Swimming Australia One Hundred Years by Murray Phillips

I came across this book at Bay Books in Batemans Bay while we were on holidays. It's the story of how organised swimming, leading up to the current highly developed competitive swimming scene. The chapters I liked the most were the ones on bathing in colonial times and the one about different places Australians have swum including early sea bathing, floating pools, baths that have long since disappeared, and others which are still going strong after 100 years, and Australia's early Olympic history. There are chapters on coaches and coaching, and the golden eras of Olympic swimming. The book was published in conjunction with the 100 year anniversary of the governing body of swimming, Swimming Australia. 

 The illustrations in this book are fabulous, from the sepia-toned historical ones to amazing underwater shots made possible through modern technology. There's lots to admire in terms of the human body - and looking at the differences in physique development over the years, a product of diet, coaching science and training. 

 For a swimming nut, stumbling on this book was joyful. The only thing I'd like now is a longer volume about leisure swimming in Australia. Maybe I need to write it myself? 

 Publication: Published by University of New South Wales Press, 2008 ISBN 978 1 921410 81 9