Fishing boats in Kiama Harbour

 

Kiama
Attractive and popular south coast holiday town
Kiama is a well-known and much-favoured coastal resort located 119 km south of Sydney via the Princes Highway. It is characterised by dramatic rocky coastline, sandy beaches and an attractive harbour. The hinterland behind the town is dominated by lush green dairy pastures, and rolling hills which were once clad in dense subtropical forests.

A vivid impression of the original landscape has been left by a local mill manager's daughter who wrote: 'From Wollongong to Jamberoo, the road was a mere day track through a forest of tropical foliage; gum trees 200 [feet] or more in height, gigantic india-rubber trees with broad shining green leaves, lofty cabbage palms, and many other kinds of tree towered above us, so that their tops made a twilight canopy, unpenetrable to the sunlight, save for an infrequent clearing in the forest made by the settler's axe. Huge lianas, some as thick as a man's arm, hung down snakelike from the trees.'

The area's original inhabitants, the Wodi Wodi Aborigines, are said to have called the place 'Kiarama-a' or 'Kiar-mai'. The meaning is usually given as 'where the sea makes a noise', although 'fertile area', 'mysterious spirit' and 'plenty food: good fishing ground' have also been suggested.

The former is a reference to the blowhole, allegedly known as 'Khanterintee' (meaning 'mysterious noise') by the local Aborigines. The first European to sight the blowhole was George Bass who wrote of the 'tremendous noise' this 'subterraneous passage' produced when he anchored offshore in December, 1797.

An abundance of cedar drew the first Europeans to the area. The population of Sydney required softwood for its furnishings and, by 1815, timber was being shipped out from Kiama's main beach, Black Beach. By the 1820s Kiama was supplying nine-tenths of the Sydney cedar market.

In 1819 surveyor James Meehan surveyed the district by land and surveyor-general Oxley explored the area, which he called 'Kiarami'. Seven years later he reserved the land adjacent the harbour for the development of a township and surveys were carried out in 1830 and 1831, the year that troopers were sent from Wollongong to set up camp and preserve order among the cedar-getters.

One sawyer, David Smith, appears to have been the first to take up permanent residence in 1821. He built a permanent house in 1832 which became the village's first tavern, the Gum Tree Inn, in 1837. The town was gazetted in 1839.

Kiama developed as a shipping and service centre for the local industries. In the 1840s mooring chains were affixed to the rocks on either side of Black Beach to provide secure moorings. The iron post that functioned as an anchor pin for the securing chain is Kiama's oldest surviving historic artefact. It can be seen, still driven into the rocks with some chain remnants, from the concrete walkway on the north-western side of the harbour.

A postal service commenced in 1841 and dairying, soon to become a staple industry of the region, was established the following year. Butter was shipped directly to England in 1880 and Australia's first butter co-operative opened in 1884.

The first church (Anglican) was built in 1843 and the first local school commenced operation within the building later that year. A jetty was erected to facilitate export trade in 1849. Two years later the population was recorded as being 199.

The first public school opened in 1861, and, two years later, the Kiama Independent was founded. Published by one family throughout its history it is now the oldest surviving family-owned newspaper in NSW.

The development of the harbour, which was completed in 1876, was one of the factors that contributed to the development of the basalt-quarrying industry in Kiama, which would prove economically vital to the town. The first quarry was established in 1855 where the Aquatic Centre is now situated, in Havilah Place. The gravel was transported to Black Beach by horse and dray where, before the wharf was constructed, it was floated out to waiting ships by barge.

The other factor producing a boom was the growth of Sydney's tramways, roadways and railways from 1879, basalt being laid between the tracks. In 1880 two quarries opened at Bombo. A special 'stone fleet' was transporting 400 tonnes of rock a day in 1883. At times there were as many as six ships waiting for supplies.

The railway from Sydney arrived at Bombo in 1887, being extended to Kiama in 1893. It expanded the market for local basalt and, with its greater speed, local butter and milk.

