Free Fridays at Unley Pool

Unley Swimming Centre manager Nathan Byles. Source: adelaidenow

SWIMMERS will be able to access Unley Pool for free every Friday afternoon for the final eight weeks of the summer swimming season.

Unley Council last night voted to allow free access to the Ethel St centre after 5pm on Fridays from April 5 to promote fitness and attract more families.

The move is expected to cost the council $148 per evening but it expects to recoup some of the loss through extra kiosk sales.

The pool is open until about 8pm on Fridays.

Casual entry normally costs $6.30 for adults, $5 for concession and children over five and $19 for a family of two adults and three children.

Councillor Peter Hughes took the idea to last night's council meeting, where it was overwhelmingly supported.

"Fridays are the quietest night of the week," Cr Hughes said.

"In the last eight weeks there have only been two families (attending after 5pm on Fridays) and this is a chance to turn that around.

"I think the concept has great merit ... it's a solution to promote use."

Pool manager Nathan Byles said the free entry was an SA first.

"(It) creates a fantastic opportunity for the community to enjoy the centre and kick start their health and fitness regime," he said.

Details: unley.sa.gov.au/swimmingcentre

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When the pride of England came to Unley

This month marks 110 years since Unley Oval hosted a match between South Australia and Lord Hawke's representative team from England. A local resident has produced a large print of the game to hang at the Unley Council Chambers. Former Sturt, SA and Australian cricketer Wayne Phillips with Mayor Lachlan Clyne and the print. Picture: Keryn Stevens Source: adelaidenow

PARKSIDE'S Scott Rickards has completed a year-long labour of love to celebrate the day South Australia's cricketers took on the pride of England at Unley Oval 110 years ago.

The keen historian, of Parkside, has created a 3m-wide panoramic photo of the 1903 clash between SA and Lord Hawke's touring English team.

Mr Rickards heard photos of the historic match were at Unley Museum and decided to produce a huge print as a gift to the people of Unley.

"It's definitely been a labour of love but I have a bit of an obsession for restoring old photographs and documents," Mr Rickards said.

"I couldn't think of anything better than photographs of that game."

The original panorama was a series of five regular-sized photos stuck together.

Mr Rickards re-photographed each image and paid photo laboratory Atkins Technicolour to stitch the frames together and to remove spots and scratches.

He then worked with his wife Niina, a graphic designer, to digitally enlarge the pictures.

Lord Hawke's touring side, representing the famous Marylebone Cricket Club, had been scheduled to play at Adelaide Oval.

But it was double-booked, so Sturt Cricket Club arranged to host the game, played between March 27 and 31, at Unley.

Led by Australian Test player Clem Hill, SA won the match by 97 runs in front of a total crowd of 6000.

The match featured England's Bernard Bosanquet, considered the inventor of the "googly" or "wrong-un" - sometimes also called a "Bosie".

Sturt's Harry Hay was named man of the match for taking 9/67 in the second innings - he was a late inclusion after originally being named 12th man.

Mr Rickards had a mid-sized image produced for Sturt Football Club which now hangs at BarZaar on Unley Rd.

He was struck by the amount of detail on the original photos.

"I realised there were people on horseback watching the game and some of the faces are clearly visible," he said.

Mr Rickards encouraged people to inspect the print, hanging in Unley Civic Centre, to see if they could identify any of the spectators.

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