Adelaide (44 Hours) – 10 to 11 April 1931
Crystal Swimming Pool in Maud Street, Unley.
During February 1931, Mercedes made a preliminary visit to Adelaide to make arrangements for the endurance swim, which was to take place in April. Mr C. Bastard, Manager of the City Baths, welcomed Mercedes and whilst she was in Adelaide invited her to give an exhibition at the opening of the Annual Professional Carnival, before returning to New Zealand.
Caption reads: Famous woman English Channel swimmer to appear at City Baths on Monday Night. From left: Mr C. Bastard (lessee of the baths), Mercedes, her husband, Patrick, and Miss Molly Paxton (swimming instructress).
Image taken in Australia pre 1955, therefore out of copyright.
Mr Bastard had originally booked the City Baths for her endurance swim, but as they were not heated the event was moved to the Crystal Swimming Pool in Maud Street, Unley. The pool was 50 yards long, and Mr Clayton, the Baths Manager, set the water temperature at 80ºF.
Mr Bastard provided nourishment for Mercedes, and she was also attended by Dr L.J. Pellew, Nurse I. Lane and, at the end of the swim, by Mrs D. Warsap. Mr W. Clayton and Mr Sid Barber were among the relays of official timekeepers on duty over the two days.
During Friday night Mercedes had to fight off a few attacks of lethargy with the help of spectators and a running conversation with an official from the Amateur Swimming Club, but with the appearance of the natural light on Saturday morning she rallied and recovered her pace, maintaining between 32 and 36 strokes per minute.
During the second day eye drops were administered to counteract the effects of the chlorine in the water. She also suffered with sore hands to which she applied Vaseline and bandages, but this did not slow her down, and to show that she had plenty of stamina in reserve she gave demonstrations of different strokes.
On both days large numbers of spectators entered the pool during the daytime hours, and the numbers increased greatly during the evening. Autograph hunters were to the fore. It was reported that during the swim Mercedes conversed with spectators on many topics, her chief concern being the success of Mr C.W.A. Scott, the Queensland aviator, in reaching Australia from England. She was also asked about the Manly Competition in Sydney, and in particular about Katarina Nehua, the New Zealand Maori lady who came second in the competition. She paid tribute to Katarina, and said they chatted to each other during the Manly swim. She recalled that Katarina had asked her to teach her to do breaststroke, as she (Katarina) did not swim conventional strokes but used a doggy paddle to stay afloat.
At the finish of the swim at 9.00 p.m. on Saturday 11 April, following a speech from Mr Reid, Unley’s Mayor, Mercedes was given a rousing ovation by the spectators who had packed the Baths, and was then lifted out of the water by Messrs E. Putland, A.H. Edson and S.V. Leggett. It was estimated by officials that her 44-hours swim equalled 68 miles.
Dr L.J. Pellew, the duty doctor who had been in attendance throughout the swim, pronounced her wonderfully fit. She had a normal pulse rate of 72, her heart was sound, and her skin began to warm up as soon as she was dry. She was then taken to her room at the Grand Coffee Palace in Adelaide, and was asleep within minutes. The following morning she followed her usual practice of giving interviews to the media from her bed.
Club swimming certificate confirming that Mercedes had completed an endurance swim of 44 hours.