A tramline was built to transport basalt from Bombo to the harbour in 1880 but was unworkable. A new and successful line was laid in 1914 and operated until 1961. One of the original trams can now be found at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum in Albion Park Rail.

Another input into the local economy came from Sydneysiders who were drawn by the ocean views, local scenery and mild climate as early as the 1880s. The establishment of a direct link to Sydney, the improvement of the roads, and the additions of boating and surfing greatly enhanced Kiama's attractiveness as a tourist destination. With butter, basalt, a rail link and tourism the future of Kiama was guaranteed. The period between the wars drew many vacationers from the Riverina and Canberra, and Kiama has become something of a retirement centre since 1945. Thus the population has swollen from 2250 in 1947 to 10280 at last count.

In recent years, due to the excellent freeway system from Sydney, it has become popular with daytrippers and holiday makers.

Things to see:  

 

Kiama's famous blowhole

 

A walk around the town starting at the Blowhole
1. The Blowhole
However, the most obvious place to start is the Blowhole. Still the town's greatest attraction this sea-cliff cavern will always offer some kind of display but the really spectacular 'blows' only occur when the wind and water are coming rather precisely from the south-east. On those occasions waves roar explosively through a hole in the cave-roof sending spray up as high as 60 metres and down over the carpark. The site is floodlit until 9.30 pm.

It is worth recalling what the blowhole was like over 100 years ago. In 1888 the Kiama Independent reported: "The Kiama Blowhole was, on Saturday morning, in a state of activity that has not been witnessed for many a day. The south-east wind which blew on Saturday had the effect of disturbing the peaceful billows, and caused them to foam and roll to a degree that was extremely dangerous to shipping. The visitors who had arrived in Kiama by Saturday's train had ample opportunity on Sunday morning of witnessing great volumes of water being forced up higher than the lighthouse through the huge crater which bears the somewhat singular, though nevertheless applicable cognomen of'blowhole'."

 

 

2. The Lighthouse
Near the blowhole is the 15-metre lighthouse, opened in 1887 on George Bass Point after a considerable death toll had occurred on the rocky coastline. It was converted to electricity in 1969 and extends its beams to a distance of 27 km. Once attended by a lighthouse keeper it has long been automated.

 

3. The Pilot's Cottage and Heritage Centre
Just down the hill from the lighthouse is the Kiama Pilot's Cottage and Heritage Centre, the residence of the local harbour pilots from 1881 to 1981. The building is typical of the country cottages designed in the office of the colonial architect to house public officials. In the absence of local brickworks basalt was used for the outside walls, with local cedar utilised for the joinery and ironbark for the floors. The original design was extended later in 1881 with additions made in the 1930s. Much of the original character was lost. It was restored and renovated in the 1980s by the Kiama Historical Society. The museum is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 11-3 (02 4232 1001).

Adjacent is the Visitor's Information Centre (02 4232 3322) which is the major source of tourist information in the area.

 

 

Huge waves break on the rocks near the rock pool

 

4. The Rock Pools
On either side of the harbour are two attractive rock pools. The one on the northern side was built in 1888. Its location was determined by indecency laws which forbade bathing in public. The southern rock pool can be spectacular when the sea is rough.

 

5. Storm Bay and Christ Church
At the bottom of Blowhole Point Road is Storm Bay and on the hill overlooking the bay is Christ Church which was built in 1858 of local basalt and red cedar. Based on a design by Edmund Blacket it is in the Gothic Revival style. An interesting timber ceiling of local cedar in the form of an inverted ship's hull was added in 1872. The nautical motif was reiterated in the blue windows above the altar and the ensign of the H.M.S. Kiama. The interior has been plastered and refurnished, the exterior cement-rendered, and the belfry and simple porch were replaced by a bell-tower in 1922, a memorial to parishioners who served in the First World War. The grave of John Gowen (1763?-1837), a marine from the First Fleet, can be found in the small graveyard.

 

6. The Post Office
Walk down the hill towards the shops. It is impossible to miss the Italianate post office building on the corner. Completed in 1878, it was designed by then-colonial architect James Barnet. A Victorian Classical Revival structure its colonnades and tall, square clock tower contribute significantly to the townscape.

