A new housing dawn for ‘big picture’ Kiama
Paul Suttor
Kiama is on the dawn of a new era after Council endorsed its muchdebated and long-awaited Housing Strategy at Tuesday night’s monthly meeting with all but one of the Councillors voting in favour.
After extensive consultation on Version 2 of the Draft Local Housing Strategy, a motion was moved to endorse it after director of strategies and communities Ed Paterson updated the Councillors on some minor changes from the document that was placed on public display from February to April.There was further debate on Tuesday night about the Strategy and Councillors indicated they would be comfortable with a community reference group being formed to guide its implementation.
The Strategy confirms
Kiama Council will add 900 homes in the area by 2029, to meet NSW Government housing targets.
Councillor Melinda Lawton spoke against an amendment to the motion because there had been changes made at the last minute to add and withdraw certain sections of land that will be available for future housing.
“I’m rather perplexed as to why we can actually change the draft housing document with popping in lands, popping out lands,” she told the meeting.
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald told The Bugle that the Strategy would set the LGA up for a bright future.
“It’s about the future of Kiama for the next 20 or 30 years and how we look and how we want the overall environment to be looking for the future so it’s really important. [The Strategy
will help counteract ] people in the community being disappointed each time they are confronted with a new development just landing in their laps without having any input into what it potentially looks like.
“[Without an endorsed Housing Strategy we risk] being dictated to or told that this is where the development will be because the developer would come in and sometimes bypass Council, sometimes by council not agreeing with it [and it goes to court], but essentially were pathways for a developer to ride roughshod over our local community.
“It was an known issue during the Council election for my team to say, look, where do we want our local community to be in the next 20, 30 years with regards to housing growth? And I think that this housing strategy is certainly a major part of our response to
that. We have been reactionary to some degree in the past. This is a way for us to forward plan and take on some selfdetermination about where we want to be into the future.
“We don’t want to have urban sprawl going out through our green rolling hills and this is a way to define those boundaries and then set some criteria for what the development looks like within those boundaries.”
Cr McDonald added that the Housing Strategy sits alongside an Employment Land Strategy, which will be coming to Council in the next month, followed by a Rural Land Strategy.
Paterson has been working extensively with state government bodies to ensure the Housing Strategy will be complemented by the necessary infrastructure, such as roads, schools, electricity, sewerage and public transport.
He said Sydney Water has a gross servicing document for the Illawarra but Kiama is not on it. “We’re one of the three councils in the Illawarra and we don’t show up on their maps. And the reason for that is, prior to having this Housing Strategy, we couldn’t show the state government or any of those agencies that we were going to grow or where we were going to grow,” he said.
“From an agency’s point of view if there’s not growth on the table or where it’s going to occur from a Council point of view, they can’t plan for it either. So having this Housing Strategy and working collaboratively with those agencies as part of developing it, they’re now in a position to start planning.
“I think it’s important for everyone to understand that it doesn’t matter if it’s transport or schools or Sydney Water they’re not benevolent
agencies. They need business cases to stack up funding from Treasury.”
Cr McDonald added that Kiama Council needed to think “big picture” in the long term. “There was some comment in the community that the target is 900 houses. “How about we plan for 900 and call it quits. But essentially if you took a business case of 900 houses to the state government, it doesn’t trigger the investment in the infrastructure that we need,” he explained.
“The Strategy has identified an area of growth and development into the future but as far as what that actually looks like, there are still a lot of conversations to come.”
Paterson added: “By thinking big means that we keep control. We’re planning for 900 by 2029. Beyond that this timeframe the numbers are meaningless and we’re just trying to do good planning.”
Photo: Darren Parlett
Great news! We have a fresh new look with our website and email addresses. You can now find us at www. thebuglenews.com. au
The Bugle is a free independent newspaper, available fortnightly throughout the Kiama LGA in print .
There is a weekly digital edition available on The Bugle App and daily community news updates.
Published by:
The Bugle News hello@thebuglenews. com.au
Office 2, Edessa Arcade 88-90 Terralong St, Kiama
GENERAL MANAGER belle@thebuglenews. com.au
EDITOR paul@thebuglenews. com.au
NEWS TEAM news@thebuglenews. com.au
0412 415 101
ADVERTISING advertising@ thebuglenews.com.au
0428 662 499
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, but we are only human. Content does not necessarily represent The Bugle's view.
AI camera trial to tackle rock-fishing dangers
Matty Taylor
The Kiama coastline is one of the state’s most iconic and photographed natural attractions, but it is also one of its most deadly. Eleven lives have been lost due to rock-fishing incidents in the past 15 years, including a double fatality last August.
Surf Life Saving NSW is set to trial an AI surveillance system near the Kiama Blowhole in a bid to prevent more deaths.
As part of the trial, set to begin later this year, hightech cameras will be installed around the Blowhole precinct.
These cameras are designed to detect human activity on the surrounding rock shelves and alert emergency services if someone is swept into the water or appears in distress.
Surf Life Saving NSW South Coast branch president Shane Wicks said the technology would work in tandem with existing emergency beacons already installed at the site.
“In the last six months, we’ve had at least four rescues off the Blowhole, and we were lucky someone saw them and
was able to call it in,” Wicks told The Bugle
“But this AI system doesn’t rely on luck. It links to our Surf Life Saving Operations Centre and automatically alerts police, surf lifesavers and ambulance crews to respond.”
He said the organisation would work closely with Kiama Council to finalise the camera locations, with the goal of having the system operational by the start of the summer patrol season.
The trial is part of a 14-month pilot program also running at another black spot for rock-fishing tragedies, Little Bay, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and is being monitored by Surf Life Saving NSW as a potential statewide solution.
The technology comes at a critical time. Kiama has had the second-highest number of rock fishing deaths in NSW since 2020.
On Easter Sunday this year, Wicks said more than 200 people were fishing off the rocks near the Blowhole, but fewer than a quarter were wearing life jackets.
“There were about 50
people with life jackets, which means around 150 weren’t wearing one,” he said.
“From my experience in rescues, those in life jackets we’ve been able to bring in safely. They float and give us time to get watercraft or helicopters to them, which can take up to 15 minutes. Without a jacket, you could drown in that time.”
One recent rescue from the Blowhole ended with the fisherman suffering severe injuries, including fractures. His mates managed to throw him a life jacket, a move Wicks said likely saved his life.
To complement the technology, a series of community education workshops will be held in coming months, including one in Kiama on November 22.
Backed by Surf Life Saving and NSW Fisheries, the workshops are tailored for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, particularly visitors from Sydney’s west and south-west, where most previous victims have resided.
“These sessions are about showing people the different
types of life jackets, how to check if theirs is suitable, and what weather and marine warnings to look out for,” Wicks said.
“They’re practical, handson events. The aim is to educate before they get to the water’s edge.”
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald praised SLNSW CEO Steve Pearce for launching the initiative, and explained his council’s role in the trial.
“Kiama Council's involvement is that we are the landowner, so we've provided consent for Surf Life Saving NSW to come down and put the monitoring system in two locations around Blowhole Point,” Cr McDonald said.
“They will be black powdercoated so that they won't be seen. The study will occur during daylight hours, just simply because of the technology.
“But, certainly, it's a chance for us to see if this AI is effective so that then it can be rolled across the state and potentially further if the results are good, so that we can reduce the terrible statistics that we're seeing.”
Bugle Bulletin’s feast of local news and sport on YouTube
This week’s edition of the Bugle Bulletin on our YouTube channel leads with a new AI-powered surveillance trial aimed at saving lives along our coastline.
The technology will be rolled out later this year by Surf Life Saving NSW at popular rockfishing spots following a series of tragic deaths, with authorities hoping it will improve real-time monitoring and rescue response.
We also bring you dramatic dashcam footage of an alleged stolen Ford Mustang hurtling towards traffic during a high-speed police chase on the outskirts of Kiama last weekend.
The vision was captured by Kiama local James Hickey, who described the close call as a “great escape” for everyone on the road. The pursuit followed an alleged axe attack in Worrigee that left a woman seriously injured. In sport, we have footage of Gerringong claiming a thrilling win over Group 7 competition leaders Shellharbour Sharks, sealed by a lastminute field goal from five-eighth Jake Taylor. It was the first meeting between the two sides since last year’s grand final, which was also won by Gerringong. Meanwhile, Kiama’s Sophie Leathers has made history, winning the first-ever female division of the Shark Island Challenge after taking on one of Australia’s most dangerous waves. All that and more in this week’s Bugle Bulletin, now streaming via The Bugle app and on “The Bugle News - Kiama” YouTube channel.
Shane Wicks. Photos: Eleeya Kahale
Street Festival lights up Kiama
More than 15,000 people helped make Kiama Winter Street Festival an absolute blast.
Destination Kiama tourism and events manager Sally Bursell said the town enjoyed perfect conditions for Saturday’s annual festival with smiling faces everywhere you looked. “This festival really shone Kiama in a great light,” she said.
“From the silent disco for the teens to fire shows for all to watch, it's safe to say everyone had a great time.
“The event was a part of the Open Streets funding, which is the Transport for NSW funding that gets the money to run the event through.
With this being the fifth year for the Kiama Winter Festival, it’s pleasing to say that there are two more years to go.”
Hopefully many more after that. The most popular
Winter wanderings great for wellbeing
activities were the silent disco, rock climbing, the live art and sculpture trails and the alleyway - which is a really big hit for the kids with fake snow, particularly when it gets dark.
There were also live shows for the music lovers and to top it all off, two fire shows drew plenty of gasps from the festival crowd. “What's a winter festival without a bit of fire?” Bursell said.
The festival incorporated The Chill Out in Kiama this
Winter campaign which is aiming to attract visitors to the area during the off-peak tourist season.
“The Chill Out in Kiama this Winter campaign is going fantastically well. There have been a whole bunch of partners jumping on board with that one so that's always nice when we have collaboration, we can amplify our voice and work together to achieve the goals,” Bursell added.
Photos: Destination Kiama
Next year she wants to make the Festival bigger and better.
More toilets will be at the top of the agenda to reduce the queues as well as more food trucks although Destination Kiama kept them to a minimum as a way of supporting local businesses.
While this year’s Festival was aimed towards kids, Bursell said more entertainment would be geared towards the adults. She noticed that the kids cleared out by 7pm so
to leverage events to improve general wellbeing.”
The findings are no surprise to Kiama Councillor Yasmin Tatrai, who witnessed the impact events like the recent winter festival and weekly farmer’s market have on boosting wellbeing.
Cr Tatrai was full of praise for the Winter Festival saying: “It was heartwarming to see everyone enjoying the festivities.
there is a window later in the evening for adults to have fun of their own.
“It’s such a joy to see our community out and about, even in the middle of winter, gathering together, supporting local businesses, and enjoying everything this festival has to offer,” Mayor Cameron McDonald said.
“Hindsmarsh Park, with its beautiful new upgrade, provided the perfect backdrop.”
enjoy good food and good vibes at any time of the year.”
Cr Tatrai said it was important to continue seeking out positive community connections no matter the season, with events like the winter festival or annual Farmers’ Market Solstice swim making it worth braving the cold.
limited research examining their overall impact. “Our study took a holistic approach by looking at the relationships between attending events and wellbeing,” she said. “We found evidence that attending events can meaningfully improve individual wellbeing, encouraging communities
“I am so grateful for amazing events like this one, organised by Destination Kiama, that bring communities together.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to show off Kiama’s delicious local produce, with restaurants like Tory’s serving up their famous seafood platters.
“And there’s no better place than our town, by the sea, to
Kiama is one of five councils in the region who have joined forces with Destination Sydney Surrounds South as part of a winter tourism campaign to showcase the natural wonders, accommodation, food and attractions on the South Coast and Southern Highlands.
