This year marks a tremendous achievement for our club. We have been operating for 120 years and have seen the suburb of Box Hill grow and change for well over a century. Established in 1904, we operate learn to swim, learn to dive and our famous Surrey Park Swimming squad programs throughout the north and eastern suburbs of Melbourne. We are a not-for-profit organisation, priding ourselves on being a part of the sporting life and community of Box Hill for over 120 years. In 2024, we are the largest swimming club in Victoria and one of the oldest still active clubs in Australia.
Read more
Our story begins when workers accidentally struck an underground spring in the quarry. The workers luckily escaped but the machinery submerged under 45ft of water. The Surrey Dive, as it was christened, was eventually fenced, developed and leased to the newly formed “The Surrey Park Swimmer’s Club”. The Club held its first carnival on 23 February 1907. These carnivals were so popular that people would move into the Box Hill community to live close to the action, and ultimately built up the population of the Box Hill area. In 1925, Female members were admitted to the club and today represent in excess of 60% of the Club’s membership. In 1981, Box Hill Recreation Centre (now Aqualink Box Hill) opened, and the Club started to train in this centre’s indoor pool. The facade of the original building “Box Hill Swimming Pool” form our club rooms. Over those years, The Surrey Park Swimmer’s Club had great success nationally and internationally in swimming, water polo, diving, and synchronised swimming.
In recent times, Surrey Park Swimming has had great success competitively at National and International level in swimming at both Age and Open competitions. We have had multiple Olympians over the years, and more recently have had Surrey Park swimmers representing at Junior World Championships, the Youth Olympic Festival, the World University Games, Junior Pan Pacs, Australian Swimming Championships, and Australian Open Water Championships.
Surrey Park Swimming provides learn to swim and dive lessons and are unique as our program directly feeds into our competitive swimming programs. As part of our community commitment, we donate a portion of each swimming lesson fee to our Community Access Program for Swimming (CAPS). Our CAPS program provide free interactive water safety talks to local kindergartens, child care centres, primary and secondary schools in our community to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to be safer around water as well as free or subsidised lessons to those experiencing financial hardship.
Our member stories
Alwyn Barrett (1957 – 1964)
Our beloved Alwyn talks about her time as a swimmer with Surrey Park Swimming Club from 1957 to 1964. She swam in “The Dive” in Box Hill and won numerous championships, broke many records, and was awarded Life Membership with the club. Alwyn went on to become a well respected swimming coach as well as travelling as Team Manager with Australian teams.
Flynn Phillips (2002 – present)
Flynn is Surrey Park Swimming High Performance Squad athlete and committee member. Flynn has reached many impressive milestones during his swimming career. Hear how swimming has shaped Flynn into who he is today.
Ian Pope and Matt Welsh (1994 – 2001)
Ian Pope was an influential head coach with Surrey Park starting in the 1980’s through to recent years. Ian coached hundreds of swimmers within the community and was an immensely dedicated coach for Surrey Park Swimming. One highlight of his career at Surrey Park was coaching Olympic medallist Matt Welsh, by discovering his passion and natural ability at age 18 years. Hear Matt and Ian’s journey to the Olympics during their time at Surrey Park Swimming.
Tanin Kursidim (2006 – present)
Tanin is a current Surrey Park Swimming High Performance Squad athlete, Swimming Teacher, and Lead Instructor. Hear Tanin discuss his motivations and experience to achieve his swimming goals and his progress through the whole Surrey Park Swimming program, from Learn to Swim to High Performance Squad.
Our Historic Timeline
Our Committee
Surrey Park Swimming Club is an athlete centred, coach driven and parent supported club. The role of the Committee of Management is to exercise good governance with respect to the strategic and operational requirements of the Club. The Committee is elected at the annual general meeting and meets on a regular basis, generally once a month or as required, throughout the season.
The Committee of Management is composed of an Executive Committee as well as a General Committee and is supported by various sub-committees such as the Swimming Sub-Committee. This Sub-Committee is involved in the co-ordination of a number of activities including the several full day external swim meets the Club runs, Club Championships, Club Records, and timekeepers at meets run by other clubs.
The Committee of Management delegates day‐to‐day responsibility for the management and operation of the Club to the Club’s Chief Executive Officer, but remains directly responsible for volunteer activities and overseeing the CEO’s performance.
Our Vision
Surrey Park Swimming Club seeks to provide the best club environment in Victoria for the development of all of its swimmers to their full potential in an atmosphere of enjoyment and professionalism.
Surrey Park’s Committee of Management – Season 2024/2025
General Committee
Ash Lim
Daniella Greening
Flynn Phillips
Jarrod Condon
Jim Bian
Luke Harris