Swimming Legends and Family Connections

Swimming Legends and Family Connections

Mrs. Fredda Eve (nee Cavill) was a former proprietor of the Municipal Baths and an official guest at the opening of the Parramatta War Memorial Swimming Centre in 1959. Fredda's family were notably good swimmers, her brother Dick was credited with inventing the 'Australian crawl' overarm freestyle swimming stroke and her brother Sydney, originated the butterfly stroke. 

Whilst Dick was credited with inventing the freestyle swimming stroke, it must be said that he learned something of it from a Solomon Islander named Alick Wickham. The stroke was later modified by Cecil Healy in 1905. This overarm freestyle stroke, eventually known as the ‘Australian Crawl’, revolutionised swimming and is still the major competitive style. Both Wickham and Healy were remembered as participating in a carnival at the Centennial Baths in 1914.

Fredda was the daughter of Frederick Cavill who managed the Sydney Natatorium in Farm Cove in the 1880s. Frederick Cavill, was renowned for swimming from Parramatta to Sydney, he was a champion swimmer in England, and recipient of several Royal Humane Society medals for sea rescues.  He was known as ‘the professor of swimming’.

Fredda had three sons, Richard who won a gold medal for diving at the 1924 Paris Olympics, Alan who was an Australian diving champion, and Jim who was awarded an M.B.E. for his work as organising secretary of the 1938 Empire Games in Sydney.

The grand opening of the Parramatta Memorial Swimming Centre in 1959 had seen the completion of the Olympic pool and changing facilities.  Work continued during 1960 on the completion of the Learners' Pool, and Wading Pool. Another formal ceremony was held on 17 December 1960 with the honours being performed by John Devitt, fresh from his gold-medal-winning performance at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Source:

'Programme of the Opening of the Parramatta and District War Memorial Swimming Centre'; 'Pool Ready', Parramatta and Hills News, 22 October 1959.

'Mayor Opens Pool'; Parramatta and Hills News, 29 October 1959

'Ex-Swim Star for City Pool Opening', Parramatta Advertiser, 22 October 1959, p 1

EJE Landscape Architects and Christa Ludlow, 'Survey of Harbourside and Ocean Pools of the Sydney Metropolitan Region', for National Trust of Australia (NSW), 1994, section 4.4

 'Past Pools of Parramatta', Parramatta and Hills News, 22 October 1959, p 2; 'Ex-Swim Star for City Pool Opening', Parramatta Advertiser, 22 October 1959,

'Programme of the Opening of the Learners' Pool and the Wading Pool at Parramatta and District War Memorial Swimming Centre', Parramatta Heritage Centre

Image: Parramatta Council Heritage Archives, Centennial Baths from Church Street, c. 1930