Kiama

The first European to explore the Kiama area was George Bass. He stopped there on 6th December 1797 and inspected the now-famous Blowhole, noting the ‘tremendous noise’ coming from its ‘subterraneous passage’.

Cedar cutters were the first regular visitors to the area and, from the 1810s, used Kiama’s main beach, Black Beach, to load their timber onto Sydney-bound ships.

In late 1819 two concurrent surveying expeditions were undertaken in the area. John Oxley, then the colony’s Surveyor-General, undertook one by sea and named the area ‘Kiarami’. Assistant Surveyor James Meehan travelled overland, starting his journey from the Minnamurra River and finally meeting up with John Oxley at the Shoalhaven. The town itself was surveyed in 1830–1831, and was gazetted as a town in 1839.

The original settlers to the area grew wheat. However, by 1860, it had become evident that this crop was unsuitable to the area, so farmers switched their attention to dairying. The state’s first dairy factory and first dairy co-operative were established in Kiama. Then, from the early 20th century, quarrying became a major industry with Kiama’s blue metal being used for Sydney roads and as ballast for the state’s railways.

Kiama did not have a natural harbour so one was dug to allow larger ships, such as those operated by the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company, to provide a service to the area. This undertaking took 17 years, to 1876. The lighthouse was added in 1887.

The railway from Sydney arrived in Bombo in 1887 and the line was extended to Kiama in 1893. With the arrival of the railway, and later, with a somewhat decent road from Sydney, the town became a popular tourist destination. Lately Kiama has become something of a dormitory suburb of Wollongong.