Kiama () is a coastal town 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

. One of the main tourist attractions is the

Kiama Blowhole The Kiama Blowhole is a blowhole in the town of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. The name ‘Kiama’ has long been translated as “where the sea makes a noise”. It is one of the town's major tourist attractions. Under certain sea conditions, ...

. Kiama features several popular surfing beaches and caravan parks, and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants. Its proximity to the south of Sydney makes it an attractive destination for many day-trippers and weekenders.

History

Kiama was the site of two strong volcanic flows, called the Gerringong Volcanics, which came out of Saddleback Mountain, now a collapsed volcanic vent. The Kiama Blowhole is part of an erosion process on the more recent rock, formed into columnar basalt, or

latite Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic- aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture. Its mineral assemblage is usually alkali feldspar and plagioclase in approximately equal amounts. Quartz is less than five percent and is absent in a f ...

. Before the cedar-getters (comprising ex-convicts, convicts and runaways, some with cedar licences and many without) arrived in the area around 1810, the local

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

, Wodi Wodi of the language group

Dharawal The Dharawal people, also spelt Tharawal and other variants, are an Aboriginal Australian people, identified by the Dharawal language. Traditionally, they lived as hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans with ties of kinship, s ...

, had been using the land for thousands of years, moving every six weeks or so in family groups. This is supported by a midden of shells at nearby Bass Point used for more than 17,000 years. During this time the whole coastal hills was covered in rainforest and cedar brush. There is evidence of a flourishing culture with intricate possum cloaks, a developed song and story cycle, and a deep understanding of the many plants of the rainforest. Only a few remnants of rainforest survive along the escarpment in places like the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre. There is strong evidence of recent sea debris showing a mega-tsunami hit this coast around 1487 A.D according to Dr Ted Bryant of Wollongong University. The first European to explore the area was

George Bass George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia. Early years Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George ...

who stopped there on 6 December 1797 and viewed Kiama's blowhole. During the early settlement of eastern Australia, the Kiama area was settled by wheat farmers, since the soil was volcanic and rain-swept unlike most of Australia. Early Jamberoo was the population centre from about 1830 to the 1860s and when the wheat failed to grow, the farmers switched to dairying. During this period Kiama became the best example of '

chain migration Chain migration is the social process by which immigrants from a particular area follow others from that area to a particular destination. The destination may be in another country or in a new location within the same country. John S. MacDonal ...

' in Australia as many assisted migrants came from Northern Ireland on clearing leases and eventually half the marriages in the Kiama Anglican Church in a hundred years had Northern Irish Protestant ancestry. Kiama was one of the birthplaces of the Australian dairy industry with the first Dairy Factory ( The Kiama Pioneer Factory) and first Dairy Co-operative in Australia. There were three original major land grants, Thomas Surfleet Kendall (son of lapsed missionary Reverend

Thomas Kendall Thomas Kendall (13 December 1778 – 6 August 1832) was a New Zealand missionary, recorder of the Māori language, schoolmaster, arms dealer, and Pākehā Māori. Early life: Lincolnshire and London, 1778–1813 A younger son of farmer Edw ...

), Michael Hindmarsh and Matthew Cignarella, all of which married sisters of the Rutter family. The Kendalls were cousins of Henry Kendall, the famous Australian poet. The Kendall name is remembered today in several places such as the spooky Kendall Cemetery in

Kiama Heights Kiama Heights is a semi-rural locality in the Illawarra, south of Kiama in New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the coast of the Tasman Sea on either side of the Princes Highway. At the , it had a population of 814. Climate The climat ...

and Kendalls Beach. The Hindmarshs are remembered in Kiama's main park, Hindmarsh Park, and after 10 generations still live on their original land. Kiama's next population boom was powered by its quarries, which multiplied rapidly in the early years of the 20th century. Many Irish Catholics worked in the Kiama quarries. The basalt formed by two volcanic eruptions 240 million years and 66 million years ago was a valuable commodity for a growing colony, with the blue metal used to pave Sydney's roads and as ballast for its railways. It was very similar to the basalt found in Northern Ireland, where the Giant's Causeway is a famous example. There are still active quarries in the Kiama area, including the N.S.W. Railway Quarry, and the remnants of earlier quarries are easily visible throughout the town and often have facilities built inside them such as the Kiama Leisure Centre. One particular quarry, the Bombo Headland, is of scientific importance as it is the site of the discovery of the longest known geomagnetic polarity interval called the Kiaman Reverse Superchron. When Kiama Harbour was hollowed out after 17 years' work, and flooded in 1876, larger steamers such as from the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company could enter and a flourishing sea trade followed.

