The Essendon Water Polo Club has seen many changes over the years and was originally know as the Oak Park Water Polo Club. In 1985 members and friends of the Oak Park Swimming Club got together to play water polo for the first time. A group of 8 men dubbed “the water ratz” took to the pool, in the lowest Victorian Water Polo grade on offer, finishing last. It was their developing love of the sport and their determination that saw them succeed over the years and grow in numbers, to include a women’s team in 1990.
With the expansion of it’s membership and the arrival of juniors to the club, it needed to find improved facilities and moved from the outdoor pool at Oak Park, to the new indoor Windy Hill (Essendon) Fitness Centre, in the early 1990’s. This brought about name changes over several years, moving from Oak Park, to Essendon-Oak Park and then finally Essendon. Further expansion saw the club relocate once more to the aquatic facility at Victoria University. Essendon now boasts teams that regularly fight for premiership honours from State League One down.
