BATHURST Aquatic Centre is set to be renamed in honour of a former long-serving pool superintendent under a report to go before Bathurst Regional Council.
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John Manning was employed as Bathurst’s pool manager for 32 years from 1964 when the complex was an outdoor facility on the site of the current aquatic centre.
During that time Mr Manning’s wife Nina and other family members were also heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the pool.
When he died in September, a community campaign began to have the aquatic centre named in his honour, with an online petition collecting 1250 names.
A report to Wednesday night’s council meeting by engineering services director Darren Sturgiss notes the strong support for the move and recommends council adopt the name Bathurst Manning Aquatic Centre.
“In their works at the Bathurst Olympic Pool, Mr and Mrs John and Nina Manning became well-known and respected within the community, especially to many of the younger generation of Bathurst who regularly frequented the pool during their childhood years,” the report states.
Mr Sturgiss says council’s naming policy only allows for individuals to be recognised in this way in “exceptional circumstances” and that naming a council facility in this way should:
- Commemorate and recognise individuals, institutions, or events that contributed to the betterment of the Bathurst community.
- Honour achievement at a high level.
- Generally only be considered after the person is deceased.
- Where practicable, be done in consultation with the deceased person’s surviving family.
“It is believed that the request to name the Bathurst Aquatic Centre in honour of Mr and Mrs Manning is in compliance with council’s naming policy,” the report states.
“Council has also consulted with the family members of Mr and Mrs Manning and they are supportive of the initiative to name the aquatic centre in their family’s name.”
