In 1907 the Shire of Nunawading converted the claypit of Haughton Park Brick Company into a swimming hole, adding a ramp, bathing boxes and a springboard to create Australia's first Olympic length swimming pool. And the only Olympic pool 24 metres (10 stories) deep!
Special trains bought swimmers and families from all over Melbourne to Surrey Dive where carnivals featured cliff diving, springboard diving, and swimming champions such as (Sir) Frank Beaurepaire. The Whitehorse Challenge Dive Carnival continues to this day and each November attracts novice divers from all over Victoria. Its objective is to introduce young divers to the competition format within a fun environment in which they can show parents and friends their achievements.
By 1933 Surrey Dive boasted 10 lanes laid out over 100 meters. In addition there was a 25 metre chlorinated pool and art-deco pavilion.
With the drought of the late 1960s the cliff dive was closed and the water used to keep local parks and trees alive.
The current Whitehorse Aquatic & Leisure Centre opened in 1981 and was extended in 1995.
Whitehorse Divers was formally created as an incorporated not for profit organisation in 1998. Since then the Club has had consistent representation at all diving events run by the Victorian Diving Association, including the Victorian Championships. Divers have also qualified and competed at every Australian Championship. In addition our Divers have competed at every Victorian and National Primary School and Secondary School Championship.
Members of Whitehorse Divers represented Australia at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and the 2006 International Grand Prix Diving series in Europe, China, Japan and North America. Members currently train full time with the 2008 (Bejing) Olympics Squad in Brisbane.
Importantly, many past champions continue their association with the club as our current coaches.
Over the past years Whitehorse Divers together with Gymnastics Victoria have campaigned hard for a further extension and redevelopment of the Whitehorse Aquatic Centre to create a dedicated “super facility” for gymnastics, trampolining and dryland diving training. Planning of this development has received budget approval and funding in the 2006/7 City of Whitehorse budget.