During COVID-19 lockdowns, Loretta Bellato became a member of a small but enthusiastic band of swimmers who sought solace in the sediment-rich waters of the Yarra River.

It wasn’t just any stretch of the river, but Deep Rock in Fairfield, the site of a swimming club that operated until the 1940s. These days, it is less than one kilometre away from a water-testing site in Kew that has one of the highest concentrations of E.coli on the Yarra.

Visitor Chris enjoys a quick dip in the Yarra River. Officially, bylaws prohibit people swimming in the CBD section. Credit: Arsineh Houspian

That didn’t deter Bellato, who describes swimming in the Yarra River as a spiritual experience that fundamentally changes the relationship of swimmers with their natural environment.

“It is such a differen

See Full Page