SeeCity East

Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool

A famous yet paradoxically little known location overlooking Wooloomoloo bay and near to the Botanic gardens. It was a popular swimming location with Indigenous Aboriginals before the arrival of Europeans in Australia. The pool was also the venue for the sporting triumphs of Australian swimming legend Andrew Boy Charlton in the 1920s and is believed to be the birthplace of the Australian Crawl or freestyle swimming stroke.

Address: 1C Mrs Macquaries Rd, The Domain,
Getting there: access from below at the western end of Wooloomooloo bay or from Art Gallery Road
Hours: Sep–Apr, non-daylight saving: daily 6AM-7PM, Daylight Saving: daily 6AM-8PM
Price: Adult $5.50, concession $4.10, family $15.30, additional family member $2, spectator $2.70
Website: abcpool.org (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Sydney/City East, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

SeeCity Centre
Mrs Macquarie's Chair
This park area has magnificent views of the harbour.
Free access
SeeCity Centre
Royal Botanic Gardens
One of Sydney's greatest assets, from in front of the State Art Gallery, out to Mrs Macquaries chair, across to Farm Cove and onto the Sydney Opera House. The Gardens back onto the historic Sydney Hospital and Parliament House. This is the oldest scientific institution in the country and home to an outstanding collection of plants from Australia and overseas. The Domain surrounds the Royal Botanic Gardens. The walk along the harbour's edge (Farm Cove) from the Opera House (Queen Elizabeth II gate) to Mrs Macquarie's Chair (Yurong Gate) is for many the epitome of a Sydney experience. The Gardens have an example of the Wollemi Pine, raised from a seed collected from a handful of trees discovered in the wilderness and unchanged since the dinosaurs. A tropical pyramid holds examples of tropical vegetation in a controlled humidity atmosphere. See the rose garden, herb garden and succulent section. The collection has many varieties of Australian plants and grasses. During the summer months there are often open air night time film screenings inside the Botanic Gardens, entry charges normally apply to those screenings.
The gardens are open from sunrise to sunset. It is fully fenced, so take care not to get locked in at closing timeThere are no access charges to enter the Botanic Gardens (except for the tropical pyramid)
DoCity Centre
Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour
A walk around the Royal Botanic Garden with an Aboriginal guide who will tell you about native plants that have been used by Aboriginal Australians for generations, as food, medicine, and tools. You can sample a few on the way, including fruits and herbs. Book in advance.
Thu Fri Sat 11AM–noon$30 for adults, $20 for children 7 and older, free for children under 7
SeeCity East
Embarkation Park
Great views of the CBD skyline and parts of the harbour. This is one of the most popular places in the Inner East to watch the New Years Eve fireworks shows. The park may be locked at night.