For Kiama locals looking for a big city experience, a short train ride to Central Station will take you to the heart of some warming winter food experiences.
Eleeya Kahale
Resilience, return and real estate in Kiama for Marnie
Matty Taylor
From $1.76 in the bank to multimillion-dollar listings on Kiama’s coastline, the multi-talented Marnie Beauchamp has gone from rock bottom in 2005 to a post-pandemic renaissance.
Now back in her home town and thriving as a real estate agent with Belle Property Kiama, Marnie’s return marks a full-circle moment in a career defined by resilience.
“It wasn’t the place that was the problem,” she told The Bugle. “It was the place I was in. I just needed time to heal.”
In 2005, Marnie faced a trifecta of devastating personal trauma. A divorce, a draining six-month court battle, and the sudden death of her father.
Her daughters were aged three and five when she had sold her local real estate agency to spend more time with them. But a dispute with the franchisor led to a Supreme Court lawsuit, which drained her savings and left her in serious debt.
“I remember sitting in the park one day and my girls asked for an ice cream,” she recalled.
“I had $1.76 in my bank account. I couldn’t even afford that. That’s how bad it got.”
Bankruptcy was an option. But it wasn’t one she could live with. “I couldn’t give up on the company I’d worked so hard to build,” she said. “So I made a promise to myself that I’d pay back every cent. And I did.”
Still reeling from the court battle, Marnie then lost her beloved father when he died suddenly at 58. He was her mentor and rock. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye. It was horrific,” she said.
Despite the grief, she returned to work. Within a year she was ranked No.12 statewide in her real estate network. But the burnout that followed eventually caught up with her. By 2019, she stepped away from the industry and left this region.
“I did solo road trips, spent time overseas, sat on beaches … I basically hid from the world,” she said. “But that space gave me clarity.”
During that break she wrote Unread Pages, a deeply personal book reflecting on trauma, healing and the struggles behind public success. She also launched a real estate app,
began mentoring and became immersed in wellness.
Today, she lives by the principles of fasting, whole foods, and natural therapies. These habits restored her energy and focus.
“When you give the body a break from toxins and constant consumption, it heals,” she said. “Just like your mind does with space.”
That renewed vitality brought her back to Kiama. And back to real estate.
She officially relaunched in November 2024. In less than a year she has re-established herself, securing high-end listings and rebuilding a business largely through repeat and referral clients.
“The majority of my work is people I’ve helped before. That’s a great feeling,” she said.
“It’s growing naturally, and I’m loving it.”
Marnie’s connection to the region runs deep. She moved to Kiama at 21 and spent five years working in property development. That included early work on the Shell Cove estate and other major subdivisions in the region.
She said that Kiama was a “unique” property market.
Spectacular ocean, beach, and mountain views from every level
Seamless indoor-outdoor living with expansive entertaining deck and plunge pool
Internal lift to all floors including oversized 4–5 car garage & storage
Stunning designer kitchen with a full Butler’s pantry and integrated appliances.
“Kiama has always had a strength that other areas don’t,” Marnie said.
“We’re surrounded by farmland and ocean. There’s only so much stock. That limited supply, plus the lifestyle, means we tend to recover quickly from downturns.”
Despite broader economic pressures, she remains optimistic about the local property market.
“In the last four weeks, enquiries have definitely picked up,” she said.
“It’s still not translating to big sales volume just yet. But that always follows. I think we’ll see the Reserve Bank move to cut interest rates next month. That will trigger more confidence.”
She describes the current climate as cautious. A reflection of cost-of-living pressures more than property fundamentals.
“People aren’t going on holidays. They’re not spending freely. And that flows through to real estate,” Marnie said.
“But Kiama holds firm. During Covid, places like
Berry saw 60 per cent growth in property values in a year. That’s huge.”
While the dips do come, she said local values tend not to fall as far or for as long as other markets.
“The market always rises. It just moves in cycles. Kiama is on the map now more than ever. People from Sydney and even overseas are looking here,” she said.
Her market outlook for the next year is promising.
“I think we’ll see renewed
confidence before the end of the year,” she said. “Interest rate certainty will help. And Kiama always bounces quicker than most.”
For Marnie, coming back to Kiama was about more than business.
“My kids were raised here. I’ve previously lived here for many years," she said.
“Coming back wasn’t just a career decision. It was about being where I feel most grounded.”
Marnie Beauchamp
Banter Bugle
It’s time Kiama truly celebrated Orry-Kelly
Lleyton Hughes
The Orry-Kelly:
Dressing Hollywood Gala is fast approaching.
On 26 July, Kiama will celebrate a man who, despite his incredible achievements, remains largely forgotten in his own hometown.
Arguably, no other Kiama local has reached the levels of international success that Orry-Kelly achieved.
He designed costumes for more than 300 films, including cinematic masterpieces such as Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, Some Like It Hot, An American in Paris, and Les Girls. He won three Academy Awards for costume design - making him the most Oscarawarded Australian until Catherine Martin won her fourth in 2013.
Orry-Kelly counted legends like Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, and Barbara Stanwyck among his friends.
When he died, his pallbearers included Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder, and George Cukor. His eulogy was delivered by none other than Jack L. Warner. He was also openly gay in Hollywood from the 1930s through to the 1960s - a bold and dangerous truth in that era. He’s even rumoured to have had a romantic relationship with Cary Grant.
With a résumé like that, Orry-Kelly deserves to be celebrated as one of Australia’s most remarkable talents.
And yet, despite all this, he remains a footnoteoverlooked not just by Australia at large, but by Kiama itself.
Over the past year, I’ve
written numerous articles about him, trying to share his story and ignite some pride. But it still feels like either people aren’t reading them - or worse, that the weight of his achievements isn’t being fully appreciated.
Perhaps this story hits home for me because I’m also from the Illawarra and dream of working in the film industry. I understand how difficult that path isespecially coming from a small coastal town.
But I also think it points to a broader issue: Australia’s struggle to celebrate its own.
Take the Elvis Festival in Parkes - a huge annual event for an American star who never even set foot in Australia. I’m not suggesting that Orry-Kelly is comparable to Elvis Presley, but I will say this: Orry-Kelly was one of our own, and his legacy deserves more.
So, I hope Kiama takes notice on 26 July, a date that will also mark the unveiling of Orry-Kelly’s NSW Blue Plaque, part of the state government’s initiative to honour influential historical figures.
It will also coincide with the 10th anniversary of Gillian Armstrong’s brilliant documentary Women He’s Undressed, which brought Orry-Kelly’s story to a new generation.
If you didn’t get a ticket to the Gala, I encourage you to visit the exhibition at the Assembly Hall in The Sebel. Tickets are just $10, and you’ll see original costumes, artwork, and tributes to a man who quietly helped shape Hollywood history.
My hope is that this becomes a lasting tradition for Kiama - to celebrate someone who defied the odds and took our small town all the way to the City of Stars.
Dashcam captures Mustang mayhem ‘Great escape’:
Matty Taylor
“Sometimes life and death can be a matter of inches.”
Kiama’s James Hickey knows how close he and many nearby motorists came to disaster during a high-speed pursuit on Saturday.
His dashcam captured the moment an allegedly stolen Ford Mustang came screaming towards him on the wrong side of the Princes Highway, near the turnoff to Gipps Street.
Hickey had just finished a round at Kiama Golf Club and was heading home when the chaos unfolded.
“This guy in a white van overtakes me, and next thing I saw him swerving off the road as the Mustang came towards us on the wrong side,” he said.
“In that moment, I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it. It was a great escape for all of us who he was driving towards.”
Police say the Mustang had been stolen earlier that afternoon during an incident in Worrigee, when a 25-yearold man, Caleb Flentjar, armed with an axe and hammer, allegedly assaulted a woman before speeding off in her
sports car. Police were called to Rayleigh Drive shortly before 1pm following reports of a man armed with weapons. As officers from the South Coast Police District arrived, the man allegedly threw an axe at their vehicle, retrieved it, and ran to a nearby home on Illawarra Circuit.
There, he allegedly assaulted a 66-year-old woman while she was sitting in her Mustang, striking her multiple times with the axe before forcing her from the vehicle.
Police allege she was then run over as the man drove off in her car.
She was treated at the scene by paramedics for serious injuries to her legs and torso before being transported to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
What followed was a chaotic hour-long police pursuit that stretched across multiple South Coast towns, including Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong and Kiama, and reached speeds of up to 180km/h in 80km/h zones.
With assistance from PolAir, officers tracked the Mustang as it sped southbound on the Princes Highway.Police
attempted to deploy road spikes, but the driver allegedly swerved toward a highway patrol officer to avoid them, narrowly missing both the officer and the device.
In a final act of desperation, the Mustang was seen driving north in the southbound lanes through Kiama Downs, endangering multiple vehicles, including the white van and Hickey’s car.
“Fair play to the person who was driving the van in front of me. He took really good evasive action,” Hickey said.
“It was only a bit later on, when I was processing what happened, I thought, ‘shit, that could have been so much worse’.
“One of my initial thoughts went back to the Liverpool soccer player (Diogo Jota) who was killed in a car crash (on July 3 in Spain).”
The pursuit came to a dramatic end when the Mustang collided with a utility and came to a stop. Members of the public stepped in to restrain the man until police arrived to arrest him.
The 25-year-old man was taken to Wollongong Hospital under police guard before being released on Sunday.
He was then charged with a
string of offences, including:
· Aggravated take/ drive motor vehicle with person in/on it - armed with weapon;
· Fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm;
· Fail to stop and assist after impact causing injury;
· Police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously;
· Class A motor vehicle exceed speed >45km/h;
· Custody of knife in public place;
· Use offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention (two counts);
· Goods in custody suspected stolen (not motor vehicle);
· Drive while disqualified;
· Larceny.
He was also charged with three outstanding offence of destroy or damage property (domestic violence-related), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (domestic violence-related) and larceny.
He did not apply for bail at Monday’s Divisional Bail Court hearing and he will again face court in Nowra next Tuesday.
Fireworks funding battle
The fight to keep Kiama’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is still up in the air with Kiama Council extending the deadline for corporate sponsorship and Councillors questioning whether there are extra funds from the old Kiama Tourism body that can be used.
Council is waiting to see if any expressions of interest will come from businesses as they try to find a solution with Destination Kiama and Kiama Business Network.
The iconic fireworks display will not go ahead unless external funding is secured after Council last month unanimously voted to pass the annual budget which did not include money for the New Year’s Eve event, which is likely to cost upwards of $90,000 to stage. Kiama Business Network has pledged to match any sponsorship from its members up to $10,000 and will meet with representatives from Council and Destination Kiama next week to see what else can be done to help solve the funding shortfall.
The Network sent a survey to its members earlier this week asking how the annual fireworks display impacts their business, whether they would
be interested in financially supporting it for as little as $500 and if they would want the organisation to match the funding up to $10,000.
The survey will run until close of business on Monday before Kiama Business Network president Cathryn Lyall meets Destination Kiama and Council officials.
“We’re looking for our members to respond to the survey,” Lyall said. “We’ve had some responses with people saying they’ve got an interest in potentially putting some funds towards New Year’s Eve.
“Kiama Business Network have put a little flag in the sand to say we’ll match-fund all our members up to $10,000 and we will look from there to see whether we could do another 10 because it’s up to the members to choose where the money goes.”
Councillor Yasmin Tatrai raised two questions with notice at last Tuesday’s Council meeting, asking “Can Council confirm the allocation of funds to Tourism Kiama in 2017 to assist with its winding up?” and “Can Council request information from the Kiama Business Network as to whether these funds are still in a term deposit?”.
