Our Mission Statement:

The Lara Swimming Club Inc. aims to:

Provide a friendly atmosphere that will encourage and assist individuals to achieve their desired goals and reach their full potential, within the Swimming Club environment.

LARA SWIMMING CLUB HISTORY

Early History Local residents Abe and Jean McClelland donated the land on which the Lara Pool was constructed and it was named in their honour. It was the first chlorinated pool in the Geelong area. In February 1963 the inaugural pool manager, Mr. Herb Jeffery, called a meeting to gauge community interest for the establishment of a swimming club. The pool was officially opened on 02/03/1963 and the new Lara Amateur Swimming and Lifesaving Club held its first swim meet on that day. The pool was built to imperial measurements, being slightly longer than a 50-metre pool. From inception, weekly swim meets have been held. At the end of each season, Presentation Days have been held to award trophies to those who have won the highest number of points over the past season. A number of special awards have also been made each year. In its early years the pool was unheated, so the swimmers needed much stamina to undertake early morning training sessions. Minutes of the 1975 Annual General Meeting mention that the pool had been heated. The clubroom was officially opened in March 1976, with significant funding being provided by the Shire of Corio. In addition, Club members conducted fundraising activities for a number of years to contribute towards the cost.

Current Day With council amalgamations in 1993, management of the pool transferred to the City of Greater Geelong. In 1994 our name was changed to Lara Swimming Club Inc. to meet the requirements of new incorporation legislation. Our Club colours of navy-blue and white have been used throughout our history, with our current logo being the third version. Huge celebrations have been held to celebrate our significant milestones. These have included our 25th anniversary (1988), 30th anniversary (1993), 40th anniversary (2003) and 50th anniversary (2013). Our 60th anniversary officially falls on 2nd March 2023. We will be celebrating this special event with celebratory daytime events at the pool on Saturday 25th February, followed by an evening function at the Lara Sporting Club on the same evening. Covid-19 lockdowns significantly impacted upon training during 2020 and 2021, with vaccinations becoming increasingly available to the various age groups throughout 2021 and onwards. We were able to continue training and Club Meets from when the Lara Pool opened in 2021 until the end of the season, but entry to the venue was restricted to those who met the required vaccination status. Quite a few of our families were impacted upon by Covid over the 2021/2022 Club season. Restricted access to pools had been removed by the time our swimmers had recommenced training in 2022.