Historical Walking Tour of Kiama — Self-Guided App
A self-guided walking tour of Kiama's 19th-century heart — from the harbour lighthouse on Blowhole Point to heritage-listed churches, banks, the post office and the Collins Street timber terraces.
Open this tour in the app →The route
1Kiama Post Office
Completed in 1878 to a design from James Barnet's Colonial Architect's Office and built by W. R. Vaughan, this Victorian Italianate post office opened in 1880. Its rendered-brick corner clock tower is regarded as the earliest surviving example of that design element in New South Wales. State Heritage listed in 2000.
2CBC Bank Building, Kiama
Built in 1880 to designs by the Mansfield Bros, this two-storey Italianate bank of rendered brick and slate served the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney, with a manager's residence upstairs. A fine example of the Mansfield bank style, it retains original detailing and has been on the NSW State Heritage Register since 1999.
3Kiama railway station
Opened on 2 June 1893, this single-storey brick station on the South Coast line was the first island-platform building of its type, becoming the model for the standard NSW station plans issued in 1899. Its sandstone-trimmed windows and 1897 turntable helped earn a State Heritage Register listing in 1999.
4Scots Presbyterian Church, Kiama
This Gothic Revival church was designed by Sydney architect Thomas Rowe and built between 1860 and 1863 from local sandstone quarried on the Robb estate, with basalt foundations and a Welsh slate roof. Still an active place of worship, it remains an unaltered example of Rowe's work and joined the NSW State Heritage Register in 1999.
5Kiama Masonic Temple
Built 1876-78 by contractor James Dinning for £1500, this rendered-brick classical building with Doric columns opened as a Temperance Hall for the Sons of Temperance. Freemasons acquired it in 1908, adding stained glass; Lodge Kiama No. 35 has met here since 1909. State Heritage listed 1999.
6Collins Street wooden terraces, Kiama
Built through the late 1870s and 1880s, this weatherboard terrace row with a gabled iron roof once housed Kiama's quarry workers alongside an inn, the inn-keeper's residence and a post office. Now shops and cafes, it joined the NSW State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
7Kiama Light
Commissioned on New Year's Day 1887 and designed by engineer Edward Orpen Moriarty, this brick tower stands 16 metres tall beside the famous Kiama Blowhole, guiding ships into the harbour. Automated in 1920, it still operates today, while the former assistant keeper's cottage now houses a museum and visitor centre.
8Bombo railway station
Opened in 1887 on the South Coast Line, Bombo station retains a weatherboard platform building with a gabled corrugated-steel roof, plus a 1925 reinforced-concrete signal box. Its awningless timber building is one of just three on the Illawarra line, earning it a State Heritage Register listing in 1999.
Map
Practical info
While you’re in New South Wales
1 stops · 5.8 km Gerringong
3 stops · 4.5 km Berry
3 stops · 1.1 km Kangaroo Valley
2 stops · 4.6 km
FAQ
How long is the Kiama walking tour?
About 112 minutes over roughly 5.3 km at a relaxed pace.
Can I do the tour offline?
Yes — load the tour in the Sitesy app beforehand and it’s cached for offline use.
Is the Kiama walking tour accessible?
Yes — the route mainly follows sealed town-centre footpaths suitable for wheelchairs and prams, with a few gentle slopes near the harbour and lighthouse.