In her submission to Council before the meeting,
Cr Tatrai said she had been informed that an amount “in the order of between $60,000 and $90,000” was allocated to the Kiama Business Chamber (now Kiama Business Network) for “tourism activities and promotions”.
Council CEO Jane Stroud was on leave this week and has indicated that there will be a “thorough investigation of the allocation of funding suggested by Councillor Tatrai” with a full reply to be made at Council’s August meeting.
Destination Kiama chair, Councillor Matt Brown is calling on Council to find out exactly how much money was transferred. “Councillor Tatrai has asked an excellent question - Kiama Tourism, after receiving Kiama Council money up to $60,000, transferred up to that to the Business Chamber,” he said.
“My question is how much was transferred to the Kiama Business Chamber using ratepayers’ money.
“I’ve been contacted by a former executive of Kiama Tourism and the Kiama Business Chamber. She said to me that they allocated a substantial sum - maybe as much as $60,000 to the Business Chamber after Kiama Tourism was wound up
and then became Destination Kiama.“I was also told this money was then invested in a term deposit, sanctioned from other Business Chamber monies, to be used primarily for tourism activities, such as the fireworks.”
Cr Brown added that he was not aware about whether the money was spent or whether it was available to fund this year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
“It will be so disappointing to so many if we can’t have our usual Sky Show this year.”
Mayor Cameron McDonald said Council needed to be careful with its finances.
“I think it’s important to note that it was a financial decision, a unanimous decision of Council,” he said.
“We knew that it was a difficult decision. It was potentially not going to be a popular decision.
“But where we’ve got a budget deficit of $3 million, we really need to be looking at our finances very carefully.
“And that’s where the decision wasn’t for a cancellation, it was to go out and seek those expressions of interest.
“If the fireworks weren’t to proceed this year, then we’ll be looking at revisiting the fireworks next year.”
Boomgates get green light for Kiama Shopping Village
The long-running saga over the installation of boomgates at Kiama Village shopping centre has taken another turn.
After the issue was deferred at a meeting in April, then voted down in the June, Kiama Council passed a motion on Tuesday night to allow Woolworths to install boomgates to help manage parking in the precinct.
Woolworths Group property development state manager Wesley Dose had addressed the Councillors at Monday’s public access meeting to let them know that the boomgates would not be used for revenueraising purposes. Under the system that was proposed, the limit on free parking for motorists at the shopping centre was raised from two to three hours while staff members will be given passes so they do not have to pay.
After being put to a vote at Tuesday night’s meeting, it was passed 6-3 with Councillors Imogen Draisma, Yasmin Tatrai and Stuart Larkins opposed. Local residents had raised concerns over the impact on traffic and off-street parking.
“They've done a survey and determined that of the users of the car park, that only be less than about 3% of people would be staying beyond three hours,” Cr Draisma said in her response to the motion.
“So they’re a seeking to manage an issue that really
isn't an existing issue at the centre. “They're seeking to put forward some possible amendments to the consents that currently exist. So I just can't support something that just seems to be wasting a lot of people's time. It's cost a lot of money for them to put in a boomgate to stop people who are definitely not parking beyond three hours from parking at the centre.
“It just seems quite ridiculous. And I think it sets a pretty negative precedent for the community about how we manage parking matters at the centre and elsewhere in the LGA.”
Kiama Council director of strategies and communities Ed Paterson said one boomgate will be placed at the exit for the Click and Collect section with the other one at the roundabout on Terralong Street. Previous concerns centred around the impact on the broader traffic network,but it was approved by the traffic committee because it's not stopping people entering the sitemotorists will pause briefly as they go in, while their licence plates are checked.
“There is no impact on the existing street network,” Paterson said. He added that Woolworths, as the owners of the centre, is committed to keeping the flow of cars getting into the precinct “so that people can go up there, expect to get a park, go about their shopping and then get out there”.
Prosecutor says similarities in alleged Ward incidents were ‘not a coincidence’
Crown Prosecutor Monika Knowles has told the NSW District Court that the similarities between the alleged incidents involving Kiama Independent MP Gareth Ward were not a coincidence.
In her closing submission to the trial, which is in its eighth week before Judge Kara Shead, Knowles said on Thursday that the two complainants had given “remarkably similar accounts of being assaulted”.
Ward is facing five charges and has pleaded not guilty to each of them: sexual intercourse without consent, common assault and three counts of indecent assault.
He was charged after complaints against Ward from a man, aged 24 at the time, over an alleged incident at Potts Point in Sydney’s east a decade ago. Ward has also been accused of indecently assaulting a recently turned 18-year-old at the politician’s Meroo Meadow home in 2013.
The Crown Prosecutor told the jury that both complainants had been drinking at the time and were feeling down about their lives when Ward took
advantage of what she described as a “very unequal” relationship in terms of the power dynamic with each younger man.
“It is not a coincidence. There are just too many similarities for that to be the case,” she told the Court.
“These men are not known to each other. They live in different cities. There is no suggestion they have in any way gotten their heads together.
“What happened to them did not happen by random chance or just dumb luck. Similar behaviour, similar setting, same man, same conclusion.”
Knowles said both witnesses were honest and reliable and she said inconsistencies in their recollection of some details were understandable.
“These people weren’t overcome by force. They were taken by surprise,” she added.
Ward’s counsel, David Campbell SC, is expected to deliver his closing statement on Friday.
Paul Suttor
Photo: Destination Kiama
Fountaindale developer Neville Fredericks
is calling on Kiama Council to provide a pathway for more affordable housing through the provision of smaller dwellings.
The former Kiama Mayor addressed the Public Access Meeting on Monday night to air his thoughts on the Housing Strategy (Draft v2) which was approved the following night and said that outside of social housing, the most effective way of delivering affordable options is by reducing the size of the dwellings.
“To really do that well, you need to have good urban structure that's designed for smaller housing, not just reducing the lot sizes,” he said, “so you can deliver a high-quality outcome where people will actually want to visit. Australia has been on this trajectory of building bigger and bigger houses. In 1960, the average new house size was 120 metres, and there were 3.6 people per household in 1960.
“Today, there are 2.4 people per household, and we now have the largest houses in the world, new house built, at 240 metres.
“So if you do the math, to house one person today compared to 1960, you need three times the floor space, and that's one of the fundamental issues for affordability.
“Our houses are too big,
and we're not providing a diverse housing choice.”
He added that this was a fundamental piece of the housing puzzle.
“You cut the size of the house in half, it's less costly to heat and maintain, it's less costly to build and buy,” he said. “So if we're really going to seriously consider the people who are so badly disadvantaged by our current housing shortage, we have to enable smaller housing to be built. In the past, I know as a developer I have to say whenever we tried to build smaller housing somewhere, we were attacked publicly for reducing standards, but we've really got to overcome that.
“This is where we need political leadership to say, OK, when small housing has been done in the past, it's often been poor quality.
“How do we do better quality and high quality, smaller product? That's the solution as we see it.”
Fredericks reiterated he wanted to see growth in Jamberoo where Fountaindale’s Golden Valley development can deliver much-needed housing to the village. “It needs growth to support the existing businesses and to expand the range of services that are provided to local residents,” he said.
“Now, this is really a cornerstone of genuine sustainability. It's the provision of local goods and
Developer calls for diversity in housing
services for residents. And the other element of this is, with what we're proposing at Golden Valley, is a wider range of housing typologies to bring to the market.
“If you look at NSW, 35% of all dwellings are other than freestanding homes. In Jamberoo, 3% of dwellings are other than freestanding homes.
“So the downsizers who want low maintenance, the singles, the renters, the young starters, just don't have the product that's necessary. And this is the core of the housing market.It's not just in volume of houses. It's the
range of houses that right across the board, that we haven't been providing for the marketplace, in particular in regional NSW.”
He added that developers face significant challenges in delivering diversity in housing due to current regulations that are “a hiding to nowhere”.
Fredericks said they had achieved success in Tullimbar Village after working with Shellharbour City Council on a Development Control Plan
“We're proposing to achieve what we're intending to deliver is that 50% of new dwellings at Golden Valley
2 to be diverse housing,” he said.
“We're proposing that Council consider allowing us or welcoming us to write a draft DCP that would enable this,” he added while offering the services of the former head of the Urban Design Unit for Victoria to assist in writing a draft which would then be put to the community for a final decision on whether it should proceed.
Fredericks said there is a rapid movement worldwide from globalisation back to nationalisation and localisation.
He said major changes are
on the horizon like the end of oil being used as a primary fuel source in the next couple of generations and that “we have to start preparing for quite a different society to what we've all grown up in.
“We should move to strengthen our local communities.
“And that's what I'm asking for your active consideration to purposefully look at how we build that resilience at a local level, reduce transit demand and develop a wider range of more diverse housing choices for our local people and local employment opportunities.”
A league of her own: Sarah attributes award to hard work and resilience
Mitchell Beadman
Recently recognised as Outstanding Employee at the Kiama Business Awards, Sarah Rebbeck credits her success to timing, hard work and resilience.
She did not expect to be nominated for the award let alone win it.
“It’s always nice to be somebody nominated (that) they appreciate what you do,” Rebbeck said.
“At no point did I expect to win, but it was really good.”
Rebbeck explained to The Bugle that her tenure at Kiama Leagues Club happened by chance.
“I actually came in here for lunch one day and one of the staff asked if I was looking for a job,” Rebbeck said.
What began as casual work progressed into greater roles with those in management seeing her talents not only in the kitchen, but as a leader.
“I was doing a bit of both at one stage, which was good, but also hard to juggle when you need to be in the kitchen, when you need to be writing rosters, organising menus and costings,” Rebbeck said.
“I was in the kitchen about eight months ago, but I started getting out of the kitchen and (we) employed a head chef so that I could do the catering manager role.
“It just got to the point that doing both was a little hard and needed to focus on just the admin side of it.”
With community being a significant value for Rebbeck, it is no wonder that she is an integral part of the Kiama Leagues Club.
“Just being involved and helping out and being a part of a team,” she said.
“Being a part of it and giving back and helping out.
“That has been a big focus of ours and giving back to the community and not just in the sporting way. Being a part of a big team.”
Kiama Leagues Club chief executive officer Jesse O’Brien said Rebbeck’s rapid progression through to the
catering manager's role was due to her work ethic.
“With Sarah, she is a pivotal part of our leadership team in the management part and she’s worked her way up from the kitchen, through to kitchen management, into the catering manager’s role which she made her own,” O’Brien said.
“A lot of our success is due to her work. She is like no one I have ever met really, she just loves a challenge.
“I try to make sure I am not putting too much work on her shoulders, but she seems to enjoy the harder stuff more than anything and has this drive to succeed.”
Part of Rebbeck’s reflection on her career progression has been not only contributing to the growth of the club, but also fostering its culture.
“We’ve doubled the revenue in the catering from when I first started to now and the place itself looks different with the renovations,” Rebbeck said.
“But, the culture and the team, making sure everyone is part of the team and feels like they want to turn up to work everyday. That is really important to me.”
Upon accepting the award, Rebbeck confessed to The
Bugle that she became a little tongue twisted on the podium but later posted her speech on social media where she congratulated the other finalists which included her colleague Mark Smith.
“Congratulations to all the other finalists - especially my incredible colleague Mark, who is not only an outstanding employee, but also an all-round wonderful human,” Rebbeck posted.
“It’s been an incredible journey of growth, learning, opportunity – and I am so grateful to have been supported every step of the way.
“Kiama Leagues Club may not be a small business, but it’s still built on the same values: hard work, dedication, and a genuine commitment to our community.
