Albany 2026: Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre celebrates 45 years of providing sporting facilities for locals

For almost half a century, the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre has been at the heart of sport, fitness and community life in Albany, welcoming generations of locals through its door.

The centre celebrated its 45th birthday last month, marking more than four decades as one of the city’s most recognisable sporting hubs.

Officially opened on May 8, 1981, the facility was originally known as the Albany Regional Leisure Centre and has since grown into a key gathering place for swimmers, athletes, families and community groups.

The original facility consisted of four indoor courts, eight external netball courts enclosed by cyclone fencing, along with an ablution block featuring internal and external change rooms and toilet facilities.

This was a huge development in Albany’s sporting history as it provided a dedicated home for sports including basketball, netball, badminton and volleyball.

In December of 1985 the aquatic facility opened with a 25m eight-lane swimming pool, splash pool, spa, sauna and solarium, grandstand, change rooms, a cafeteria and a creche.

Investment continued in 1990 with a fully sprung timber floor installed in the stadium, enhancing the venues suitability for a range of indoor sports including basketball, badminton, volleyball, indoor hockey and tennis.

In 1995, more upgrades were completed to the aquatic centre which included an expansion of the marshalling space for events, installation of easy access pool steps, a new pool liner and improved drainage systems across the concourse.

During this period a multi-use synthetic playing surface was also developed primarily to support the hockey while remaining adaptable for various sporting uses.

A major expansion of the swimming pool plant room with a new air handling system was completed in 1998 along with the relocated and rebuilding of a heat pump, heat exchange and boiler were all relocated and rebuilt.

2008 was a transformative period for ALAC with the completion of the facilities $16.8 million redevelopment project.

The facility was opened to the public on June 1, 2008 with the revamp including a new 25m leisure pool, water slide, steam room, spa, gymnasium, group fitness room, cafeteria, administration centre, meeting rooms and upgraded change rooms and amenities.

The second stage of this redevelopment project officially opened on January 25, 2011 which included three multi-purpose indoor courts taking the total number of courts to seven.

Over the years, ALAC has hosted State and National competitions in basketball, netball, swimming, volleyball and other indoor sports, while serving as a training and event base for elite athletes and sporting organisations visiting the Great Southern region.

One of it’s biggest sporting games was the internal basketball game held in 2012 where the Australian Boomers took on Team China as part of the YouYi Games as part of their pre-Olympic preparation.

Beyond the world of sport, ALAC has played an important role as an entertainment and community events venue for the Great Southern region.

The venue has hosted several major Australian music acts and touring performances including Powderfinger and Hoodoo Gurus in 1998, Midnight Oil in 2002, Jimmy Barnes in 2009 and the Wiggles in 2023.

In more recent years, ALAC has earned recognition for leadership in sustainability and facility management, recognised in 2023 with the State Government’s Platinum Waterwise Aquatic Centre Award for water efficiency, environmental sustainability and innovative water saving initiatives.

This year’s birthday celebration was marked by a photo wall which has been installed along the main corridor, featuring memories and moments captured across the past almost-five decades.

Mayor of Albany Greg Stocks said ALAC has been an important development for Albany’s sport and recreation sector.

“Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre has been at the heart of the Albany community for 45 years with generations of families learning to swim, playing sport, improving their health and creating lifelong memories at the facility,” he said.

“Developed in response to growing community demand for quality indoor sporting and aquatic facilities, the centre reflects the long-standing vision of the former Town of Albany to invest in recreation infrastructure that would support both local participation and regional growth.”

Mr Stocks said the City will continue to support and invest into the facility as demand grows.

“Today, the facility records more than 500,000 visits each year, which demonstrates just how important ALAC is to the community’s health, well being and social connection,” he said.

“The City of Albany has recently completed a feasibility study into the future of ALAC, looking at how the facility can continue to support sport, recreation and community well being into the future.

“The study found that significant redevelopment will be needed to ensure the centre can continue meeting the needs of a growing population, however further planning work is still required to better understand options, costs and potential funding opportunities.

“While any major redevelopment will rely heavily on government support, this milestone is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate ALAC’s proud history while also looking ahead to its future.”