Hi, it’s Adrian Bo here and today I’m at the foot of the Northern Headland of Coogee Beach on Beach Street above a natural rock pool that we locals now know as the Bogey Hole. Now the story of this area is so deep, I’m gonna have to talk about it over two parts with the second episode being next week. Today I’m going to focus on what was once part of a fascinating business that became a pioneer in the health and fitness world. In 1850, when there were only around 20 houses in the whole of Coogee, the local residents would use the rock pools like the Bogey Hole on a strict gender basis. Men could use the pool at the Northern end of Coogee Beach and ladies at the Southern end. In the early 1900s Randwick Municipal Baths was established here. Known by the locals back then as Lloyd’s Baths because the caretaker was Mr. Lloyd. Caretaker being an interesting job title because, in this case, his main role was to maintain the integrity of the pool by removing large rocks and boulders which would often accumulate during winter and carry out ongoing repairs to the pool. Lloyd’s role included policing the rules set down by RCC which included the banning of dogs, no swearing, the obligatory wearing of trunks and under 10s needing adult supervision. This required Lloyd to be sworn in as a special constable so that he had the authority to deal with the rule-breaking.

It was in 1928, that Oscar Giles came onto the scene who at the age of 51 took the lease for the Baths to establish it as a private business calling it the Giles Hot Sea Baths and Swimming Pool. It opened the same week as the Shark Net was installed here at Coogee Beach as part of a drive to bring more locals to Coogee Beach. Oscar Giles had been a masseur and saw an opportunity to use the Baths as his headquarters to offer a range of health focused services. His range of treatments was quite diverse as well as his growing reputation for remedial massage. He offered hydrotherapy and hot sea bath sessions but also what he called Sweatboxes. These would be wooden boxes with multiple light bulbs inside. The client would lie in the box with a hole at the end to stick their head out. The heat generated would cause a massive sweat which was considered a weight loss treatment at the time. Giles attracted a regular flow of sports people, racing identities and even local criminals for his massage services as well as swimming and the jockeys from Randwick racetrack really loved that Sweatbox as a form of weight loss. I personally recall training at Giles gym in my 20s. Mainly boxing and then having a swim in the Rockpool below.

It certainly wasn’t a fancy gym. In fact, I recall the number of spit buckets around the boxing area and equipment and you could forget air conditioning at that time. In my 32 years of selling in Coogee and the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, I’ve literally sold hundreds of properties in this area including a property adjacent at 20/23 Baden Street right behind us here for $1.5million that’s known as Faimer Gardens two years ago when the lovely Phillipa sold the unit she had lived in it for 24 years. I had been in contact with Phillipa for many years helping her to keep upto date with the value, and she was pleased when I sold the property before auction. I also sold 6/67A Bream Street just before Christmas a couple of streets back for $900,000 also 56 Bream Street around the same time for $2,260,000. I also sold number nine Woodland Street in Coogee just before Christmas for $3,567,000 after taking the listing over from another agent who failed to sell it.

Now, Robert Moore the vendor and his lovely family gave me a very kind testimonial which I am proud to say sets me apart from the other selling agents in the Coogee area. I also sold 26 Hamilton Street just off Alison Road back in 2017 for just over $5 million on behalf of Michael and Louise who had lived there for about 18 years which was very special because I also had sold their previous house back for them in Kara Street Randwick in 1999. I hope you found this insight into the amazing Messrs, Lloyd, and Giles interesting. Next week I’ll be talking more about this area including how Giles Baths evolved as well as the erection of the Bali Memorials and the Sam Inglis Memorial. Enjoy the shortest but the most romantic month of the year being February and always remember your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.