“I love my job – and a big part of that is because of the fantastic team I work with, the incredible support, opportunities and the leadership we receive from Jesse, and the board of directors.
“It’s such an honour to be part of something that makes such a real and lasting impact.”
Veronica Bardsley
Seeing sustainability clearly
Caroline Hartline is the force behind Kiama's quiet achiever.
Her eyewear brand, Ozeano Eyewear, stood out from the competition to win the "Excellence in Sustainable Business” award at the inaugural Kiama Business Awards recently.
With a 20-year professional background spanning corporate marketing, management consulting, non-profit leadership and eCommerce, Caroline brings a wealth of experience to the table.
Her broad expertise and passion for purpose-led business inspired her to take the leap and build something of her own.
In 2024, she acquired the assets of Ozeano Eyewear and set out to bring her vision of a sustainable, socially conscious brand to life.
As she describes it, her goal is “a new mission that gives back, more along the lines of a social enterprise.”
Ozeano Eyewear focuses on timeless designs, avoiding fast fashion trends to promote thoughtful consumption. The brand proudly supports environmental projects, including the Seabin Foundation, 1% for the Planet and the annual Ocean Film Festival.
A new line of plastic-free eyewear accessories is also set to launch soon.
Dr John Salmon • Kiama Dental Practice
Dr John Salmon is pleased to announce that he is practicing full time in Kiama.
Offering quality gentle dental care in a calm and relaxing environment.
Even with their promise to sustainability, they have made an effort to remain affordable without compromising on quality. In fact, the materials used in Ozeano eyewear surpass those found in many products on the market that sell for up to three times the price.
For Caroline, building a sustainably focused business was never in question.
“I love small business but never wanted to be responsible for additional landfill as a result of running a business,” she explains.
Giving back has always been part of her ethos - she has worked with organisations such as the United Nations in Jordan, as well as the Australian Red Cross and The Salvation Army.
“I’ve always been interested in humanitarian work and the environment but I also just have a general dislike for plastic. And once you dive
deep and realise the havoc it wreaks on the environment and on the human body, it’s hard to overlook,” she said.
Upon receiving the award for Most Sustainable Business, Caroline expressed genuine surprise.
“I was very shocked to receive the award! It’s genuinely humbling as we are really such a little business and therefore, our impact is quite small.
“It’s also a huge morale boost as often the hours put in the business aren’t reflected in the profits.”
She also has practical advice for other businesses looking to prioritise sustainability:
1. Start with your packaging.
“Sustainable packaging is not only better for the environment but customers also appreciate it when your packaging can be put in the yellow or green bins instead of clogging up their red bin!”
2. Review your supply chain.
“If you’re selling products, have a look at your supply chain - who makes the products, what their sustainability certifications are and whether they’ve had any third-party audits like BSCI or Sedex.”
3. Dig deeper into your materials.
“Who supplies the materials/textiles that make up the products and how sustainable are these materials? Seek out certifications like Oeko-Tex or FSC, GOTS (for organic cotton) and GRS (Global Recycling Standard). Ask your suppliers and manufacturers how they’re transporting their products to you (often it’s in a lot of unnecessary plastic wrapping). They can switch to no plastic, use cloth, or there are also many cost-effective bio-based biodegradable plastic alternatives available these days (for garment bags, for example).”
4. Create a sustainability policy.
“It’s a good idea to draft and adopt a sustainability policy for your business including an ethical supplier and sourcing policy. You can get input from staff and also use it as a working document to show you areas for improvement. I’d be happy to provide any local businesses with advice around this.”
5. Think beyond recycled plastic and share your journey.
“Sustainability means different things to different people but for me, I think it’s about getting back to natural materials where possible.
“I think there is a bit of a ‘recycled plastic’ trend going on at the moment but I question how sustainable it really is - because it’s still leaching microplastics into the environment and impacting human health. And then you have the issue about how traceable it really is.
“Clothing and eyewear made of plastic bottles doesn’t impress me too much because it still creates a toxic product and a reliance on plastic use. Some people argue that plastic is more durable, but durability is a double-edged sword - it takes centuries to break down, shedding microplastics into the soil and ocean in the process.
“Customers are increasingly choosing brands that reflect their values, so even small steps can build loyalty and impact. And importantly - share your progress honestly. It’s OK not to be perfect.”
The main message Caroline wants to share is every choice matters. “Whether you’re a business owner, a parent, a student, the way we consume and produce things shapes the world we live in.
“I would encourage people to look at the tags of their favourite brands, how much polyester and nylon are in the clothes and how much plastic is used in its packaging. And also consider - can I wear this item for years to come?
“We are so blessed to be surrounded by so much beautiful water and ocean here in the Kiama area. It’s not going to last though at the rate we’re consuming and producing plastic.”
Caroline isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Next month, she will be launching a new business for kids and teens called Billie Green, offering undergarments made without any polyester or nylon in the fabrics, the new range will follow the same sustainable principles.
To step up your eyewear fashion and support a local, sustainable business, visit the website here or find them on display at The Collective Kiama and regularly at the Kiama Seaside Markets.
Caroline Hartline with her award for Excellence in Sustainability
Fresh mantra pays off for Farmers’ Table
Aphilosophy of serving up local produce fresh on the plate to customers has propelled The Farmers’ Table to Outstanding Café honours at the recent Illawarra and South Coast Local Business Awards.
Nestled among Kiama’s historic Collins Street terraces, the cafe thrives on its communal spirit, which owner Alan Smith insisted upon when he acquired was was Amaki Cafe last year.
“The place was falling to pieces. People were falling through the floor, it was that bad,” he said.
“And it’s a heritage-listed building, which was part of the whole plan for buying it because it takes us back to a time when we all used to sit down and eat together and work together and help each other. Community meant something back then so it all sits with the story of why we're doing what we're doing.”
Alan is from the UK but his wife, Rachael Heald, is a local and when he came to Jamberoo for the annual sevens soccer tournament 15 years ago, she decided it was time to move back to the area.
So they relocated from Sydney for a tree change and “The Farmers’ Table is an
extension of our farm here in Jamberoo,” he explained.
Alan had no prior experience in hospitality but with the help from locals, including architects and tradies, the cafe was fully renovated. “Originally, we were going to do the shop on the farm and get people to come here but it turned out to be far more difficult than we wanted it to be. So we decided to take the farm to town,” he said.
“The idea is to get good Australian food, straight off the farm, straight into the cafe and we give the chefs the raw ingredients and they just create something marvellous.
“They've got their take on various things. You think to yourself an egg is an egg but it isn't.
“We use local seafood and produce and put it on a plate. If we can't supply it then we find somebody local who can.”
Alan is in the process of getting chickens onto his farm while growing the size and scope of their market garden of herbs and vegetables.
“The idea is to try and make our farms more productive. Keep our hills green because people work them get paid some decent money for their work,” he explained.
“If you come to the Farmers’ Table for a meal, you're not just
helping me, but you're helping everybody else in the local food chain.”
Twelve of the cafe’s 15 staff live locally as well.
“The feedback is what a great idea - the food is really good because we have chefs, we don’t have cooks and it shows in the quality of the food,” he added.
“You're getting good, honest food straight off the farm. That's been cooked by someone who cares really knows what they're doing.”
Winning the award at The Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow after such a short time in operation was a thrill for Alan and his crew.
“I was really taken aback because there are a lot of cafes in the Illawarra, there’s a lot in Kiama. To win it, I was really rocked back in my chair there for a minute because acknowledgement by your peers and customers is phenomenal,” he said.
“You can say whatever you want about your own stuff but it's what other people think. Being recognised by people is a humbling experience because you're giving people something that they really want. It's very nice to be recognised for the effort that the team has put in over the last year because there's been some long hours.”
Paul Suttor
Kiama photographer’s quick thinking for stranded whale
Danielle Woolage
It was just after sunrise and the beach was deserted when Kiama photographer Belinda Doyle spotted what she thought was a dolphin thrashing in the shallows of a Wollongong beach.
Ms Doyle was at the beach with her drone and camera hoping to capture the best Mother Nature has to offer as the sun peeked over the horizon The Kiama local, who started her artistic journey creating resin homewares and selling them at local markets, has always dabbled in photography. It became a career almost a decade ago after customers asked to buy the coastal images she captured to promote her market stall.
For more than a decade Ms Doyle has been chasing the perfectly composed whale photograph; an in-focus shot of the mammal at play, midbreach.
“I’m always on the lookout, especially when the migration season starts, because I don’t have that elusive whale shot yet,” says Ms Doyle. “But here’s a lot of moving parts in getting a perfect whale photo and proximity is key.
“It’s not often that they come close to shore, so you either need to be on a boat or have a really good drone to photograph them from above
because you got to maintain that 100m exclusion zone from the air as well as on the water.”
Just after 6.30am on July 8
Ms Doyle was at Wollongong’s City Beach, hoping to capture a spectacular sunrise and, if the planets aligned, spot one of the 40,000 whales on their annual migration north along the humpback highway.
When the sun rose higher and the light hit the water
Ms Doyle noticed “something kept breaking the surface”.
“At first I thought it was seaweed, it was only 30m offshore,” she recalls. “But after I watched it for a little while I noticed a little fin.”
She launched her drone, thinking it was a seal or dolphin frolicking close to shore, but “it was really obvious, really quickly that something was wrong”.
Ms Doyle called ORRCA, a volunteer-run whale, seal and dolphin rescue and research organisation. “They answered straight away and I was able to send them drone video footage from my phone, along with GPS co-ordinates of the location. They assisted really quickly.”
Rescuers from ORRCA and the NPWS arrived at City Beach within half-an-hour of Ms Doyle’s phone call and identified the distressed animal as a melon-headed whale. Despite hours of first
aid by rescuers, the whale could not be saved and was humanely euthanised by veterinarians on site.
ORRCA president Ashley Ryan says it’s rare for rescuers to be able to prepare for a stranding before it occurs and attributes the quick rescue response to the actions of Ms Doyle in filming and geolocating the mammal. “The phone call and footage meant we were able to respond really quickly to help the distressed whale, even though the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped for,” she says.
Melon-headed whales are widespread in offshore waters but rarely spotted by onlookers, unlike their humpback reklatives where nearly 150 were spotted off Kiama Heights in a day during June’s annual ORRCA whale census.
“This is only the second recorded stranding of a melon-headed whale in NSW this year,” says Ms Ryan.
“The first was at Port Macquarie, with another stranding of three melonheaded whales in the Western Australian town of Broome in January.
“Strandings can be caused by illness, injury, disorientation, or navigation errors - especially in areas with shallow, gently sloping shorelines. Every stranding is heartbreaking, but they’re
also a vital opportunity for us to learn more.”
Ms Doyle says while the incident was distressing to watch she was grateful she able to help facilitate a quick rescue attempt.
“I’ve seen some incredible marine life in the ocean over the years, and I was really emotionally invested in this whale’s survival,” she says.
“While the outcome was upsetting, I am glad I was there. There weren’t many people on the beach so they probably wouldn’t have called ORRCA unless the whale had already beached itself.
“It’s just lucky that I had the drone and could put it up to see what was happening from the air and then send through the footage to ORRCA so the whale could be assessed sooner rather than later so it didn’t suffer for longer.”
While it wasn’t the type of whale encounter Ms Doyle had hoped for the photographer was heartened by the community and volunteer response to the attempted rescue.
“The ORRCA volunteers were amazing,” she says. The rescue organisation’s hotline operates year-round, 24/7 and anyone who spots a whale, dolphin, dugong or seal emergency is asked to remain a safe distance from the mammal and report the incident on (02) 9415 3333.
