty Up Landscape, Put Taggers at Bay,’ Manawatu Standard, 3 March 2017, https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/90031170/murals-in-palmerston-north-parks-pretty-up-landscape-put-taggers-at-bay