St Kilda Sea Bathes

This is an open letter to anyone who gives a toss about Melbourne and the feeling it had as ‘the world’s most liveable city’ and is willing to give more than just lip-service and/or pontificating-political-rhetoric to one of the worst shams of the last few years.
There is no doubt that St Kilda is a focal point for both Melbournians and international visitors alike yet we allow the mess that is the St Kilda Sea Baths complex to continually devolve to yobbo-scurity.
It doesn’t take the wisdom of Solomon to see and understand that, apart from the pool and gym, the complex is not generating the interest it should; and it’s on a prime Melbourne landmark site.
A good proportion of the complex is empty [years after it was supposed to be ‘snapped-up’ by switched on commercial operators], one restaurant has just re-opened after a long long time empty, and the central courtyard is now completely devoid of character with just one bar designed for a very youngish market and a few scattered tables in a vast character-free space. Only a few months ago, the hard to find stairs to the top level were urine infected and filthy. I haven’t been back since.
Melbourne had such a great opportunity to create a venue, which could have reversed the character of St Kilda back to its halcyon days. Yet we managed to leave it to the aforementioned pontificators and have ended up with a space designed seemingly exclusively for a younger bar trade rather than international visitors, couples and families looking for that essential ‘Melbourne’ experience.
Perhaps it’s a mid-fifties [me, not the date] disillusionment, but I can’t help getting angry and disappointed when I see such an abandonment of common sense, responsibility and commercial nouse driving our decision processes. As an example, our St Kilda Festival has unfortunately lost the quirkiness, which made St Kilda appealing. It has devolved to a band-driven and alcohol fuelled teenage extravaganza. Perhaps if we brought back the multitude of ‘quirky’ acts
which appeal to more than a very small target market we may re-attract families and lose the drunks - through lack of interest.
My better half and I are not puritan, but actually enjoy a drink, enjoy eating out and give it our best shot to enjoy life. We swear occasionally, avoid reality TV, make bad decisions, jaywalk, do ‘stuff’ and get obstreperous over what we see as avoidable problems. We currently run Melbourne’s most appealing restaurant [of course] and, as a result, can at least see some of the opportunities associated with a successful and focused ‘Sea-Baths’. Despite the appalling design/construction/personality, we believe it isn’t too late to resurrect the shemozzle that is the St Kilda Sea Baths.
The question is simple, do we want a major tourist, national and local complex directed at a specific and small target market or do we want something which will help focus Melbourne as a liveable city for the greater number of target groups?
Can you imagine the central area within the St Kilda Sea-Baths area evolving [not devolving] to a multi-national collection of say fifteen restaurants? Each outlet seating only about thirty people but forming part of a cohesive and synergistic area aimed at attracting all types of people to eat, drink and enjoy life through a cosmopolitan experience? Think Venice, Paris, Rome or indeed anywhere where people gather to enjoy being alive – as a couple, group or family. Think multi-cultural music, think organised transport allowing Dad to have one too many, think of enjoying experiences with other people, think of those halcyon days of wine and romance where having a good time with your partner was more important than just trying to get laid after
a couple of beers, think of remembering a great experience long after the event, think of making a fool of yourself trying to dance with zero talent, think of watching the sunset, think of the emotive side of life, think of going to bed happy as a clam, think of that roving violin player whom you hoped would never come near – but did, think of the menu which started involuntary salivation, think of feeling special …. think of enjoying life!
Big ask for a rotten little sea baths at the end of a cheap street? Perhaps not! It can happen but it will take a bit of vision and a whole bunch of commitment. Look at the current ‘thing’ and you can see the result of past apathy.