Photos:Belinda Doyle
Photo: Vanessa Risku, ORRCA
Kiama High: young talent time
The Bugle is pleased to present a fortnightly feature with Kiama High School, bringing you the latest news and events from the school.
High Potential and Gifted Education morning tea
Kiama High School held their annual High Potential and Gifted Education morning tea recently where students, their family and teachers came together to support student potential and talent.
The HPGE Policy was released in 2019 with four key domainsPhysical, Intellectual,
Creative and SocioEmotional. KHS started Term 2 deepening their understanding of this framework and ended the term celebrating the students in the program, another example of raising the bar at the school.
Teachers use the policy advice to implement effective learning and teaching practices.
High potential and gifted students have
advanced learning capacity compared to same-age students and, as a result, require talent development opportunities and differentiated teaching and learning practices to ensure their specific learning needs are met. By not only acknowledging and celebrating their successes, KHS can identify students who need to be extended in their fields.
Sage in the swing
Kiama High School’s Sage has achieved an outstanding result at the NSW All Schools Golf Championships in Dubbo, a prestigious event featuring the top 100 junior golfers in the state.
Representing the South Coast team, Sage delivered a series of strong performances and qualified for the Top 16
Finals Day, a remarkable achievement made even more impressive given that she only narrowly missed out on this opportunity last year. She went on to finish 11th in the state.
As a Year 10 student, Sage still has two more years in the same division, giving her a fantastic chance to climb even higher in future championships, potentially even into the top six to qualify for
Kiama students shine at Zone Athletics Championships
A talented and enthusiastic team of 87 Kiama High School students travelled to Shoalhaven High School to compete in the annual Shoalhaven Zone
Nationals. Sage was widely commended for her sportsmanship, leadership and composure under pressure. Parents, players, and officials alike praised her calm, supportive nature, especially her efforts in helping younger team members stay focused and confident throughout the tournament.
Athletics Championships. Kiama delivered an exceptional performance across track and field events, coming agonisingly close to toppling long-time zone champions Ulladulla High School in the overall points tally.
A group of 45 students
Hamish on a hoops high
Kiama Year 7 student
Hamish Mearns has been selected to attend the Basketball NSW Talented Athlete Program in August.
This is a specialist junior talent development program which has contributed to the growth of notable players such as Lauren Jackson, Xavier Cooks and Josh Green.
As one of only 25 Country NSW athletes selected for his age group, this is a wonderful achievement.
Footy girls tackle Sam Bremner Shield
KHS participated in the 2025 Sam Bremner Shield at Bomaderry. The 14 girls played with gusto and grit to lose narrowly to St Johns 4-0 before winning their other two games convincingly.
The 16 girls played with minimal subs but came away with three wins from as many matches.
Their game against Nowra High was close with Ivy
have qualified for the upcoming South Coast Regional Athletics Championships at Beaton Park on 4 August.
Special congratulations goes to Ava Duck (Year 8) and Finn McNeilage (Year 7) who were each named Zone Age Champions.
Tennis teams excel on court
The KHS boys’ and girls’ open tennis teams headed to Bomaderry for the South Coast Finals.
The boys team of Zane Finley, Clay Allchin, Vinnie Sherrell and Henry Mortimer played Mulwaree High School first up. This tie proved very close and it came down to a tie breaker in the final match which unfortunately didn't go their way.
The boys regrouped in the next tie to easily defeat Monaro High in a dominant performance.
The girls team of Nyasa Nakhate, Nellie Johansson, Mahala Probert and Savannah Hedstrom are South Coast champions after defeating Batemans Bay first up and then snaring another victory over Mulwaree. They have qualified for the state finals at Nelson Bay in August.
Slow Food Bites an evening for the senses
In an event not to be missed, two of Kiama’s top chefs are coming together to cook a dinner celebrating the importance of local food.
“Lauren Brown of Blue Swimmer Gerroa and Luke Basic of Silica in Kiama have generously donated their time and devised an amazing menu for the night,” says Slow Food Saddleback’s convenor Celia Wade.
“Both are committed to the Slow Food principles of good, clean and fair food, and have been recipients of our Snail of the Approval for many years.
“Slow Food Bites will be an evening to feast on food made by two of the region’s leading chefs, while finding out more about the importance of regenerative farming.”
Previous dinners hosted by the local branch of the world’s leading real food advocacy movement have proved very
popular events.
“This year will be even more special because we are collaborating with people from the Grow Love Project, who have made films about local food producers,” said Celia.
“These short films will stimulate discussion about the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and the issues involved with
regenerative farming.
“We’re sure they will spark conversation and give insights that will have people thinking next time they go food shopping.”
The event is Slow Food Saddleback’s major fundraiser for the year.
Money raised by the branch not only supports Slow Food's international and national projects and programs, but
helps local efforts to foster greater food choice through Business Development Awards.
“Over the years we’ve been able to use the funds we’ve raised to help food growers and makers do things they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to do – like attend conferences and buy pigs to aid on-farm sustainability,” Celia added.
“They’ve told us how encouraged they feel to have people backing what they are doing and how much they appreciate our support.”
Three more awards will be presented at the dinner.
Sunday 3 August, from 5.30pm, The Pavilion Kiama Tickets ($80 or $75 for Slow Food members) - available now at www.trybooking. com/DDAVC - include a three course meal and welcome drink. Other drinks are BYO.
Peseta sealing with the win by crashing over the line. They now progress to the finals at Wagga Wagga on 30 July.
By Stephanie Kemp
Service before self motto is the key to Rotary’s mission in Gerringong out & about
Rotary is not just about raising money – it is about helping communities.
Rotary International is a global network of more than 1.2 million people across more than 45,000 clubs, who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe and in our local community.
Rotary projects are involved in:
Promoting peace by fostering cross-cultural conversations.
Fighting disease by educating communities and equipping them to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria.
Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene and sharing our expertise with community leaders and educators to make sure our projects succeed long term.
Saving mothers and children by expanding access to quality care.
Supporting education, in particular by projects that promote basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.
Growing local economies in impoverished communities
Protecting the environment.
For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.
Because of the scale of the organisation, Rotary can take on huge projects like Polio Plus, which began in 1988 and has now immunised nearly 3 billion children against the disease.
As of June 2024, Rotary
had committed more than US$2.6b to global polio eradication and is working to eradicate the wild polio virus in the two countries where it remains endemic.
Gerringong’s role in the big picture
Fundraising is essential in making these projects happen. Gerringong’s 28 committed members and their families punch above their weight and are delighted to announce that in the last financial year, we were able to give over $48,000 to Rotary projects and local charities, including:
Active Ageing NSW, a new not for profit, which runs our local Active Mindsteps groups, which assist members to maintain cognitive function and physical ability, the Alchemy Chorus, a choir for dementia sufferers and their carers, the Dementia Inclusive Dancing group and the Rock n Dance rock and roll dancing
lessons once a fortnight at Gerringong Town Hall.
SAHSSI - Supported Accommodation & Homelessness Services Shoalhaven Illawarra.
SALT Ministries, a charity based in Bomaderry that supports the homeless and disadvantaged.
Local educational initiatives, such as support for local students to attend the National Youth Science Forum, the Kiama High School Excellence Awards and the Apprenticeship Award.
Flood relief in Queensland and Northern NSW.
Shelterbox, an international disaster relief charity that provides temporary shelter and life- saving supplies to displaced families.
Rotary projects including PolioPlus, Rotarians Against Malaria, ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children) and Rotary Foundation - a non-profit corporation that supports
WITH GERRINGONG ROTARY
the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, cultural exchange programs, and life-changing sustainable projects. With other South Coast clubs, we are also arranging a major donation to supply a desperately needed ultrasound machine for Tumaini Medical Clinic in Kenya.Our major source of income is the monthly market and barbecue, supplemented by the occasional extra BBQ at Bunnings.
The Gerringong market is more than just a fundraiser. The monthly social hub it creates is a service to the community. It is a chance for locals and visitors to browse the stalls, have a snack, listen to the band and catch up
with friends along with their children and their dogs.
Because our stall price is low compared to competitors, our market also supports local small businesses and gives new vendors a chance to get started.
To enable us to continue to support the community in this way, we need young strong volunteers to help us set up and take down the markets.
This would be a great way for high school students to pick up some practical skills and get some community service onto their CV. If you are interested, contact us at secretarygerringongrotary@ gmail.com.
New members and friends always welcome - you can email us or visit www. gerringongrotary.com.au.
Council clamps down on garbage bin chaos
With winds that could blow a dog off a chain, it is one of the many weather traps locals live with on the undulating coastline of the Kiama local government area.
On bin night, it is at times a gamble whether they will be upturned from the wind gusts, which can push above triple figures at times, with rubbish spilling out.
“Kiama Council has been very aware of the windy conditions in the area, and we started trialling bin locks in 2018-19,” said Josephine St John, Waste Services Strategic Coordinator for Kiama Council.
The first trial in 2018 didn’t go to plan.
“We thought we found a solution, but unfortunately the locks didn’t suit our new trucks,” St John said.
“I (later) came across this particular bin lock which is called ‘Secure-A-Lid’ and the council did an extensive trial with quite a
few households (because) of the various sizes of red bins.
“The bin lock works by unlatching when the bin is lifted for emptying, using gravity to open the latch.”
With a few hundred households already taking up the bin locks, they are available for purchase, with Council making no profit on the sales.
“There’s absolutely no profit in it whatsoever, it is purely a subsidised item,” St John said.
At $16 per unit, the ‘Secure-A-Lid’ is provided with a comprehensive manual to install the locks.
Also provided is a QR code which will lead purchasers to a video demonstration on YouTube.
Each household can buy up to three units of ‘Secure-A-Lid’ and purchase more if they have extra bins within Kiama’s waste service.
To be eligible for purchase you must show proof of residency (e.g. drivers licence or rates notice).
For more information head to https://www.kiama.nsw.gov.au/ Services/Waste-and-recycling/ Bin-locks
Mitchell Beadman
Josephine St John demonstrates the new bin clamp.
Empowers seniors to stay safe online
As scams become a reality for many, it can be financially and emotionally debilitating, especially for seniors. But fear not, Kiama is doing something about it.
Kiama Library and Kiama and Shoalhaven Community College (KSCC) are offering two courses: the Tech Savvy Seniors for over 60’s and Cyber Security Awareness for over 50’s.
KSCC Vocational and Education Training manager Robert Murphy explained to The Bugle that the Cyber Security Awareness course is targeted to over 50’s to empower people to be aware of the threats that are associated with technology.
“The idea is to empower
people to have some skills to identify any security threats, spam and associated malware and software and give them some practical tips,” Murphy said.
With both the Kiama Library and KSCC providing their respective classes, Manager of Library and Cultural Hubs Michelle Hudson sees it similarly to Murphy.
“It’s giving people that confidence in that small classroom setting,” Hudson said.
“I think they have a maximum of ten people, so that (if) people feel that they don’t understand, that everyone is in the same position.
“Sometimes they are finding out things from other people’s questions.”
Part of the difficulties faced
by many with technology is the ability to decipher scammers who use different techniques to take advantage of vulnerable people.
“(It) used to be phone calls, now it’s the text messages,” Murphy said.
“The big message out there is if you don’t know who it is and you didn’t contact them, it is potentially a scam.”
The terminology for what Murphy is describing is the terminology ‘phishing’, which Murphy explains with an analogy.
“If you think you’re going to the river for a fish, well you are out there trying to get the biggest fish you can,” he said.
“So, these people are doing something similar. They are trying to extract information out of you.
“And that could be
something very, very small, but if they get enough information or they piece the bits together, they can do things like take over your identity at the far end of the scale.”
Hudson extends on Murphy’s analogy with the focus on providing greater understanding for people engaging with technology.
