North Sydney Olympic Pool, North Sydney NSW
The Situation
InterQuad was first approached in 2020 during the early planning stages of the North Sydney Olympic Pool renovation; a high-profile, heritage-listed venue where parts of the facility carried heritage protections while other areas were being rebuilt to modern competition standard.
The customer’s brief was twofold: they needed a competition-grade timing system, and they wanted a scoreboard versatile enough to support advertising, events and parties alongside swim meets.
Because every aquatic centre is different, InterQuad tailored the system design specifically to North Sydney’s layout and intended use of the board.
Like many major builds during this period, the project experienced extended timelines through COVID-19 and the broader construction program. With the pool shell already in place by the time the timing system reached installation, InterQuad’s expertise was relied on heavily to ensure conduits, cable runs and capabilities were correctly accounted for around the existing structure.
Our Solution
InterQuad supplied and installed the Colorado Timing and Scoring Systemacross the 50m competition pool, working closely with the council, site team and Colorado Time Systems to deliver a tailored fit for the venue.
Key elements of the solution included:
- Collaborative redesign with council and site teams to confirm the optimal placement of the scoreboard, pads in each lane, and cable routing
- Scoreboard repositioning to a more central viewing location for spectators, athletes and event use
- Revised cable routing through a more robust and serviceable pathway after changes to the original pipe set-up were identified on site
- Significant on-site effort, including running cabling along the full length of the 50m pool
The installation team completed the works in 5 days, with an additional day dedicated to training.
Handover Process
A specialist member from Colorado Time Systems attended site for the handover, alongside InterQuad’s technicians.
Because the timing system was commissioned in a completed facility rather than an active construction site, the handover environment was far more conducive to training, making it easier for council staff and aquatic operators to fully engage with the demonstration and walkthroughs.
A broad cross-section of the site team, including those who will operate the system day-to-day for swim meets, training and events, were trained on set-up, operation and pack-down of the timing and scoring equipment.
Positive Outcomes
A standout outcome from this project was the on-site refinement of the deck plate configuration. Originally, the deck plates were specified to sit inside the starting blocks, which would have required staff to remove each block whenever the timing system was set up.
Working through the practicalities on site, InterQuad proposed and installed the deck plates on the back of the starting platforms instead. This change delivered:
- Faster, easier set-up for pool staff
- A cleaner, more aesthetic finish on the pool deck
The North Sydney Olympic Pool is now equipped with a full Olympic-scale timing solution ready to support swim meets, community events and broader venue activation.