Prior to its construction, on the site originally reserved for a town hall, the postal service was conducted on private premises from 1841 and before the railway arrived the mail was delivered by coach. Kiama was receiving deliveries twice weekly by 1842. The arrival of the mail was always accompanied by the blasting of a horn to assert right of way and alert the district to the arrival of the mail.

 

7. The Court House
Head west along Terralong St. The courthouse, one of the oldest-surviving public buildings on the south coast, was designed by colonial architect Alexander Dawson and completed in 1861. It is of stuccoed brick construction with two lower office wings. Extensions were made later in the century. The symmetrical police station was also designed by James Barnet (1884) on the site of a lock-up dating from 1855.

 

8. Presbyterian Church
At the corner of Terralong St and Shoalhaven St is the Presbyterian Church. Although services had been held by the church since 1840 the sandstone building was not completed until 1863. The steeple and bell were added in 1898.

 

9. Kiama Infant's School
Turn right into Shoalhaven St and take the first left into Minnamurra St. On the corner is one of the most impressive of the local buildings to be constructed of basalt, Kiama Infant's School. Originally serving the educational needs of all age groups the central single-storey section was built in 1871 with additions being made over the next two decades.

 

 

The Historic Terraces

 

10. Kiama Terrace
Walk along Minnamurra St to Collins St and turn left. On the immediate left is Kiama Terrace. Dating from 1886 these buildings were designed to house quarry workers and their families. The only weatherboard terraces left in NSW they were in a state of disrepair by the 1960s and were almost demolished. Classified by the National Trust and placed under a permanent conservation order they have been restored and are now a major tourist attraction with everything from restaurants to bookshops and shops selling crafts and sea shells.

 

11. Masonic Temple
At the southern end of the terrace is the masonic temple. Built in 1878, this was originally a Temperance Hall for the Sons and Daughters of Temperance. Long the largest place for public meetings in town it was purchased by the masons in 1897.

 

12. Fire Station
Walk back across to Terralong St. Opposite the Presbyterian Church is the former fire station, erected in 1915 to replace a shed built in 1901 which can still be found to the rear of the building. In 1899 a huge conflagration swept through the commercial area between Shaolhaven and Collins Sts. This led to the formation of a regular fire brigade the following year.

 

13. Kiama Inn Hotel
Diagonally opposite is Tory's Hotel (1888) - now known as Kiama Inn Hotel - which was erected on the site of the Fermanagh Hotel, built in 1842. Like many country pubs it once sported a cast-iron lacework verandah about the second storey but these were removed earlier in the century in an attempt to 'modernise' the appearance of the buildings and as a result of the dangers presented by automobiles running off the rudimentary roads and hitting the corner posts. It was the local stopping point for the Cobb and Co coaches and there are photographs of the coaches outside the pub.

 

14. Shoalhaven and Bong Bong Street
If you walk up Shoalhaven St to the intersection with Bong Bong St there are a number of quite beautiful historic homes, particularly the largely unaltered facade at 74 Shoalhaven St, the more elaborate design by architect, Hardy Wilson, at 45 Bong Bong St, and the facade at 34 Bong Bong St, essentially unaltered since it was built in the 1870s. In fact there are many attractive houses in Shoalhaven St, between Terralong St and Farmer St, and in Manning St (e.g., numbers 117 and 157). 'Duart', at 165 Terralong St, was built in the 1860s by Joseph Weston, the founder of the Kiama Independent.. It is currently a restaurant.

 

15. Grand Hotel
Walk down Bong Bong St towards the beach, past the 19th-century railway station and, at the corner with Manning St, is the three-storey stuccoed brick Grand Hotel (1891). Classified by the National Trust, it had its verandah and parapet removed.