“Acknowledgement that they do need to be careful, but you don’t want that to stop people,” Hudson said.
“Giving them that bigger understanding of how they can do that safely (engage with technology) and how they can share information safely.
“Unfortunately, that demographic (over 50’s) does often get targeted (by scammers).”
In the 2024 National Anti-
Scam report on scams data and activity “Australians aged 65 and over had the highest overall reported losses to Scamwatch of $99.6 million –almost one third of all losses reported last year.”
For many who use the Kiama and Gerringong libraries, Hudson and staff work hard for to ensure they are remain safe and welcoming.
“The libraries are seen as that safe and welcoming place,” Hudson said.
“We’re trusted and we can gently guide you through those sorts of interactions, and mention things like cyber safety and make sure that they are thinking about all of the different elements of technology.”
The Tech Savvy Seniors is a free course and delivered
in partnership with the New South Wales state government and telecommunications giant Telstra, with the next round of funding imminent for the Kiama Library.
The Cyber Security Awareness course at KSCC is free for eligible participants, with limited spaces available at the Kiama Campus and the Shoalhaven Community College. This course is subsidised by The Department of Home Affairs funding. Recently, it was widely reported of a data breach involving Australian airline Qantas, where 5.7 million customers have had their information stolen from Qantas.
Data breaches similar to this recent one are used to sell users information onto thirdparties on the dark web.
Mitchell Beadman
Raiding fruit orchards in Foxground
Clive Emery wrote an amusing story of farmers protecting their fruit orchards in Foxground. This was a common story everywhere many years ago. A big thank you to Robyn Sharp who is an artist in Foxground, for the kind permission she gave for some of her works to be used with this story.
Today if the 60th anniversary of an amusing event that took place in Foxground in which I played a somewhat minor role, yet in retrospect was sufficient for all our family to have a great laugh over the breakfast table next morning, as Dad revealed the outcome of my discovery that fruit robbers were in action in the orchard next door.
In the Gerringong and Kiama area, many stories are told of people who made a practice of raiding neighbours' orchards for the fun or hell of it. Their successes and bravado, while admired by their peers, left doubts in the minds of their austere parents and guardians, for their antics reflected on their upbringing and caused a mark of disapproval on their social calendar.
In those early days in our districts, farmers by habit and necessity always developed an orchard for the provision of extra sustenance for their usually large families, as well as taking prizes.
Beating your neighbour at the Kiama annual shows with your very own fruit, though minor in monetary terms, left a distinct aura of selfimportance to the winner.
Some orchards extended over an acre and had more than a dozen varieties of fruit trees, and today, although the homes and their owners have gone, the spot is identified by a few common lemon trees still bearing fruit after a century and a bit of existence.
They still exist as the “rubbing-post” for cattle, and a nesting place for wagtails and wrens.
The remains of stone walls that provided the fencing of the orchard, although devoid of trees today, may be found overgrown with blackberry and lantana - introduced species like the common lemon itself.
The fruit-fly was not in
warned his mates of the danger, and they laid off for a while at his behest.
For four nights the gun was silent and the farmer knew his assumption was correct.
On the fifth night the unscrupulous lad collected his mates and carefully instructed them in the manner of evading the tripstring, and they had their fill of fruit while the farmer slept.
evidence and the fruit was late and juicy, and the trees excelled in the rich red loam of basaltic nature. It was not uncommon for the enterprising to hawk the excess fruit around the town or sell it to local purveyors of fruit and vegetables - Jack Atkins of later fame being one in particular.
The wives of those farmers were not idle in the fruiting season and pantry shelves were laden with bottles of preserves of unlimited variety for family use.
It was therefore encouraged to fence off the tree enclosure, for swine are not averse to eating fruit, and as they were always included in the farm stocking for more reasons than one, the excess of both products were always added to their diet, so by common consent nothing went to waste.
One such farmer who employed a local lad to help him with fencing a larger plot to increase production by more than double, had a suspicion that his fruit was being plundered, so he devised a method for the protection of his crop.
He re-employed the lad to assist him. Painstakingly, they erected a trip-string around the entire orchard fence, and having trussed a 12-gauge shotgun to a post, by the use of a pulley were able to pass one end of the string around the trigger of the fowling-piece.
The trap was set, and the gun loaded with a black powder cartridge which should not only fire its portion of shot, but would also emit much smoke and sparks into the night air to deter intruders and also warn him of their presence.
For the next three nights around midnight the gun went off, and three times the old chap was drawn from his bed in his nightshirt to claim the intruders, but none was there to be found.
Each time he reloaded the gun, and discovered during the engagement of the shortening of the string by inches, then it dawned on him that the nightly dew had shrunk it, so more was added to compensate.
Each day he told the lad of the problem with the gun, and together they believed they discovered the secret of success.
Unknown to the old chap his workmate was one of the nightly fruit-pickers who
a flashlight my suspicions were proven.
I came home and told Dad and he advised me to get the shotgun and two cartridges for him, and he would give the thieves a surprise. Mother was against the idea, fearing someone might get hurt, but Dad assured her he would shoot discriminately, and marched off into the darkness with the gun.
Around midnight, with all safely hidden in the bushes to escape the light of the moon, the more daring pulled the tripstring and the gun boomed forth its deadly charge quite harmlessly, and the old chap came running an and eerie figure in white night-shirt to search helplessly for the body he hoped to find!
Twice they did this trick, and tiring of it sought another farmer's orchard for the escapades - to this day a wallaby got the blame for tripping the string!
On other nights the tricksters attended the Young Men's Improvement Society in the Oddfellow's Hall!
But back to the 60th anniversary event.
Our farm of 'Sivan' in the Foxground Valley had two houses upon it. The first was our own dwelling situated beside the Valley road, while the second was separated by a sharp gully.
It had been built for the factory manager, but with the closing of the Fresh Food & Ice Co Factory in 1928, the house was lying empty. So Dad engaged Horace Benny to replace the Malthoid roofing with corrugated iron.
Upon its completion the Foxground schoolmaster, Hory Kemp, who lived in Gerringong and had to daily traverse the four miles on a push bike or Metz car, made enquiries of Dad re its availability for renting, which was duly organised.
This enabled him to walk the short distance to the school upon sealing the deal.
During the occupation of the previous tenant, Ted Winney, in his managerial role, a substantial orchard was established on the block, and was in full production upon the arrival of Hory and his family.
As a teacher he was entitled to four weeks' holiday over Christmas when the orchard was in full production with delicious peaches abounding.
Two in particular were a slipstone Elberta and a white-fleshed clingstone Sharhai, both of quality flavour. During his holiday we feasted on the fruit at his request, a very satisfactory arrangement.
One night about the middle of January when I was training for sports, I imagined there was movement in the orchard, so I kept watch each night to make sure and when I saw
It was not long after when we heard 'Boom! Boom!' a couple of seconds apart. When Dad appeared with the empty gun he was full of humour.
“I'll bet there'll have to be some washing done when those two fellows get home tonight! One fellow fell out of the tree, and in their hurry they both fell over the fence.
“I heard one say ‘he must have been shooting at flyingfoxes' but they cleared out and didn't come back. Foolish fellows - had they come and asked, there's enough fruit to feed all Foxground.”
He gave me the gun to put away and went off to bed.
Next day, we went over to investigate. Sure enough, there was the broken limb, and a bit of fence to repair, but the best was the two buckets of peaches they had left behind.
It was very thoughtful of them Dad opined, the best of
the pickings! We patched the fence where they fell over.
Clive told me a story once about a lady who lived next door to Gerringong Public School and had a beautiful orchard.
Before school some students climbed the fence to help themselves. The lady came out with a shotgun, loaded it with saltpeter and shot them on a fleshy part of the back of their body.
The principal knew who the culprits were as they could not sit down at their desk for a week.
What’s On?
Sea & Spirit Psychic & Healers Hub Expo
Sun 20 July, 10am-5pm
Kiama Leagues Club
Entry $5pp.
Alma Moodie Quartet
Sun 20 July, 2-3:30pm
Gerringong Town Hall
Immerse yourself in the passion of musical Romanticism with a program that spans from Beethoven to Zemlinksy. Tickets are available online or at the door.
Josephine Wants to Dance
Tue 22 July, 10am-1:30pm
Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
A hilarious musical about the importance of believing in yourself and realising your dreams and... a dancing kangaroo! Tickets can be purchased online.
Nowra Quilters
exhibition
Thu 24 July to Wed 30 July, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Christmas In July
Trivia Night
Fri 25 July, 6-10:30pm
The Pavilion
Hosted by the Kiama Rotary Club, funds raised will support Rotary projects.
Book seats online at The Pavilion’s website.
Sydney Comedy Festival 2025
Fri 25 July, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Kiama Leagues Club
Tickets are $40, book online.
Tramways
Sat 26 July
The Illawarra Light Railway
Museum
The Orry-Kelly Exhibition
Sat 26 July, 11am-4pm
The Sebel, Kiama
Step into a dazzling public exhibition of original costumes and paintings by Orry-Kelly. Tickets can be booked online, $10pp.
Orry-Kelly Dressing
Hollywood Gala Sat, 26 July 2025, 6pm-11pm
The Sebel, Kiama
The gala will honour the legendary costume designer’s exceptional career and achievements, celebrating his legacy.
NAIDOC Awards Ceremony
Sat 26 July, 5-10pm Shellharbour Civic Centre
Art Vision exhibition
Thu 31 July to Wed 6 Aug, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
The Alchemy Choir
South Coast
Sun 3 Aug, 1:30pm-2:30pm Gerringong Town Hall
This is a free eventdonations welcome.
Land, Ocean & Home exhibition
Thu 7 Aug to Wed 13 Aug, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
James Burton at Crooked River Estate
Sat 9 Aug, 2pm-5pm Crooked River Estate, Gerringong
The Creative Business Summit 2025
Thurs 14 Aug, 9am-5pm
The Pavilion
Tickets can be purchased online.
Leonie Simmons exhibition
Thurs 14 Aug to Wed 20
Aug, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
South Coast Ceramics Market
Sun 17 Aug
The Co-Op Gerringong Inquisitive Imaginings exhibition
Thurs 21 Aug to Wed 27 Aug, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Woven Baskets
Sat 23 Aug, 9am-2pm
Joyce Wheatley Community Centre
$140 per person, book online.
Soul Clay Studios exhibition
Thurs 28 Aug to Wed 3 Sep, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
A place in the Sultan’s Kitchen Fri 29 Aug, 8-10pm Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre
A Place in the Sultan’s Kitchen (or how to make the perfect one-pot chicken curry) by Joshua Hinton.
Tickets can be purchased online.
Second hand book sale
Fri 29 to Sun 31 August, 9am-4pm
Ss Peter & Paul Parish Hall
Supporting the Kiama High School SRE teacher.
Between Dreams and Truth exhibition
Thurs 4 Sep to Wed 10 Sep, 10am-4pm Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Featuring works by Jenny Albanis and Christine Murphy.
Kiama Art Society
Group exhibition
Thurs 11 Sep to Wed 17 Sep, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Folk by the Sea Fri 12 to Sun 14 Sept Kiama Showground Pavilion
Early Bird tickets are available on their website.
Horizontal Festival
Sat 4 to Sun 5 , 12pm9:30pm Centennial Vineyards, Bowral
Tickets purchased online. Jamberoo Car Show 26 Oct, 9am-2pm Kevin Walsh Oval, Jamberoo
Approximately 500 classic cars on display, modern and vintage fire trucks and stationary engine displays. Kiama U3A Excursion - Nan Tien Temple Fri 28 Nov, 9am-4pm Nan Tien Temple
Participate in a 3.5 hour guided tour, cultural activities, learn about Buddhism, and enjoy a vegetarian lunch with Kiama U3A. RSVP to attend. Find more information at Kiama U3A’s website.
