About Us

Greendale Swim Club was set up in late 1957 on the grounds of  the Taradale Primary School  by a coach, Tom Harvey (a teacher at the School), a committee of dedicated parents and a number of focused swimmers. The members of the new club were a break away group from the Napier Swimming club which operated out of the old Marine Parade Pool.

The Club has two main goals: - the teaching of children to swim and the coaching of successful competitive swimmers.

The original pool was built using voluntary labour during WWII. Throughout subsequent years this facility has been improved by the Club – an extension from 18m to 25m pool length, covering the pool, a new filtration plant, seating, solar water heating, new changing facilities and heat pumps. The pool was, until December 2016, operated and maintained by the Greendale Club under a long term lease with Taradale Primary School.

In December 2016, the pool on the grounds of Taradale Primary School was closed due to the building not meeting safety requirements. Due to the pool closure, the Greendale competitive squads found a new home at the Clive War Memorial Pool. Unfortunately, no lane space could be found anywhere in Hawke's Bay for Learn to Swim and Swimming in Schools and so these programs have been halted.

Coach Gary Knight manages the squad swimmers and has a solid background in teaching learners and coaching competitors.

The club has had  a lot of success with it's swimmers (even more so considering its 'boutique-style' (and size) taking many Hawke's Bay / Poverty Bay titles and records and the first New Zealand National title won by a Greendale swimmer and the first by a HBPB swimmer won by Kerry Anderson in 1960.

In recent years, under the guidance of coach Noel Hardgrave-Booth, who retired in 2016, we have been successful in winning many National Junior, Age Group and Open titles as well as gaining several National records from past club swimmers Jack Drury, Julian Layton, Bruin Maunder and Bobbi Gichard.

Both Bobbi Gichard and Julian Layton have been New Zealand Open Champions. In the past years Greendale has had three past club swimmers selected on New Zealand teams – Julian Layton to the NZ Trans Tasman Tri-Series Team in New Zealand 2010, Julian Layton and JoMari Meyer to the NZ Trans Tasman Tri-Series Team in Australia 2012. Bobbi Gichard to the World Junior Championships in Dubai 2013. Bobbi Gichard and Julian Layton to the 10th Oceania Champs in New Zealand 2014 where Julian won an Oceania Championship title. Bobbi Gichard was selected for the Youth Olympic Games in China 2014.  Bobbi Gichard was selected for the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa, the FINA World Junior Champs in Singapore and the FINA World Champs in Kazan, Russia in 2015.

Our most successful past International swimmer to date has been Gillian Pollock. Gillian won a silver medal at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney in the 200 Individual Medley.

                                               Julian - Oceania Championships 2014  

Bobbi wins Bronze at Youth Olympics 2014