Welcome it’s Adrian Bo and this week I’m going to talk about an amazing local institution that once dominated the block surrounded by Dolphin Street, Beach Street, Bream Street and Arden Streets long before it became what is now Merivale’s Coogee Pavilion as you can see behind me. As well as it’s involvement in the famous Shark Arm Murder case. The Coogee Palace Aquarium was opened on this huge block back in 1887 and by the 1890s it had become an extremely popular local attraction. Coogee Palace Aquarium had a great assortment of kids rides including swings, whirligigs, rocking horses, toy boats, donkey rides and a giant toboggan rink. The site also included aviaries, landscaped gardens, a bandstand and an open-air bar. Later in 1932, next to the Aquarium a 50 yard swimming pool was built at 161 to 167 Dolphin Street. Now modern Olympic size swimming pools are built in the metric system to be 50 metres and in fact in 1937 the pool here was extended another five yards in order to accommodate the 55 yard and the 110 yard distance races that were to be held at the Empire Games here in 1938. The Empire Games being the event that eventually evolved into the Commonwealth Games.

The venue could hold 4000 spectators and was used heavily for Sydney Swimming meets as well as School Carnivals and it also attracted world class swimmers to train here. Unfortunately a 40 year old man from Surry Hills, Mr. Sydney Piggot, died in the pool in 1940 when he hit his head having used the diving board. The extraordinary story that has become known as the Shark Arm Murder case unfolded in 1935. A three and a half metre tiger shark had been caught three kilometres out at sea off Coogee Beach and it was transferred to the Coogee Aquarium Baths which was located here behind me and put on public display. The shark attracted huge crowds until one day a week after being caught, it suddenly became ill. One of the local versions of the story goes that a local man was given the task of reviving the shark which he did by using an old vacuum cleaner in reverse to pump air into the shark whilst in the pool. Perhaps this sounds a bit far fetched but apparently the shark then vomited the left hand and fore arm of a human body. The arm had a distinctive tattoo and it was identified as belonging to ex boxer and small-time local criminal, Jim Smith. It’s believed that Jim Smith had been murdered and his arm had been eaten by a smaller shark which was then eaten by this very three and a half metre Tiger Shark, what a story! The case of the Shark Arm Murder then took many twists and turns as local fraudster, Reg Holmes and convicted forger, Patrick Brady were framed for the original murder.

However, Holmes was found dead the day before the inquest into Smith’s death was due to begin. The story of the Shark Arm Murder became the basis for a 2003 episode of hit TV show, CSI Miami in the US. In 1945 a huge storm smashed the Aquarium’s massive glass dome but it was repaired. It collapsed again in 1984 and in 1987 the building was turned into the Beach Palace Hotel until in 2014 the site was purchased by Merivale and redeveloped into the Coogee Pavilion which also houses the nationally acclaimed Mimi’s Restaurant. Now, I’ve had the great pleasure to sell many properties in this local vicinity over the 32 years I’ve been representing real estate in Coogee, Clovelly, Randwick and Maroubra. Some of my recent sales in this neck of the woods include: 142 Arden Street, a six Bedroom House I sold for $4,095,000, 10 at 74 Bream Street, a two Bedroom apartment I sold for $1.1 million, 5/55 Bream, a 1 Bedroom apartment which I sold for $987,500. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story of the Coogee Palace and the infamous Shark Arm Murder case. It’s stories like these concerning the area I have spent most of my life in, that I aim to keep alive. Enjoy your new found freedom and always remember your home is worth more with Adrian Bo.