Waiting for the perfect wave: Solo show Shore Break surfaces in Shoalhaven
Lleyton Hughes
Chris Pitman’s solo show
Shore Break - a powerful monologue about a lone surfer staring out at the ocean and reflecting on his lifewas, perhaps unsurprisingly, written during the COVID lockdowns.
After 30 years of acting, Chris had often scribbled down ideas and fragments but had never completed a full piece.
“I wrote it during COVID when obviously there wasn't a lot going on,” he said.
“I had this idea about a guy living in the desert, trying to re-enter the world - and how difficult that might be if all those bridges had been broken.”
What started as a deeply personal writing project unexpectedly evolved into something much bigger.
A small company in Adelaide picked up Shore Break, leading to several local seasons before it premiered at the Festival Centre in Adelaide as part of the State Theatre Company’s umbrella season.
Now, Shore Break comes to the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre for one night only - 5 August at 8pm.
“I was just writing a story I’d been living with for a while, something I could see clearly in my head,” Chris said.
“I honestly didn’t know what to expect. But somehow it struck a chord - people saw their own lives, or their friends’ and family’s lives, reflected in it. It became more universal than I’d imagined.”
At its heart, the show explores themes of toxic masculinity and emotional isolation - particularly in Australian men. Chris draws from his own observations, especially of men who retreat from connection because they lack the emotional tools to sustain it.
“My theory is that some men go out on their own because they don’t have the tools for connection,” he explained.
“Generations of Australian men - not all, but many - have grown up with
emotional illiteracy. Without a language for feelings and emotions, it’s hard to sustain relationships. And I think that’s why many find themselves on the outer.”
For Chris, the inspiration for Shore Break is rooted in both personal experience and decades of quiet observation.
“I guess being a surfer myself and then growing up in South Australia, surfing was always like a mission - driving four or five or three or even eight hours sometimes to get to a break. And often these places were isolated,” he said.
“Ever since my twenties and even earlier, I’ve come across these men living in far-flung campgrounds. I’ve always wondered how they got there and why they were therewhether they could ever live in the world again.
“They didn’t seem to be reading books or doing muchjust stuck with their eyes fixed on the ocean, clearly dealing with a whole bunch of damage in their lives. Over the years, I kept wondering about them. Eventually I found the space to go, this is a story I want to tell.”
All the while, the show's
central character waits alone for the perfect wave - a metaphor that acts as a foil to his inner struggles.
“Well, the ocean can’t help but make you softer, can it?” Chris said. “It calms you, takes the hard edges off. It’s almost a natural meditation. When you’re out there waiting for a wave, your focus is on the water - but you're also in a softer place. That’s how this guy begins to see himself more clearly. To forgive himself.”
While Shore Break is poetic in nature, it’s also grounded in everyday Australian language. Chris deliberately blended lyrical writing with Aussie vernacular to make the show feel accessible - not just to seasoned theatre-goers, but also to those who might not typically set foot in a theatre.
For Shoalhaven audiences, especially those who live by the sea, Shore Break promises a poignant and relatable night of theatre.
Catch it at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre on Monday, August 5 at 8pm, you can buy tickets here: https://www. shoalhavenentertainment. com.au/Home.
Kiama VIEW Club helps students in need through fundraising and friendship
Mitchell Beadman
Founded in 1968, the Kiama VIEW Club has been a figurehead for empowering local women and community.
With over 13,000 members nationally and active in approximately 280 communities, VIEW Clubs are the largest community sponsor of The Smith Family’s ‘Learning for Life’ program.
Marie Coughlan is the Publicity Officer of the Kiama VIEW Club and explained that through the fundraising efforts of the club they can provide much needed support to the Learning for Life program.
“We’ve got two students, and we are with them from primary school through to high school,” Marie Coughlan said.
“Because most of these kids are disadvantaged, either living with grandparents, single mothers or fathers that are working full time.
“We hear from The Smith Family that they are requesting more library bags,
or they need more warm blankets, so we will all knit, sew, crochet, and send it off.
“It’s all us volunteering our time and to see that these kids benefit. Not only did we raise enough to support their school costs, but we had enough to send to the Winter Appeal for The Smith Family.”
Whilst The View Club does not know the particulars of the child they are supporting, the group does receive feedback from the sponsored children.
“We do get feedback on how they are doing and that comes from The Smith Family,” Coughlan said.
“They write back to us and say, thank you for my birthday voucher or thank you for my Christmas voucher.”
When the children finish their schooling, another child is allocated to the VIEW Club for sponsorship.
The Kiama View Club members meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month at Kiama Leagues Club at 12:30pm and is always looking for new members.
“First off, we’ll have lunch together, just to touch base
with everyone and how they are doing,” Coughlan said.
“Then we have a lucky door prize where we all get a raffle ticket.
“We also talk about what our next fundraising is or read letters from Smith Family children.”
With regular meetings, VIEW club provides its members to establish lasting friendships, attend social activities, forming new skill sets, and opportunity to contribute to better life outcomes for Australian children and young people in need.
VIEW is the acronym for Voice, Interests, and
Education of Women and was founded by charity organisation The Smith Family in 1960.
VIEW Clubs are a nonreligious and non-political organisation.
For more information head to https://www. thesmithfamily.com.au/ view-clubs/find-a-club/nsw/ kiama-view-club
MarieCoughlanandMaryDouglasat VIEWClubevent.PhotoSupplied.
A forgotten expedition remembered onscreen The Great White Whale:
Lleyton Hughes
About halfway between Australia and South Africa lies the remote Heard Island, an Australian territory that few people have ever seen.
On it stands a snow-covered volcano called Big Bentechnically recognised as Australia’s tallest peak.
Among explorers and sailors, the mountain is also known by another name: The Great White Whale - a nod to Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
That evocative moniker now serves as the title for Michael Dillon’s new documentary, which tells the story of 10 men who travelled and eventually climbed the formidable peak.
The film opens with the first serious attempt to scale Big Ben, undertaken in 1963 by a three-man team. Their near-death experiencedocumented with graphic intensity in the film - saw them nearly perish in five different ways.
Despite the harrowing
Lleyton Hughes
outcome, two of the climbers, Dr Grahame Budd and Warwick Deacock, became obsessed with trying again.
In 1965, they assembled a new team to make a second attempt.
Dillon, who would later become a celebrated adventure filmmaker, was involved in the 1965 expedition - but only from the sidelines.
“I was in my early 20s and helped them prepare, mostly with their boats,” Dillon recalls. “I was too young to go with them, but these people became lifelong friends.”
Decades later, as the surviving members of the expedition reached their 80s, Dillon knew the time had come to tell their story.
“They had taken so much film footage, and it was such an incredible adventure,” he said.
“They sailed through rough seas for months on a boat without a toilet just to reach Heard Island. And then they climbed the mountainfilming all the way.”
By combining the 16mm footage with contemporary interviews, The Great White Whale brings the expedition vividly to life.
One of the film’s standout features is the footage itself, which has been digitised and preserved in remarkable clarity. It plunges the viewer into the rawness of the voyage - the crashing waves, the camaraderie, the vast, icy isolation of Heard Island.
“There were two very experienced cinematographers on the
crew, and they did a fantastic job under brutal conditions,” Dillon said. “They shot about three hours of film, and today it looks amazing on the big screen.”
Some of the imagery feels like unearthed treasure: endless fields of penguins, untouched wilderness, and the contrast between an immense natural world and the tiny human figures within it.
“It’s such a beautiful island - completely unspoiled. No introduced species,” Dillon
said. “As one of the crew says in the film, it’s a real treasure. I wanted Australians to know about this incredible, unknown place.”
Supporting the archival footage are interviews with surviving crew members, including one particularly charismatic storyteller who contributes sea shanties to the soundtrack, deepening the film’s sense of time and place. Their recollections are steeped in nostalgia and passion, as if a part of them never truly left the island.
“That really surprised me,” said Dillon. “It had been nearly 50 years since the expedition, but the memories were still fresh. That’s the power of doing something so adventurous—it stays with you forever.”
Dillon believes the modern world has lost some of its hunger for adventure, and he hopes The Great White Whale might reignite that spark in audiences.
“Even though it was just 60 years ago, the world was so
different then,” he said. “These people set off with barely any equipment, no toilet, just a spirit of discovery. That kind of boldness is fading.”
He hopes the film will encourage viewers to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with the world around them.
“We’re only here for a short time,” Dillon said. “It’s a beautiful planet, and we should get out there and explore it.”
At once thrilling and reflective, The Great White Whale captures not only an extraordinary expedition but also a vanishing era of wild, unfiltered nature - and the people who still carry it with them in memory.
The Great White Whale screens at Huskisson Pictures on 3 August at 2:30pm, followed by a Q&A with director Michael Dillon. More info: https://huskipics. com.au/movies/the-greatwhite-whale-2/
How a 100-year-old story inspired new cafe: Beck’s
When Kane and Hayden Presland were thinking about naming their new café, they immediately thought of their grandparents’ last name on their mother’s side: Beck.
Their mother is one of two sisters, meaning the name was likely to die with them.
Wanting to keep it alive, the brothers named their new venture Beck’s - only to discover they weren’t the first in the family to do so.
“After we opened, my mum's aunty, who lives in Hungary - Beck is a Hungarian name - found out that my mum's great-grandfather used to own a Beck's Coffee House in Budapest in 1912,” said Hayden.
So, it turns out the story of their new café on Tingira Crescent, replacing the muchloved Little Earth, began long before either of them were born.
More than a hundred years later, in December 2024, Kane (26) and Hayden (21) were chatting when the idea hit
them to open a café together.
Two months later, as though the universe was listening, the owner of Little Earth - a close connection - asked if they’d be interested in taking over the space.
“It was too good of an opportunity to miss,” said Kane. “It’s such a good location. It has north-facing sun with an ocean view, and it’s out of the main town of Kiama.
“So it was perfect. We’d always had the idea of opening a café in the back of our minds, but we’d never found the right space to do it. This was the first time we could actually see it working.”
The two went back and forth deciding on the layout and vibe, but Kane was set on letting the brand create itself rather than pushing a concept onto people.
“One of the things we wanted was to not launch the brand too hard. We wanted it to evolve organically, to create itself.”
Little Earth had its last day of service on 29 June, and just six days later, on 5 July, Beck’s was
open and ready for customers.
“We got the keys at like 6pm. Sunday night. Then we opened at 6:30am the next Saturday morning,” said Hayden.
“It was 16-hour days. We’d get in at 6am and sometimes leave at 11pm. We painted everything, put in new floors, new tiles, new lights, and fitted out the retail room. We pretty much took the whole place apart and then put it all back together,” said Kane.
The brothers have been surprised by how much support the community has shown, and they feel they’ve achieved their simple goal: to create a space where everyone feels welcome.
“It’s been sick. We’ll be full inside, full outside, and there’ll be 30 people just standing around, drinking their coffee. We wanna be the kind of place where people will pull out camp chairs or milk crates and sit on them - or even just lay on the grass and watch the whales,” said Kane.
“We’re also really big on the customer experience when people come in,” added
Hayden.
“And making sure we stay consistent. If someone brings their friend in a week later, we want it to be the exact same experience for them too.”
Also part of the café is a small surf store, filled with surf-related apparelsomething both brothers are passionate about. “We wanted to showcase some of our favourite brands,” said Kane.
“We’ve got boards from a local guy who shapes surfboards, merch from local brands, as well as clothes and jewellery. It’s all upcycled stock and handmade, and we wanted to share that with other people.”
