“What swimming baths in Dundee?” I hear you say. Well, the ones in Union Street, next to the old Municipal Camping Site. “What camping site?” I hear you say again. Well, after I tell you that they were just up from the Lions Clubhouse and showgrounds. I hear another echo – “I didn’t realise that we had Lions roaming the streets…”
And what showgrounds? They were all going like a bomb when we arrived in Dundee 25 years ago, but sadly all are now defunct and derelict, killed by inefficiency, parsimony and neglect. We spent our first weekend here at the caravan park, our introduction being a very raucous but exciting Mortimer Cup hockey tournament taking place next door at King Edward Park. Somewhat predictably, that tournament too is now deceased.
But the old swimming baths in particular have an interesting history. The building of such an amenity for the townspeople was long a dream of William Dalzel Turnbull, a Barrister by trade who was employed by Chambers, Bruce and McNab on his arrival in Dundee in February 1898 from Australia. He later established “Turnbull’s Butchery” (opposite where Stok’s Systems is today).
He remained behind in Dundee after the battle of Talana.
Turnbull finally ended up, along with W.H. Tatham, A.A. Smith, N. Day and others, at Intombi Camp in Ladysmith, where they stayed until the end of the siege.
He formed the first Dundee Scout Troop in 1912, and was keenly involved in the Scouts until 1926. He was the Northern Natal Scout District Commissioner. He was a good athlete, and also enjoyed swimming, golf and cycling.
Officer of the Biggarsberg Unity Lodge 1902 – 1903 and Worshipful Master in 1904.
He also acted for the prosecution when Gandhi was sentenced to a 60 Pound fine or a prison sentence of nine months with hard labour before local Magistrate J.W. Cross on 11 November 1913. Gandhi had been charged with leading an illegal march into the Transvaal.
Towards and immediately after the end of the First World War, debate raged as to the siting, design and suitability of a fitting memorial to Dundee’s war dead. Turnbull tried valiantly to elicit support for a municipal swimming bath to be built in their honour, but was eventually shot down and the Cenotaph was constructed where it stands today outside the Municipal offices in Victoria Street.
A member of the Town Council for many years, however, he finally managed to get his pet project off the ground and the Municipal Swimming Baths were finally built.
He died on February 10, 1933. The Courier of February17, 1933 described him such – “although of a quiet disposition, he possessed a powerful personality and sterling qualities of steadfastness of purpose which earned for him the admiration and regard of a wide circle of friends. He leaves behind two sons and a widow”. He is buried in the Dundee Municipal cemetery.
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“Sadly all these facilities are now defunct, derelict… killed by neglect” – Pat Rundgren
