Kiama, New South Wales


 * For the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, see Electoral district of Kiama.

Kiama is a township 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census, Kiama had a population of 12,286 people. One of the main tourist attractions is the Kiama Blowhole. The seaside town features several popular surfing beaches, caravan parks and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants. It is the first country town south of Sydney, and attracts a large number of day trippers.

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. Before the cedar-getters ( a rowdy mob of ex-convicts, convicts and runaways, some with cedar licences and many without) had even arrived in the area, around 1810, the local indigenous Australians Wodi Wodi of the language group Dharawal 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 who stopped there on his whaleboat voyage to Bass Strait on December 6, 1797. He noted the beauty and complexity of the Kiama area and was astounded when he first discovered the blowhole.

During the colonisation of Australia, the Kiama area was settled by wheat farmers as 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 died, the farmers switched to dairying. During this period Kiama became the best example of 'chain migration' 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), Michael Hindmarsh and Thomas Chapman, 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 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 real population boom was powered by its quarries. 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 Island, 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. (including the spectacular Bombo Headland, the site of the discovery of the Kiama Magnetic Reversal discovery in 1923).

When Kiama Harbour was hollowed out, after 17 years hard work, and flooded in 1876, larger steamers such as from the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company could enter and a flourishing sea trade followed. 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 nearly all 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.

Geography
The Kiama area includes many attractions, being situated on the coast south of the Minnamurra River, 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 with pasture-land in between, which contains many historic buildings and dry stone walls. 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 Jones' 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 has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb) typical of southern and central New South Wales with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread relatively evenly throughout the year with the wettest months being in spring and the driest in autumn.

Transport
The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.

Attractions
The beaches around Kiama offer a large range of surfing conditions. Many surfing competitions are held here every year. These include Jones Beach - Kiama Downs, Bombo Beach - Bombo, Surf Beach - Kiama, Easts Beach and Caravan Park - Kiama Heights, Kendalls Beach - Kiama and Mystics Beach - Minnamurra River.

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 famous Kiama Blowhole. Every year thousands of tourists come to see the beautiful large fountains of water that the blowhole creates. The "Little Blowhole" is a lesser known blowhole that is frequently characterized by more impressive spurting than the Kiama Blowhole even though it is associated with a smaller rock formation. 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 is due to open in mid 2009 to allow people to walk along the cliffs to Gerringong.

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. 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.

Kiama Lighthouse, on Blowhole Point, was built in the late 1800s and is situated close to the Kiama Blowhole. The point also contains a heritage pilot's cottage and a tourist information centre. North of the point 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 Pelicans. 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 is situated 10 minutes inland of Kiama, in the suburb of Jamberoo, a mainly ride-orientated water-themed park.

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

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, Kiama Public School and Ss Peter And Paul Catholic School.

Famous people

 * Brett Morris, St George Illawarra Dragons NRL Player
 * Josh Morris, Canterbury Bulldogs NRL Player
 * Sir George Fuller
 * Charmian Clift
 * Matt Brown (Australian politician)
 * Alyce Crawford (model)
 * Robbie Maddison (Freestyle Motocross Rider)
 * George Orry-Kelly Academy Award winning dress designer
 * Harold Percival "Percy" Christmas, founder of Woolworths Limited
 * Brett White, Melbourne Storm NRL Player