Remote Pools Project

In the mid-1990s, the people of Ngukurr decided they wanted a pool. Around 350 community members contributed $2 from their weekly pay for two years — covering roughly a quarter of the cost of the four pools. The rest was raised through grants, with commitment maintained even when funds were temporarily redirected to urgent housing projects. Nearly 30 years later, locals reflect on how the pool shaped childhoods, created safe spaces, and continues to bring the community together. Pools in remote communities are essential, highly valued assets. Support Ngukurr’s pool 👉 Donate via link in bio 🔗 〰️ Thanks to Hannah Hueneke for recording Ngukurr pool’s history in her article for @cfatltd . Ngukurr pool is run in partnership with community, @ropergulfregion and @ianpotterfdn . The @remotepoolsproject is an initiative of @ynorthernterritory . Video produced by @goingnorth.nt , with support from @the_yaustralia .

From Nunawading to Ngukurr, we’re so excited to have Jono and Lucy from @justswimmingswimschools volunteering their time with @remotepoolsproject . Visiting remote communities is an adventure. Jono and Lucy travelled nearly 4,500km across three days to arrive in Ngukurr from Melbourne. They’ll be in community for four weeks, running free swimming lessons for school students from Ngukurr, Urapunga, Numbulwar and Minyerri! They will also be running pre-school and toddler lessons, parent-baby classes, aqua aerobics, and our Elder’s water exercise program. All free for community. Stay tuned for more updates 👀 A big thank you to @nunawading_swimming_club for funding this term’s program and lending us your incredible swim teachers. The pool in Ngukurr is run by @remotepoolsproject in partnership with community, @ropergulfregion and @ianpotterfdn .

We’re thrilled to share we’re working with @budgysmuggler on the Remote Pools Project, representing their largest community partnership! Together, over the next year, we’ll support experienced volunteer swim teachers to deliver 28 weeks of free swimming lessons for children, young people, adults and Elders living in the remote communities of Ngukurr, Borroloola, Utju and Ltyentye Apurte. On top of that, Budgy will be gifting us brand new -and incredibly cute- hats, kid’s bathers and swimming onesies to distribute at our pools 🙌 Budgy, thank you! Here’s to a long and happy friendship in the Northern Territory 💛🦜

At the end of March, we wrapped up our FIFTH season at the Ltyentye Apurte pool! A big thank you to our multi-season Eastern Arrernte staff, Patricia (front and centre on our staff ‘album cover’), Terry and Malcolm. Their ongoing commitment and cultural authority at the pool make it a safer and happier place 💛 Safety was a key focus for the season, so we were super proud to increase our annual aquatic facility safety assessment score to 90! This score now makes Ltyentye Apurte a ‘silver-endorsed’ public pool, a huge effort for a 50-year-old facility in a remote location. Big thanks to this season’s full-time staff, Andrea and Claire (pictured in PPE), for their work on this. Other highlights over the six months included… - Recording 5,512 entries! - Teaching swimming to Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School students with volunteers Robbie and Elly - The school swimming carnival - Throwing LOTS of splash parties thanks to funding from @indigenous_gov - @lifeguardhoppoofficial and the @floattosurviveaustralia team’s first trip to community! - Adult sessions at the pool (for some calm 🧘🏾‍♀️) and testing a few women’s-only nights - A parliamentary visit by @jinson_charls_mla , @marieclareboothby , @laurieziomla and @clintonhowemla Big thanks to community, @macdonnellregionalcouncil , #ThePhillipsFoundation and @budgysmuggler for working with us through another season.

