Untold History: How the long history of the unique Swim Thru Perth cemented its place in Australian sport

It was inspired by a swimming event in London’s River Thames. And by late 1911, Perth’s The Sunday Times reported there was much interest in the forthcoming local version. While some readers of the paper at the time may have scratched their heads at reference to excitement in “natatorial circles” — those related to swimming — there were great expectations about the success of the event. And those predictions were spot on. The event was the inaugural Swim Through Perth — which has stayed the distance to become Australia’s oldest open water swim. Since it was first held in 1912, it has followed numerous courses over varied distances, and has only been interrupted by the two world wars, a polio epidemic, and, in 2021, COVID-19. Always held in January in the Swan River, it has grown from nearly 50 swimmers in 1912 to about 300 participants expected on January 19 2025. On December 10 1911, The Sunday Times previewed the first event. ”Deep interest in natatorial circles is being evinced in the forthcoming swim through Perth for ‘The Sunday Times Cup’,” the paper said. “Already there are many of our best swimmers in full training for this event, which is the first of its kind ever held in the metropolis. “Everything points to the affair being a gigantic success. “All of our best swimmers will be seen in action in this unique event, and several members of the fair sex have promised to compete, so that additional interest will be lent to the race. “In connection with the ladies, it might be mentioned that all will be allowed to take part except teachers of swimming, they being, of course, regarded as professionals.” Perhaps there were no male swim teachers at the time, for there was no mention of whether they would be allowed to compete. The winner would receive a silver cup valued at £10 10s. A gold medal valued £3 3s would go to the swimmer with the fastest time, it being a handicap event. Every woman or girl completing the course would receive a trophy valued at £1 1s, while every male finisher would receive a certificate. The first-prize cup was on display at Caris Brothers in Barrack Street. On January 7 1912, the paper reported triumphantly on the inaugural event, under headlines including “Magnificent Race”, “A splendid exhibition of Stamina and Pluck,” “Enormous Public Interest”, and “Dense Crowds Watch the Contest”. The paper told how the event had come into being after W.H. Slocock, — then the secretary of the WA Rowing and Swimming Club — had been impressed during a visit to Britain by the “great swim through London”. When he saw the wide interest in “a race through a pea-soup stream like the Thames he conceived the idea of promoting a similar event on that magnificent sheet of water, the Swan River”, the paper said. The first race took swimmers from Applecross Jetty to the WA Rowing Club shed on the city’s edge. “In the vicinity of the spot fixed for the start there were myriads of boats — white-winged yachts (which were more a nuisance, than otherwise), trim-looking motor-boats and rowing craft from the stately eight-oar to the home-made dugout, while swimmers who were not competitors showed themselves here and there in the water as a sort of guarantee that the competitors in the great contest need not be afraid of sharks or jellyfish,” the paper reported. There were 49 swimmers in the event, including five women, and most competitors used the “trudgen” stroke — a mix of freestyle and sidestroke. The oldest swimmer, A.G. Wood, referred to by the paper as “the old buffer”, was 43 years old. “When the first competitor was sent away, and as she touched the water Miss Ena Ewart, a plucky little swimmer of only 13 summers, was met with a salvo of applause, which was repeated as she passed the various launches,” the paper said. “The shoal of swimmers, each with an attendant boat, looked like a school of herrings, with a fishing fleet in attendance. “Mount’s Bay Road was a mass of motor cars and all sorts of vehicles, the King’s Park terraces were alive with humanity, and every foot of the Mill Point jetty was occupied. “But all these were reduced to infinitesimal proportions when those who followed the race got to the vicinity of the William Street jetty, for between there and the WARC boat-house there were dense crowds whose like has never been seen on the river before. “Truly it was an inspiring sight.” The paper estimated the overall crowd was at least 20,000. “It is safe to say that there were more sightseers at the Swim Through Perth than there were at the Perth Cup,” it said. “Never has the river presented such a spectacle.” The one major drawback was that “jellyfish were as thick as autumn leaves in Vallombrosa” and that “it is highly probable that many swimmers discovered stings when they cooled down after their exertions”. The event was won by D. Williamson, of Perth Swimming Club, and Phyliss Bardwell, of Claremont Swimming Club, was fourth and the first female. Ken Spillman, in Buoyant: A History Of Swimming In Western Australia, wrote that before long the race became a major event on the city’s calendar. He said The West Australian noted in 1915 the distinctly local race was “the only event of its kind in the Commonwealth”. The event has gone from strength to strength, and has over the years attracted many stars of WA and Australian swimming, along with swimmers of all ages and standards. Among the big names to have swum in the race is seven-time world champion marathon swimmer and current event patron Shelley Taylor-Smith, who won the event as a 12-year-old. Also notable is that prominent WA businessman Nigel Satterley won the event in 1984, and his company is a sponsor. Part-proceeds from the swim go towards supporting Superfins WA, a swimming club for people with disabilities of all levels. Now known as the Swim Thru Perth, event co-ordinator Elena Nesci said the event — co-ordinated by Claremont Masters Swimming Club — had ongoing appeal because of its uniqueness and history. Some swimmers had taken part over decades, and the oldest competitor in the event’s more recent history was 87 years old. Numbers in the swim — no longer a handicap event — peaked at more than 400 in 2019 before the interruption of COVID-19. Ms Nesci said entrant numbers were building again and she expected close to 300 swimmers to take part on January 19 across the three distances — 3.5km (from the city near the Narrows Bridge to Matilda Bay), 1.6km, and 800m.