Note: As at August 2022, the site of this swimming pool is under redevelopment. When completed, the new facility will be called the Waves Fitness & Aquatic Centre. The original opening plaque for the War Memorial Swimming Centre will be mounted inside the facility, to remember the history of the site.
Former description:
The Hills Shire Council War Memorial Swimming Centre was opened on 11 March 1967 by the Hon. P. H. Morton, M.L.A., Minister for Local Government and Highways, in the presence of the Shire President Mr B. A. Mullane, 10 Shire councillors, the Shire Engineer, Shire Clerk and the Shire Health Surveyor.
Facilities include an outdoor, heated 50-metre pool, enclosed learn-to-swim pool and undercover baby's pool, a fully equipped fitness centre, cafe and large grassed areas throughout the facility. The eight-lane, 50-metre swimming pool was heated in 1992 and opened all year round from 1996.
Outside the entrance there are two 6-metre tall flagpoles, surrounded by a natural bush rock garden with pathways. Growing inside the garden is a Toona australis deciduous rainforest tree, indigenous to NSW and Northern Queensland and prized for its fine timber qualities. It was milled to near extinction during early settlement.
Surrounding the swimming centre is the Alfred Henry Whaling Memorial Reserve and sports/athletics fields. The athletics field has a 400-metre oval track and two 100-metre straight tracks. The field also has a long jump pit, shot-putt cage and javelin area. The area immediately to the north of the field is also used as an additional long jump pit, shot-putt cage and javelin area.
Behind the swimming centre is the Roxborough Park Rose Garden, maintained by the Hills Shire (otherwise known as the Garden Shire) next to an athletics field. It is a beautiful garden with over 100 varieties of roses.
The Alfred Henry Whaling Memorial Reserve Rose Garden was established in 1972. It occupies over 8,000 square meters of land and is apparently the largest of its kind in the Sydney region.