The pool reopened on 2 December 1949 and continued operations for 32 years before being closed and demolished in 1984.

Mount Emily Swimming Pool was originally occupied by and named after the Mount Emily Reservoir which, established in 1878, served as a water pumping station to towns in Singapore before falling out of disuse, following the completion of the Fort Canning Reservoir, and was converted into a popular resort, with a park and playground.

[1] When it was first opened in 1931, Mount Emily Swimming Pool had one pool with a smaller section that was shallower for children and non-swimmers and a larger section that was 164 feet long and 40 feet wide that was for more experienced swimmers.

[2] Plans for a public swimming pool were suggested in 1929 at a municipal meeting and Mount Emily Reservoir was determined to be a suitable site.

The original tank also slanted 45 degrees and engineers had to build concrete pillars and beams along with a vertical wall going around the pool to make it safer for swimmers.

The tiling and other parts of the pool were also damaged that were suspected to have been sustained during the Japanese occupation.

Municipal Architect D. C. Rae stated that the work was expected to have been completed by the end of January 1948.

[11] During this period, plans to build a second public pool were announced at Monk's Hill, Bukit Timah, with Rae stating that Mount Emily was "unsuitable from a long-term point of view".

[11] The pool briefly reopened in October 1948 before closing again due to an outbreak of polio.

[14] In 1951, the second public pool was planned to be built at Yan Kit Road, Tanjong Pagar, at a cost of S$380,000.