St Arnaud pool party to celebrate end of season

Published on 23 February 2026

St Arnaud and district residents can enjoy one final celebration at the town’s swimming pool before it shuts for the final stage of a $2.57-million redevelopment.

St Arnaud Swimming Pool staff will host a Summer Pool Party on Friday, February 27 from 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

The event will feature inflatables, big garden games, music, spot prizes, a visit from East Wimmera Health Service’s smoothie bike, fruit platters and a barbecue.

Entry is free of charge.

Northern Grampians Shire Council mayor Karen Hyslop said the pool party would provide people with an opportunity to jump or dive off the ‘big’ diving board for the last time.

“Unfortunately, the three-metre diving board will no longer be refurbished during the project as the pool’s depth does not meet Life Saving Victoria’s diving safety guidelines,” she said.

“The one-metre diving board does meet the guidelines and will be refurbished as planned.

“We know this might be disappointing for some patrons, however safety is our primary concern, and the decision is out of our hands. We encourage anyone who wants to use the three-metre board one last time to come along Friday night. We’re looking forward to a big celebration.”

The pool party is a drug, alcohol, smoke and vape-free event and is supported by East Wimmera Health Service and Grampians Youth Events.

St Arnaud Swimming Pool will close at 7pm on Friday night and reopen in time for the 2026-27 summer season.

“The pool was originally due to close on February 22 but we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy it for an extra week,” Cr Hyslop said.

“The pool is a wonderful asset for our community and we look forward to unveiling the revamped facilities before the end of the year.”

Scheduled works include structural repairs to the pool, along with resurfacing and compliance upgrades. The redevelopment also includes the construction of a new beach-entry ramp to improve accessibility.

Works will also be done to the concourse and surrounds, with the project scope also including additional service installation and underground investigations.

People can follow St Arnaud Swimming Pool on Facebook for updates.