Water safety and the ability to swim have always been considered important for Sydney children. From about the 1930s, learn to swim lessons were undertaken by thousands of primary school children. The school swimming scheme became an official part of government education policy in the 1950s. These girls are concentrating hard on following the example of their (fully-clothed) teacher. The pool is probably one of the enclosed Sydney Harbour pools – the edge of the raised decking can just be seen on the right of the photograph.