As demonstrated by the above review of the literature, there is a considerable dearth of knowledge in regard to competitive swimming in Melbourne. Additionally, there is little contextual information available that examines the role of swimming in a wider, societal context. This is in stark comparison to Sydney and New South Wales, where a number of studies have been undertaken examining different aspects of aquatic culture. These studies have successfully placed the role of competitive and recreational swimming into a wider context. Given Melbourne’s early history of aquatic activity, and the lack of research regarding this, there is considerable scope for a study on swimming in Melbourne and its place in sporting life particularly and society more generally.
This study is intended to be unique in the respect that it will examine the development of competitive swimming in Melbourne from an alternate perspective. Rather than constructing a history based on records, trophies, champions and times, this thesis presents the development of competitive swimming as a social construction of the nineteenth century press. It has already been acknowledged in this chapter by various authors that the press is not a neutral agency, and therefore it is prudent to examine the manner in which swimming was represented, and why this was the case. If press coverage is interpreted as a reflection of what the public were interested in reading about, as the literature would suggest, then this thesis also provides a window into which themes and aspects were valued in swimming by the public, and subsequently which cultural and social values were prominent in this period. This allows the development of the competitive sport to be contextualised against events in wider society, as well as providing an interpretative picture of the class, gender and cultural interactions that underpinned the sport’s development.
It is also important to note that there has been very little academic level research on swimming in this country. A number of honours level theses have been completed on various aspects of Australian aquatic history, and a small number of journal articles published, but to date no doctoral research has been completed that focuses solely on competitive swimming in Australia. As a result of this, there is limited ongoing research in this area. This is in comparison to countries such as France, England and Canada, which have been the subject of numerous contextual studies by accomplished academics in the area of aquatics. In reference to this, the existing scholarly research regarding competitive swimming in Melbourne is virtually non-existent, which suggests that there is considerable scope for academic work in this area.
Significantly, this investigation will also fill a considerable gap in the literature available on Victorian competitive swimming by addressing the contextual developments that occurred within competitive swimming in Melbourne, from the inauguration of the colonial association to the close of the nineteenth century. The available literature focuses largely on times and records, with special homage paid to Australian and international champions. A contextual study, such as this, yields some insight as to which aspects of swimming were valued by the Melbourne public, as well as uncovering findings that may be applicable to a national history of the sport.
Chapter Two
The Characteristics of Swimming and Bathing in Early Melbourne 2.1 Introduction
In order to understand the cultural relevance of swimming in Melbourne during the late nineteenth century, and to contextualise some of the developments that occurred within the sport upon the establishment of the VSA, it is important to consider the characteristics and evolution of the sport prior to this event. From the settlement of Melbourne in 1835, swimming was commonly referred to as bathing, and was an activity that was undertaken for health and hygienic reasons. However, due to government and middle class concerns with the bodily display associated with the bathing ritual, the early years of bathing in Melbourne were characterised by a constant struggle to establish suitable places for all classes to bathe that were hidden from public view, affordable, accessible and clean. It was only once these objectives were achieved that the transition could be made from hygiene to recreation, or from bathing to competitive swimming.
This chapter explores the transition from bathing to competitive swimming in nineteenth century Melbourne, and the underlying cultural factors that contributed to this shift. The development of competitive swimming in Melbourne was precipitated by a waning emphasis on the use of public baths for sanitation and hygienic purposes, in response to the establishment of a clean and reliable water supply to private homes to cater for this need. However, it was also underpinned by a number of other factors. The evolution of a particular seaside carnival culture, the establishment of standardised baths, the promotion of sea bathing as beneficial to health and the moral benefits associated with competitive sport for children were significant contributors to the development of competitive swimming. In this chapter, the interaction between these various factors will be examined, in order to explore the cultural significance of swimming in nineteenth century Melbourne.