Staithes Staithes is a seaside village in the borough of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, England. Easington and Roxby Becks, two brooks that run into Staithes Beck, form the border between the Borough of Scarborough and Redcar and Cleveland. The area l ...

for loading crushed blue metal stone directly into ships from rail trucks were installed along the eastern end of the harbour, allowing regular shipments to be taken to Sydney for the railways and road construction. The ships that carried the blue metal to Sydney were known colloquially as the "

Stone Fleet The Stone Fleet consisted of a fleet of aging ships (mostly whaleships) purchased in New Bedford and other New England ports, loaded with stone, and sailed south during the American Civil War by the Union Navy for use as blockships. They were to ...

". The Kiama Pilot's Cottage was finished in 1881 and the Kiama Lighthouse in 1887. Kiama really hit its boom time in this period, from 1890 until the Great Depression in 1927, when many of the quarries closed. It was a prosperous and happy time well recorded in the local newspaper, the Kiama Independent and the photographs of the Cocks Photographic Studio, two valuable resources which tell most of the Kiama story. Over time tourism and housing growth turned Kiama into a dormitory suburb (where people travelled away to work) and summer tourist spot. Kiama in 2009 is a tourism haven in summer, during which its population triples. The Kiama Pilot's Cottage is now a local history museum. Nearby, on Black Beach, is a memorial to the blue metal freighter

SS Bombo The SS ''Bombo'' was a coastal freighter which foundered on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in February 1949 with the loss of twelve of her fourteen crew. Built in Scotland in 1929, the SS ''Bombo'' was sailed to Australia to carry ...

, which capsized and sank outside

Port Kembla A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

harbour in a huge gale after departing Kiama for Sydney on 24 February 1949. Twelve of the fourteen crew were lost. A tornado ripped through parts of Kiama in February 2013, damaging about 75 homes.

Heritage listings

Kiama has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 24–40 and 42–44 Collins Street: Collins Street wooden terraces, Kiama * 46 Collins Street:

Kiama Masonic Temple Kiama Masonic Temple is a heritage-listed masonic temple and former temperance hall at 46 Collins Street, Kiama, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. It was built from 1876 to 1878 with alterations in 1908-09. It is also known as ...

* Illawarra railway:

Kiama railway station Kiama is a heritage-listed intercity train station located in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink diesel multiple unit trains traveling south to and electric multiple unit train ...

* Irvine Street: Kiama Reservoirs * 16–20 Manning Street: CBC Bank Building * Shoalhaven Street: Scots Presbyterian Church * 24 Terralong Street:

Kiama Post Office Kiama Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at 24 Terralong Street, Kiama, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the Colonial Architect's Office under James Barnet. and built by W. R. Vaughan. The propert ...

Geography

The Kiama area includes many attractions, being situated on the coast south of the

Minnamurra River The Minnamurra River, an open mature wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features Minnamurra River rises within the Budderoo National Park on the eastern slopes of th ...

, and to the west lie the foothills of Saddleback Mountain and the smaller less discernible peak of Mount Brandon. Also to the west is the town of

Jamberoo Jamberoo is a village on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. It is approximately 11.3 km inland from Kiama. At the , Jamberoo had a population of 1,667. The town's name is derived from an Aboriginal w ...

with pasture-land in between, which contains many historic buildings and

dry stone wall Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their construction me ...

s. Also of note is Seven Mile Beach to the south, a protected reserve. Kiama has several well-known surfing beaches, including Surf Beach, 'Mystics' and Boyds' Beach, as well as other more protected swimming beaches situated in coves between headlands such as Black Beach, Easts Beach and Kendalls Beach. Kiama Harbour forms one of several coves between headlands.

Climate

Kiama is the northern edge of the

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfb''), bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

. with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread relatively evenly throughout the year with the wettest months being in autumn and the driest in spring.