Two weeks ago, we finished our third season in the Tanami Desert, at the beautiful Lajamanu waterpark. The waterpark is our most youth-centred facility – it’s a place for kids to cool off, have some food, run around and then plonk down at the arts table. Over seven months, we recorded 7,531 visits! For adults, the waterpark is a sought-after event space in community and this season we kept the park open and supervised for: ▪️ @yandamah to host movie nights and a big jumping castle ▪️ @centraldesertrc to host their regular youth program and BBQs ▪️ @reddogbuilders to host a BBQ for Carlton footy legend, Matthew Cottrell ▪️ Northern Warlpiri Mozzie’s Football Club to host their meetings ▪️ @bigrivers_tis to host a health promotion event ▪️ @kalkaringi_school , who brought their preschool and Transition students for an end of year celebration Big thanks to our three Warlpiri staff: Patricia, returning for her third year (📸 second to the right of Matthew Cottrell), Alarna, returning for her second year (📸 Land Rights News) and Ronson (📸 cooking up a roo tail for the kids over the Term 1 holidays). And big thanks too to our full-time staff, Dan and Connie, for a great season, and for remaining so committed through challenges with accommodation and road access! We can’t wait to be back later in the year, for YEAR-ROUND operations moving forward 🥳 〰️ Our waterpark in Lajamanu is run in partnership with community, the Lajamanu GMAAAC committee and @centrallandcouncil .

That #tgif energy 💃🕺🏽 At the end of her program over the summer, our then volunteer aqua instructor Zoe received a certificate from her students, which read: “Trying her best - Zoe is hereby recognised for her dedication to aqua aerobics instruction and helping the older ladies in Ngukurr get fit” A+ for effort 😁🏆 〰️ Our pool in Ngukurr is run in partnership with community, @ropergulfregion and @ianpotterfdn .

In late March, we ended our third season in Yuendumu 🦄 Over six months, we… - Recorded 9,331 visits to the pool! - Trialled our first summer holiday program with volunteers Liz and Peter - Ran learn-to-swim programs for Yuendumu and Nyirripi students with volunteer swim teacher, Georgina - Hosted a local parent-baby group for water-familiarisation sessions - Threw 15 splash parties thanks to support from @indigenous_gov - Continued the much-valued evening adult sessions for swimming, skim ball and socializing - Nearly doubled our annual facility safety score from @royallifesavingnt A big thank you to our site team: Callum, Jordan and Michael. And a special mention to our volunteer swim teacher Tahlia, whose Term 1 programs with Willowra and Yuelamu schools both got cancelled due to flooding 💔 We’ll be back in September with the warmer (and drier!) weather 👋 〰️ Our pool in Yuendumu is run in partnership with community, the Yuendumu GMAAAC committee and @centrallandcouncil .

When Phoebe (📸 on the left), one of the founders of @golocum , reached out to us late last year, we knew she ‘got it’. Phoebe lives in a remote Northern Territory community that benefits from a local swimming pool – and working in health she’s seen first-hand how vital pools are, particularly out bush. Fast-forward a few months and we want to give our big, big thanks to Go Locum, who have joined as our newest – and first in the Territory! – sponsor 🙏 Together, we’ll deliver another year of water safety and swimming programs in the remote town of Borroloola, free for infants through to Elders.

We’re hiring! 💼 Duty manger, full-time, permanent. 📍Based in Borroloola, a remote town in the Northern Territory’s Gulf of Carpentaria. ℹ Work alongside our aquatic coordinator and local casual lifeguards to safely operate the community’s beautiful swimming pool. 🏠 Accommodation and utilities provided, plus access to a vehicle for work-purposes. 💰 $80-$85K p.a. + super + salary-packaging benefits. 🏝 5 weeks annual leave. For more information, go to the link in our bio 🔗 📸 Throwback to our very first team in Borroloola, back in 2023.

Throwback to last year’s splash parties in Utju 🦩 The new inflatables were a big hit, and the kids loved having our local lifeguard Jessica back in community from boarding school. 〰️ Big thanks to @indigenous_gov for funding the new equipment and the school holiday cook-ups. #throwback #throwbackthursday #tbt

The rising sun! A freshly painted community mural at Ngukurr pool 🌅 Featuring the hand prints and names of young pool regulars, and led by our volunteer swim teacher, Jazz, when she got stuck in community an extra week due to the floods last month. When life gives you rain, make art? Our pool in Ngukurr is run in partnership with community, @ropergulfregion and @ianpotterfdn .

Rains delayed Borroloola school’s swim carnival by a few weeks, but that only added to the excitement on the day 🥳 Great swimming by all four house teams, after 4 weeks of lessons with our volunteer swim teachers, Kate and Ella. 〰️ 📸 Thanks to Borroloola school Our pool in Borroloola is run in partnership with community, @ropergulfregion and @ianpotterfdn .