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Story: Open water swimming

Women Cook Strait swimmers

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Women Cook Strait swimmers

Lily Copplestone set out to swim Cook Strait in 1929. Although she was unsuccessful, her attempt attracted considerable public interest, as this photograph taken on Wellington’s waterfront shows.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Sydney Charles Smith Collection (PA-Group-00242)

Reference: 1/2-046117; G

by Sydney Charles Smith

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Open water swimming – Major marathon courses, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/6908/women-cook-strait-swimmers (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 February 2016.