 

16. The old ES&A Bank
A few doors down is a large, austerely simple, two-storey, white Georgian house with cedar skirtings, architraves, doors and windows and oregon floorboards. Built in 1859 this was originally a store - the largest in the district. Later that year the ES&A Bank rented office space within the building. Victoria Stores were once located at the rear of the building but this adjunct was pulled down, probably when the Bank purchased the entire building in 1875. They added extensions in 1885, designed by William Wardell, including the downstairs ballroom. This was the birthplace Sir George Fuller, NSW premier in the 1920s.

 

17. Westpac Bank
On the same side of the street, but closer to the harbour, is the Westpac Bank, a two-storey stuccoed stone and brick building with wrought-iron railings and gate. Of the Victorian Classical Revival it opened in 1887 as the City Bank of Sydney. The figurehead of George Thorton, original chairman of the bank, is a rare form of ornamentation in the period. At number 18 Manning St are some solicitor's offices, initially the Commercial Bank of Sydney (1881).

 

18. Hartwell House
Kiama's most historic and impressive home is Hartwell House. To get there head south up Manning St, past Kiama Beach and turn left into Barney St at the roundabout. Follow the road as it bends to the south and keep your eyes to the right. Hartwell House was built in 1858 by Thomas Chapman and named after a residence in England. This fine example of an early Victorian country house has a stone verandah, turned timber columns, 12-pane sash windows, intricate cornices and roses on the plastered ceilings and outstanding cedar joinery. At the back, adjoining the roadway, are high walls of basalt and, adjacent, are a coach-house, groom's quarters and large stable. The postern gate still retains its hitching post and mounting block. It is not open for inspection.

 

 

The Little Blowhole always blows

 

19. The Little Blowhole
Further south, on Tingira Crescent is the Little Blowhole, which, though less famous than its Kiama cousin, spouts much more frequently and can be more dramatic, sending up spectacular sprays of water. The route is complicated and poorly signposted so get precise directions from the visitor's centre.

 

20. The Kiama Walking Trail
There is a walking trail clearly marked with large blue-and-white posts. At the northern end is Minnamurra Headland. Turn off the highway along the road that bisects Kiama Golf Course and follow it to its end. Turn left and James Oates Reserve is to your right. This is an idyllic spot for a seaside picnic. Grey mangrove thrives in the estuary.

The water at the river mouth is shallow and ideal for family swimming and safe snorkelling. Adjacent the boat ramp is the first blue marker-post. Follow the trail through some scrub up onto the grassy headland to the cliffs overlooking the estuary. Offshore is Stack Island, a popular haunt for seabirds and the site of the wreck of the Rangoon in 1870.

The grass path meets up with a bitumen cycle track that starts in Carson Place and finishes at the carpark in Eureka Ave. The huge gully on the other side of the fence is the remains of an old quarry.

A little further south is Bombo Headland. Look north from here and you will see the unusual geological formation known as Cathedral Rocks. Below is Jones Beach, a very popular surfing spot.

 

Bombo Beach in the late afternoon

 

The path leads to 'The Boneyard' where the quarrying has left a large number of dramatic hexagonal basalt columns. There is something otherworldly about the setting. The site is considered of international geological interest and is protected by a permanent conservation order.

 

21. Bonaira Native Gardens
Bonaira Native Gardens south of town are well worth visiting. A determined and highly successful effort at dense revegetation they can be accessed by heading south along Manning St until a garage appears in front of you and the road bends to the right becoming Saddleback Mountain Rd. Turn left here into Bonaira St and take the fourth right into Girrawheen Ave. There is a children's park to the right where the walk commences. Enjoy the environment and follow one of the short side trails through the bush where numerous birds have made their home. There is a monument to the Wodi Wodi people in the reserve.

 

Other Attractions
Marlin, yellowfin tuna, kingfish, mulloway, snapper, flathead, morwong, bream and blackfish are all located in the waters off Kiama Harbour. Boats can be hired and chartered for fishing and diving excursions from Kiama Charter Service (02 4237 8496), Kiama Harbour Game and Reef Fishing Charters (02 4232 1725) and Signa Charters (02 4233 1020). Kingfish, snapper, drummer, trevally, salmon, tailor and groper can be caught off the rocks.

 

 

 

 

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Kiama