Lake Argyle swim becomes a popular sports event
In the years that followed, the Lake Argyle swim became a regular event, held initially as part of the annual Ord Valley Muster and managed capably by Tanielle Anderson. The event lost one of its great supporters when Jim Hughes died suddenly in 2008, and it was on shaky ground for a while, cancelled in 2008 and 2009.
In 2009, in an effort to ensure the swim’s longevity, the Lake Argyle Swim Committee Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit association to manage the event.
The swim received a further boost when local Glenn Taylor, an enthusiastic sportsman, swam in the 2011 event and enjoyed it so much he directed operations in 2012 when Tanielle Anderson left town. He has been managing it ever since and its success owes a lot to his efforts.
By the time a group of Balmoral Beach Club swimmers returned for the 2013 event it had become the most popular public participation sports event in Northern Australia. It was also the largest rough water swim in WA outside of the Rottnest Island swim. Brad Williams, who helped with the first public swim, was still very much involved and the race was now known as the First National Lake Argyle Swim, named after his company.
Looking back
While there was great scepticism that people would not come for the public swim, Kieran’s instinct proved correct. People came from all over the country and from overseas to take part in the swims. It is so popular that it has been a ballot-only swim for many years.
“I didn’t think it would ever become as big as it has. I only thought it would be for a small group of Kimberley diehards,” Steve Farquhar said in 2022. “I think it caught the wave of a big interest in marathon swimming,” he added.
“I think the reasons for the swim’s success are the same as those outlined by Kieran Kelly in his initial proposal to the KCCI all those years ago,” Glenn Taylor says now.
“Clean, warm, fresh water, no wetsuits and no jellyfish, stingrays or sharks. We are also fortunate in that we get 300 sunny days in the Kimberley a year so it’s never going to be cancelled because of bad weather,” he adds.
“The dinner is also significant in that everybody comes – swimmers, paddlers, boat drivers and supporters. It is now the largest table-service dinner in the Kimberley and is a highlight of the event. It has come a long way from the barbecue at the boat ramp after the first swim,” he said.
“Another significant feature is that we get around 100 kids participating each year which is very gratifying.”
Despite being cancelled in 2020 due to Covid, the swim returned in 2022 and sold out in seven minutes. The number of overseas entrants was affected in 2022 due to Covid travel restrictions with 22% of participants from the Kimberley region. 51% from other parts of Western Australia and 27% from interstate. Another outstanding feature is the post-swim dinner held annually which usually seats around 700 people, one of the largest social gatherings in the Kimberley.
In recent years the swim has hosted various dignitaries including the deputy WA premier Roger Cook. It is also now classed as a major event for Tourism WA which has come on board as a significant sponsor.
“As long as the people of Kununurra continue to support it, there will always be people who want to swim a course in Lake Argyle,” Kieran says.
Lake Argyle swim chronology
Due to the success of the swims, it is now the largest community sporting event in WA outside Perth. It is by far the largest community event in the Kimberley. The following is its growth since 2006:
- 2006: Six swimmers from Sydney’s Balmoral Beach Club swim from Flying Fox Knoll at the southern end of lake Argyle to the dam wall. The swimmers who undertook the journey as a relay, covered the 61km distance in 2.5 days. In doing so they raised $110,000 for the RFDS.
- 2007: The first organised, public swimming event in Lake Argyle. 57 Swimmers competed. The swim was organised by Jim Hughes, Brad Williams and the KCCI as a part of the Ord Valley Muster.
- 2008: Event cancelled.
- 2009: Only 22 swimmers, registered and the event was cancelled, although a social swim was organised, comprising two individuals and five teams.
- 2010: 27 swimmers. Organised by the Shire of Wyndham, East Kimberley (three solo swimmers, four duos and four quad teams).
- 2011: 63 swimmers. Organised by the newly formed Lake Argyle Swim Inc. and the event managed by Event Manager Taneille Anderson.
- 2012: 117 swimmers. Organised by Lake Argyle Swim Inc.
- 2013: 140 swimmers. Organised once more by Lake Argyle Swim Inc. and managed by Glenn Taylor. To celebrate seven years since the first swim across the lake by members of Sydney’s Balmoral Beach Club, a contingent of more than 30 swimmers returned to compete in the event. The event included many of the BBC swimmers who had undertaken the initial swim in 2006 and the first public swim in 2007.
- 2014: 183 swimmers. The event sold-out in 6 hours and won WA Event of the Year.
- 2015: 200 swimmers. The event sold-out in a record 3 hours.
- 2016: 249 swimmers in 99 teams. The event sells out in a record 2 hours.
- 2017: 260 swimmers in 113 teams, 600 adults at the Gala Dinner. Sold out.
- 2018: 314 swimmers in 108 teams, 650 Adults at Gala Dinner. Sold out.
- 2019: 337 swimmers, 700 adults at the Gala Dinner. Sold out. 15. 2020: Event cancelled due to COVID travel and health restrictions 16. 2021: 350 swimmers, 570 participants, 709 adults at the Gala Dinner. Sold out.
- 2020: Event cancelled due to COVID travel and health restrictions.
- 2021: 350 swimmers, 570 participants, 709 adults at the Gala Dinner. Sold out.