Population

At the , Kiama had a population of 7,700. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.7% of the population. * 77.2% of people were born in Australia. The most common countries of birth were England 6.8% and New Zealand 1.6%. * 88.9% of people only spoke English at home. * The most common responses for religion were No Religion 28.3%, Catholic 24.5% and Anglican 22.2%.

Transport

The town is served by

, the last electrified station on the

Illawarra railway line The South Coast Railway (also known as the Illawarra Railway) is a commuter and goods railway line from Sydney to Wollongong and Bomaderry in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning at the Illawarra Junction, the line services the Illawarra an ...

; the journey to Sydney takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. By road, Kiama is about 55 minutes from the southern edge of Sydney, and 100 minutes from the city centre, via the

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

. Kiama was served by two

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

ways built to connect the Pike's Hill quarries west of the town with the harbour traversing Terralong Street. The first was built in 1885 but never opened after financial problems were encountered with the tracks lifted in 1889. A second gauge line operated from 1914 until 1941.

Attractions

The beaches around Kiama offer a large range of surfing conditions. Many surfing competitions are held here every year. These include Boyds Beach –

Kiama Downs Kiama Downs is a suburb of the town Kiama in the Illawarra region south of Sydney, Australia. Renowned for its picturesque beaches and seaside views, it is about north of Kiama and is bordered by the Minnamurra River to the northwest and Jones ...

, Bombo Beach –

Bombo Bombo may refer to: Music *Bombo (musical), ''Bombo'' (musical), a 1921 Broadway production starring Al Jolson *Bombo (song), "Bombo" (song), by Norwegian singer Adelén *Bombo criollo or just bombo, a family of Latin American drums *Bombo legüer ...

, Surf Beach – Kiama, Easts Beach and Caravan Park – Kiama Heights, Kendalls Beach – Kiama and Mystics Beach –

. The name "Kiama" is derived from the Aboriginal word "''kiarama''", which means "Place where the sea makes a noise". Kiama is also known as the place where the mountains touch the sea. This is in reference to the

which attracts many visitors annually. The "Little Blowhole" is a lesser known blowhole as it does not share the same central location or the scale associated with the larger

. The Little Blowhole is on a headland south of the central part of Kiama between Easts and Kendalls Beaches. Both have areas for viewing, though the Kiama Blowhole attracts more tourists. A coastal walking track currently allows people to walk from Minnamurra to Easts Beach, past both blowholes. A 7 kilometre southern extension to this path has been opened to allow people to walk along the cliffs to

Gerringong Gerringong () is a town located about ten minutes drive south of Kiama, and about twenty minutes north of Nowra in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the , Gerringong had a population of 3,966. On ...

. A few kilometres north at Bombo is Cathedral Rocks, a formation well known and visited, with a walk/cycleway going along the Kiama coast. There are other rock formations on these cliff headlands of moderate renown. The Kiama Post Office, one of many historic buildings, is known for its history and pink colour, although it was repainted in 2012. It is situated near Black Beach. Kiama has a strip mall of cafés, restaurants, art galleries and shops on Terralong Street. Also on this street is a war memorial, an historic fire station used for exhibits, and a small shopping centre. There is a strong arts following and interest in cultural events in Kiama, and in 2013 an arts trail was introduced to showcase the work of individual artists, together with regular arts events in the area. Food and wine trails are also becoming more popular in the area.

Kiama Light Kiama Light, also known as Kiama Harbour Light, is an active lighthouse in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. The lighthouse is located close to the Kiama Blowhole on Blowhole Point, south of Kiama Harbour. History Tenders for the construct ...

house, on Blowhole Point, was built in 1887 and is situated close to the Kiama Blowhole. The point also contains a heritage pilot's cottage and a tourist information centre. North West of the Blowhole is Kiama Harbour, home to fishing boats and seafood market where you can buy local fish. The point also contains seaside cabins and a wonderful rock pool. A locally famous phenomenon is the local group of Australian

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before s ...

s. The pelicans have been honoured with a metal statue at the harbour. Seven kilometres southwest of the town is Saddleback Lookout atop the 600-metre high Saddleback Mountain with views over the Illawarra Plains and escarpment and south to Nowra, Pigeon House Mountain and Coolangatta Mountain. Saddleback and Noorinan mountains provide an impressive backdrop to the city. The

Jamberoo Action Park Jamberoo Action Park is a seasonal water theme park, which operates between September and April inclusive. Outside those times, the office remains open and staff are always available to field all types of bookings or enquiries. Jamberoo Act ...

