Beatty Park Leisure Centre is located three kilometres north of the Perth Central Business District and was originally built in 1962. Beatty Park (owned and operated by the Town of Vincent) has been an icon in the West Australian community since its construction and is one of the most popular and identifiable aquatic facilities in the State.
The immediate community residing within the Town of Vincent has a population of some 28,000 people; however, the Centre draws from a much larger catchment area attracting patrons and visitors from throughout Perth and Western Australia. Over 800,000 people visit Beatty Park Leisure Centre each year making it one of the busiest leisure facilities in the State. The Centre employs some 120 people and has an annual turnover of $4.5 million.
Beatty Park Leisure Centre was built and used for the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. It comprised two 50 yard pools, a diving pool, extensive spectator seating and press rooms. Over the next 31 years the Centre played a prominent role in the development of swimming and aquatic sports in Western Australia, both in education and at an elite level.
A major refurbishment took place in 1993, with the best of the old being combined with an exciting new facility – a multi-purpose indoor and outdoor leisure and aquatic centre. When Beatty Park Leisure Centre re-opened in July 1994 it comprised a 50 metre 8-lane outdoor heated pool, a 30 metre heated dive pool, a 25 metre heated indoor lap pool with adjoining water playground, water slides, heated dive pool, freeform pool, sauna, spa and steam-room, gymnasium, group fitness room, circuit gym, retail shop, café, crèche, office space
and a series of activity rooms. The Centre has spectator seating for approximately 5,000 people.
In 2002 the indoor area was refurbished. As part of these works the indoor pool was fibre-glassed and the popular interactive leisure playground was installed.
A Needs Analysis and Feasibility Study for the Future Redevelopment of the Beatty Park Leisure Centre was undertaken in 2004 and 2006 and, based on the findings, it has been recommended that the Centre undergo redevelopment in order to meet the on-going needs of its patrons.
The Centre is listed as a Category A – Conservation Essential – property on the Town’s
Municipal Heritage Inventory and is also listed on the
State Heritage Register (since 2004).
Peter Hunt Architects have been engaged by the Town to prepare Concept Plans for the Redevelopment. The Concept Plans envisage a brand new building extension. In addition to the new section, significant upgrade and refurbishment within the Centre would be undertaken, including the outdoor and dive pool, plant room, change-rooms, hydrotherapy pool and spa.
The estimated cost of the redevelopment would be in the vicinity of $20 million and the Town would develop a Business Case for the financing of the project.
Based on the proposed Concept Plans, the redeveloped Beatty Park Leisure Centre would provide the community with a high quality facility that would be comparable with any new facility in the State and this redevelopment would ensure the operational and financial viability of the Centre for the foreseeable future.
Beatty Park is not only a popular recreational facility; its reputation in the community has been recognised over the years with the receipt of a number of awards:
- 2003 National Awards for Local Government: Winner of the Information Services Category – Poolwatch
- 2003 Heart Foundation Awards: WA Winner – Recreation Facility
- 2003 WA Local Government Best Practice Award – Poolwatch
- 2003 Sport and Recreation Industry Awards: Finalist – Facility Management
- 2004 PRIA (WA) State Awards for Excellence: Highly Commended – Issues and Crisis Management
- 2007 WA Water Awards: Winner – Water Conservation and Efficiency Award
- Beatty Park Leisure Centre was the 1000th place to be included on the State Register of Heritage Places in 2004