Naming Project for the Parramatta Aquatic Centre

The Post-It Note Wall is an interactive engagement tool that allows participants to provide public facing comments on digital 'post-it notes'.

Throughout stage one consultation, community members were able to suggest names that align with specific criteria (see next question).

Before being made public, these suggestions were moderated by Council officers to ensure that they were not a duplicate of an existing post-it note, were appropriate, in-line with the established naming criteria, and provided a short explanation as to what the name means/represents.

Once made public, other community members were able to 'up-vote' in support of a suggestion.

Please also note that all First Nations/Dharug name suggestions from the broader community in stage one were not made public in line with the cultural protocols that Council adheres too which ensures that any First Nations/Dharug names must come from Dharug representatives.

During stage one consultation, the community were invited to suggest names for the spaces, rooms, pools and services that aligned to one or more of the following criteria:

• Landmarks, flora and fauna within the City of Parramatta LGA and its waterways;
• Deceased individuals from the City of Parramatta community who have made a significant contribution to health, wellbeing and/or swimming culture;
• Deceased individuals or events that recognise the history of the Mays Hill site.

At the same time, Council engaged with local Dharug community representatives for some suggested First Nations name options against the same criteria.

The naming criteria for this consultation is a helpful guide that draws influence from the New South Wales Geographical Names Board who have developed guidelines for the determination of place names.

The new aquatic and leisure centre will be an important community asset that will offer a wide range of swimming, recreation, fitness, and wellbeing services. There are several elements within the new centre that would benefit from having a name that reflects the character, location, and identity of the facility. These include physical spaces such as the various pools, program rooms and outdoor areas, as well as services offered throughout the facility.

The 50-metre outdoor pool and the grandstand seating are excluded from this process. Please see separate FAQs below for more information. In addition, the gym and swimming programs are also excluded from this process.

At the conclusion of stage one consultation, the most popular names as indicated by 'up-voting' were reviewed to determine suitability. This review process involved Council officers looking into whether there were any copyright/trademarking issues or any other possible concerns with the names.

The most popular names selected by the community during stage two consultation will be allocated to spaces, rooms, pools and services within the new aquatic and leisure centre as deemed most appropriate by Council officers.

The names allocated against different elements will then be presented to Council for formal endorsement.

City of Parramatta acknowledges the Traditional Owners of this land, the Dharug people. The Dharug people still populate the areas of Parramatta and have a very close and special connection to the area, in particular the Mays Hill site where the new centre will be located.

It is culturally appropriate and respectful for consultation with local Aboriginal communities including relevant organisations and local Dharug representatives to take place when First Nations names are being considered.

Kevin Hession was a long-time member of the Parramatta Memorial Swimming Club and made a positive contribution to the community through the Club’s training programs. In fact, the grandstand bleachers at the Parramatta War Memorial Pool were named in his honour.

At the 28 September 2020 meeting, Council resolved to name the grandstand seating at the new facility as The Kevin Hession Stand.

In the 1950s and 1960s, inspired by the hosting of the Melbourne Olympics and the memory of World War II, war memorial pools were established by communities across New South Wales.

To mark and honour the legacy of the former Parramatta War Memorial Pool, it is proposed that the 50m outdoor pool in the new facility be named the Memorial Pool.

Further consultation is being conducted with the Parramatta RSL Sub-branch and the Parramatta Memorial Swimming Club before a final recommendation is made to Council for endorsement.

The new facility replaces the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre (PWMSC), which was opened in 1959 and closed in 2017 as part of the expansion of, what is now, CommBank Stadium.

The ‘aquatic and leisure centre’ title was a working project name – it was never intended as a permanent name for the facility.

Councillors shortlisted names that went through further analysis and a review which included market testing, marketing analysis and targeted sentiment research.

Council formally decided the final name for the facility at the Council Meeting on Monday 11 July 2022.