, a mainly ride-orientated water-themed park, is situated 10 minutes inland of Kiama in the small town of Jamberoo. West of Kiama in the green hills lies Jerrara Dam, built in the 1800s to supply water to the area. It is now a reserve. North of the

is Killalea Recreation Area, a nature reserve on Bass Point. It is south of

Shellharbour Shellharbour (also known as Shellharbour Village) is a suburb located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It also gives its name to the local government area, City of Shellharbour, and its central business district, Shellhar ...

. Kiama Council spent eleven years preparing the construction of the Kiama Coast Walk, a six-kilometre track extending from Loves Bay, north of Kiama, to Werri Lagoon, near Gerringong, south of Kiama. Some coastal land was declared public reserve to allow the public to walk through what was previously private property. The track was scheduled to open in October 2009 and was expected to be a popular drawcard for the public.

Education

Kiama is home to several schools, including

Kiama High School , motto_translation = Towards higher things , location = Kiama, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia New South Wales , pushpin_image = Australia New South Wales relief locat ...

, Kiama Public School and Ss Peter and Paul Catholic School. Two vocational education and training (VET) providers also have their headquarters in Kiama, the Kiama Community College and National Training Masters. The local

TAFE NSW TAFE NSW is an Australian vocational education and training provider. Annually, the network trains over 500,000 students in campus, workplace, online, or distance education methods of education. It was established as an independent statutory bod ...

College is located at

Gallery

File:Cathedral Rock, Kiama from The Powerhouse Museum.jpg, Cathedral Rock, Kiama, circa 1900 File:Kiama harbour 1.JPG, Kiama harbour File:Kiama harbour 2.JPG, Kiama harbour File:Kiama post office.jpg, Kiama post office

Notable people

* Prof David Balding (born 1961), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor of Statistical Genomics at the University of Melbourne *

Joseph Carruthers Sir Joseph Hector McNeil Carruthers (21 December 185710 December 1932) was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 1904 to 1907. Carruthers is perhaps best remembered for founding the Liberal and Reform Associa ...

(1857–1932), 16th

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...

Charmian Clift Charmian Clift (30 August 19238 July 1969) was an Australian writer and essayist. She was the second wife and literary collaborator of George Johnston. Biography Clift was born in Kiama, New South Wales in 1923. She married George Johnston ...

(1923–1969), writer and essayist *Sir George Fuller (1861–1940), 22nd

* Orry George Kelly (1897–1964), Academy Award-winning dress designerKelly, Orry George biography
at the

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

Peter Knott Peter John Knott (8 August 1956 – 29 October 2015) was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented Gilmore from 1993 to 1996 for the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Knott was a libr ...

(born 1956), represented Gilmore from 1993 to 1996 for the Australian Labor Party *

Robbie Maddison Robert William 'Robbie' Maddison (born 14 July 1981) is an Australian motorbike stunt performer. Nicknamed 'Maddo', he is from the town of Kiama, New South Wales. Background Born in Caringbah, Maddison grew up in Kiama Downs, and developed h ...

(born 1981),

freestyle motocross Freestyle motocross (also known as FMX) is a variation on the sport of motocross in which motorcycle riders attempt to impress judges with jumps and stunts. The two main types of freestyle events are: *Big air (also known as "best trick"), in whi ...

rider *

Brett Morris Brett Morris (born 23 August 1986) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played on the and as a for the St George Illawarra Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the Sydney Roosters in the NRL and Australia at ...

and Josh Morris (born 1986), professional rugby league players *

Mitch Rein Mitch Rein (born 26 April 1990) is a former Australian rugby league footballer who last played as a for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League (NRL). Rein previously played for the Gold Coast, St. George Illawarra and Penrith in t ...

(born 1990), professional rugby league player

References

External links

Kiama Municipal Council website
{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Municipality of Kiama Coastal towns in New South Wales