Historical Walking Tour of Kiama
Looking for things to do in Kiama? Start with its history. The town's first post office opened in 1841, and the grand civic and commercial buildings you see today followed in the late 1800s: the Italianate Post Office and bank of about 1880, a Gothic Revival church built from local sandstone, and the 1893 railway station. Timber terraces in Collins Street recall the quarry workers who once lived there, and Kiama Light has guided ships into the harbour since 1887. This self-guided walk links 8 historic places, each with a short audio story in the Sitesy app.
Opens in your browser. No download and no account needed.
What is Kiama known for?
Kiama is known for its heritage-listed town centre and its harbour. The Post Office, with the earliest surviving corner clock tower of its kind in New South Wales, stands close to a Mansfield Bros bank of about 1880, the sandstone Scots Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Temple. Collins Street's weatherboard terraces were built for quarry workers, and the railway station of 1893 became the model for standard NSW station plans. Down at the harbour, Kiama Light stands beside the famous Kiama Blowhole, and its former keeper's cottage is now a museum and visitor centre.
The route: 8 historic places in Kiama
Start at Kiama Post Office. Tap a stop to see it on the map.
Pins are numbered in walking order; lines join them directly, not along streets. Walking directions in Google Maps
- 1
Kiama 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 2
CBC 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 3
Kiama 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 4
Scots 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 5
Kiama 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 6
Collins 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 7
Kiama 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.
Source: Wikipedia
- 8
Bombo 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.
Source: Wikipedia
Kiama and the railway
Kiama Railway Station was the first station on the Bombo to Bomaderry section of the Illawarra line, completed in 1893, and it has been the town's transport hub ever since. Its platform building was the first example of an island-platform building and became the model for the standard plans for that building type. The turntable and ash pits that survive beside it are remnants of a once substantial yard layout that served the dairying and pastoral industries of the district. The walk also includes Bombo station, opened in 1887, whose timber platform building is one of only a few of its kind on the line.
Source: NSW State Heritage Inventory
How the walk works
Open it from this page
Tap Start this walk free. The walk opens in the Sitesy app in your browser, with the route and every stop ready.
Walk and listen
Each stop's story plays as you arrive, with directions to the next one. Pause for a coffee whenever you like.
Save it before you go
Save the walk's audio to your phone at home, so the stories play even where the signal drops.
Free to start
- This walk: every stop is free to hear. Walk stops never use up your free stories.
- 5 free stories a day about wherever you are, at home or away.
- 1 free custom walk a week, built around your time and interests.
7 days of unlimited stories and walks. One payment, no subscription.
Unlimited, wherever you are. Cancel any time.
Both plans also let you save whole areas to listen offline. You only sign in (with Google) if you buy a plan. Prices in Australian dollars.
Before you go
More walks nearby
1 stop · 5.8 km Gerringong
3 stops · 3.8 km Berry
3 stops · 1.1 km Kangaroo Valley
2 stops · 4.6 km
Questions
How long is the Kiama walking tour?
About 82 minutes over roughly 3.3 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.
What is the history of Kiama in brief?
Kiama's first post office opened in 1841. The present Post Office was built in 1878-80, Kiama Light was commissioned in 1887, and the railway station opened in 1893. This walk links these and other heritage-listed places.
What is Kiama known for?
Kiama is known for its heritage-listed town centre and its harbour. The Post Office, with the earliest surviving corner clock tower of its kind in New South Wales, stands close to a Mansfield Bros bank of about 1880, the sandstone Scots Presbyterian Church and the Masonic Temple. Collins Street's weatherboard terraces were built for quarry workers, and the railway station of 1893 became the model for standard NSW station plans. Down at the harbour, Kiama Light stands beside the famous Kiama Blowhole, and its former keeper's cottage is now a museum and visitor centre.
Is the Kiama walking tour free?
Yes. Open it in the Sitesy app and every stop on this walk is free to hear, with no account needed. Free listeners also get 5 stories a day about wherever they are and 1 custom walk a week. The Trip pass (A$7.99 for 7 days) and Sitesy Plus (A$8.99 a month) unlock unlimited stories and walks.
Page last updated 14 October 2026.