They hope to expand by opening at night and getting a liquor license, helping turn their street - which also features Cin Cin Wine Barinto more of a local nightlife hub.
But for now, you can find the two brothers serving up high-quality coffee (still using the iconic Little Earth beans) and simple, fresh food from 6:30am to 2pm, Monday to Friday.
Customers enjoying the sun and the coffee at Beck’s Cafe.
Four members of the expedition to Big Ben on Heard Island. Photos: Supplied
Some of the wildlife that the crew encountered on Heard Island.
The Great White Whale itself, Big Ben. Photos: Supplied
Tenacious Lions sink Harbour in one-point thriller
Lleyton Hughes
Gerringong and Shellharbour have clashed in the past two Group 7 South Coast grand finals, with the Lions coming out on top both times.
In 2025, however, Shellharbour has had the stronger start and currently sits atop the ladder, while Gerringong came into the weekend sitting fifth.
This week’s matchup at Mick Cronin Oval was the Round 7 washout replay, and Shellharbour looked poised to finally get their revenge.
Both sides were without key players - Gerringong missing captain Nathan Ford and Shellharbour without cocaptain Braxton Wallace.
The Sharks got off to a dream start after Gerringong made an error from the
kickoff, scoring off the ensuing scrum.
They crossed again in the 19th minute to make it 8–0, a lead they held until the 35th minute when Gerringong winger James Kunkler finished off a short-side play to close the gap.
Shellharbour led 8–6 at the break and continued to dominate early in the second half, until Gerringong’s Isaac Russell broke through the middle and scored under the posts in the 56th minute.
The Sharks responded just five minutes later, regathering a loose bomb to score through Malakai Tomo. The match was locked at 12–12 with just under 20 minutes to play.
Both teams tightened up in defence, and a draw looked likely. But in the 75th minute, Shellharbour were awarded a set on Gerringong’s line and nearly scored through hooker Bailey Wallace, only to be denied by desperate Lions defenders.
A late penalty gave Gerringong field position, and five-eighth Jake Taylor nailed a field goal to edge his team ahead 13–12.
Shellharbour went short from the kickoff and gained a whole set in Gerringong’s half, but Gerringong held firm to secure the win.
Gerringong coach Scott Stewart said he was pleased with the side’s composure, calling it one of the first times this year the team has
managed to win a game that was truly in the balance. “I think it comes down to our young guys getting a bit more experienced,” Stewart said.
“Early in the year we had a lot of blokes that hadn't played much first grade and now those guys have got 12 or so games under their belt and now they've realised how to hang in there in those crucial moments.”
Reflecting on Taylor’s match-winning moment, Stewart admitted the field goal came from an unlikely source. “Everyone else in the club likes to kick field goals, Jake's probably the one bloke that doesn't practice it,” he said.
“But he kicked one against them two years ago that got us a win up there as well. So, there's plenty of other blokes in the side that like to think they can do it, but Jake seems to be the only one that steps up to it in a game.”
The Kiama Knights travelled to Albion Park with several players sidelined by injury but got off to a strong start, scoring in the 10th minute through standout centre Max Jennings.
Albion Park hit back 10 minutes later through forward Sean Payne, who powered over from close range.
Just before halftime, Kiama regained possession after a dropped kick and crossed through winger Cade Hotham. The Knights struck first in the second half, with
fullback Tom Atkins sneaking over after a surprise offload near the line, pushing the score to 14–6.
But Albion Park fought back with two similar tries down the left through winger Cooper Barnes, locking the score at 14–14which remained at full-time, marking the first draw of the 2025 season.
Injured Kiama fullback Brad Killmore praised the team’s effort despite the result: “The lads put in a solid effort, just lacked some polish on the execution.
“Having a few players out, we knew it’d be a tough battle. A win would’ve been nice, but we’ll take a point and build into next week.”
Jamberoo bounced back with a strong 26-12 win over Milton-Ulladulla away from home.
Milton, who had only lost once at home this season, looked sharp early, scoring in the 10th minute.
But it was all Jamberoo from there, piling on four tries either side of halftime through Talbott, Asquith, Johnson and Wilkins to take control at 22–6.
Milton managed a late try in the 72nd minute, but Jamberoo hit back four minutes later to seal the result. Next week, Gerringong will look to do the same next week when they play Milton away from home. Kiama will be at home against Berry, while Jamberoo has the bye.
Flanagan shows faith in players to turn fading Dragons’ fortunes around
Shane Flanagan has resisted the urge to swing the selection axe despite St George Illawarra suffering their fourth loss in five games. Flanagan has retained the same 17-man line-up that went down 31-24 to the Roosters for this Saturday’s must-win match against Canterbury at Accor Stadium.
Sitting in 11th spot on the ladder with a 6-10 record, they need to win at least seven of their remaining eight matches to have any hope of qualifying for the finals.
They are four points adrift of eighth spot and face a Bulldogs team riding high in third spot after their 12-8 road win over the Cowboys last Saturday night at QCB Stadium.
Utility back Mat Feagai’s return from an ankle injury to the extended reserves list is the only change Flanagan has made to his squad of 21 which will be cut back on game day.
Gerringong Lions forward Hamish Stewart has retained his spot on the interchange despite a knee injury limiting his involvement to just 21
minutes against the Roosters.
Veteran second-rower Luciano Leilua has been named to play despite suffering a laceration in his leg which also kept him off the field last Saturday.
The Dragons gave the Roosters a good run for their money at Kogarah but the visitors overcame an 18-12 deficit late in the first half to go up by seven midway through the second stanza.
St George Illawarra narrowed the gap to one before Victor Radley sealed
the win with a try in the 77th minute.
Canterbury have been one of the form teams of the 2025 season but have had a bumpy ride in recent weeks, losing to Penrith and Brisbane before getting the better of the struggling Cowboys last weekend.
Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo has pulled a selection surprise by naming midseason recruit Lachie Galvin at halfback for the duel with the Dragons after dropping him altogether from the team
that conquered the Cowboys. Regular halfback Toby Sexton has been relegated to the reserves.The pressure is on Galvin to peform after his controversial switch from the Tigers. Origin stars Stephen Crichton and Kurt Mann are back in the line-up after they were rested last week.
Crichton replaces injured centre Bronson Xerri with Mann on the bench.
Rookie winger Jethro Rinakama keeps his spot on the wing after a strong debut against the Cowboys while
second-rower Sitili Tupouniua could be a late inclusion if he can prove his fitness after a recent hamstring injury.
In the NRLW, Dragons coach Nathan Cross has also kept the same 17 for their game against the Dogs at Homebush. They started the season with a 36-14 triumph over Canberra but were brought back to earth with a thud by the Roosters, who beat them 24-10. The NRLW kicks off Saturday’s Accor Stadium schedule at 3.15pm, followed by the NRL at 5.30pm.
Jake Taylor kicked the winning field goal against Shellharbour on the weekend. Photo: @SticksPix_
Despite the loss, Shellharbour still remain at the top of the Group 7 ladder. Photo: SticksPix_
Campbelltown dish out deja vu with Kiama’s second loss of season
Kiama Rugby has suffered its second loss of the season - once again at the hands of Campbelltown, the same side that dealt them their first defeat back in Round 2.
Ahead of the match, Kiama forward Dante Patrick reflected on that earlier loss, noting it came under challenging circumstances.
“That was our very first game for first grade. We had two weeks off beforehand with the bye and a rest week, and then went straight into playing one of the competition's top teams - Campbelltown,” he said.
In a case of déjà vu, Kiama faced Campbelltown this time
under similar conditions: following a week off and a bye, and missing three key players called into NSW Country Squad camps.
Despite that, Kiama had remained unbeaten since their Round 2 defeat and were hoping to even the score on home turf at Kiama Showground. But it quickly became clear that Campbelltown had other plans.
The visitors crossed in the corner within the opening five minutes. Kiama responded not long after, with Zechariah Taufa powering over the line to even the ledger. From there, the game became a tightly contested affair. Dante Efaraimo
bagged a double for Kiama to lock the scores at 15-all, but Campbelltown landed a late try just before the break to go into halftime with a 22–15 lead.
Straight after the restart, Campbelltown struck again off the back of a dominant scrum and went on to score three consecutive tries, extending their lead to 39–15.
Kiama managed a final consolation try through Tonga Kaivao-Tongotongo, but it was too little, too late, as the hosts went down 39–20.
They’ll now turn their attention to next week’s clash against the Woonona Shamrocks in hopes of returning to the winners’ circle.
Kiama give Canada’s Black Sheep a run for their money
Lleyton Hughes
Kiama Rugby hosted a special exhibition match on Tuesday night (15 July), taking on a touring Canadian team in a spirited clash that ended in a 21-21 draw.
The match was the brainchild of former Kiama player John Symington, who now lives and plays rugby in Canada.
With his team touring Australia as part of the British and Irish Lions series, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to reconnect with his old club.
“Their team is called The Black Sheep. They're from all over Canada, but mostly from Vancouver Island,” said Kiama Rugby players’ representative Jack Smith, who also laced up for the match.
“They played against a mix of our under 18s, secondgrade players, and a few old boys who wanted a run.”
Played under the lights
at Kiama Showground on a crisp winter evening, the game was filled with good humour and plenty of banter between the clashing Canadian and Aussie accents.
“It ended in a 21-all draw, and it was just a great friendly to be part of - something fun to get around,” Smith said.
“It’s always good to host an overseas club and connect like that.
“We even told the young boys, ‘Technically, this is an international fixture,’ so that gave it a bit of extra fun.
"But it was also great to see how teams from other countries do their thing.”
After the match, both teams came together in the clubhouse to swap stories, share laughs, and celebrate the spirit of international rugby.
In a show of camaraderie, The Black Sheep presented a training jersey to the best player from the opposing team - an idea Kiama were happy to adopt and
reciprocate.
The game was played in great spirit, featuring competitive rugby, plenty of laughs, and flashes of genuine talent on both sides.
The Black Sheep are continuing their tour across Australia and will be attending the third Test of the British and Irish Lions series against the Wallabies at Accor Stadium on 2 August.
The Lions series kicks off this Saturday and Kiama Rugby’s under 18s will be hosting a watch party following their match against Shamrocks Rugby Club.
The event will help raise funds for the team’s upcoming rugby tour to Japan.
The watch party kicks off at 6pm, following the Celtic Rugby Festival, which begins at midday at Kiama Showground.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by searching “Eventbrite – British and Irish Lions Party”.
Suns go down as electric Power surge into top four
Kiama Power’s Premier Division side finally broke through against a higher-ranked opponent last weekend, defeating the Shellharbour Suns 73-50.
The win lifts them into the top four and firmly into finals contention - which, if they were successful, would be for the first time since 2022.
“Everyone who took the field on Saturday stood up and delivered an exceptional performance,” said Committee Member Anthony Grady.
“It reinforces what we already knew - the talent is there. We just needed to put it all together for four quarters.
“That’s starting to happen now with back-to-back wins. Building momentum is crucial, and we’re doing that right now.”
Despite being without 10 regular starters, the Power benefited from two strong debuts.
“Michael Blomley made his first appearance. He’s new to AFL this year but has been a standout in Reserve Grade throughout the
season, so he earned his shot,” said Grady.
“We also debuted Tom Wallace, a club junior, who’s only 18 years old. It’s great to see these young players stepping up and contributing during a crucial stretch.”
With several key players expected to return before the end of the season, Kiama is yet to field its strongest lineup - despite recent wins.
“We’ve unfortunately lost our ruckman Callum O'Toole for the season, along with Lachlan Kirk, who had been one of our top performers since returning this year,” said Grady.
“But a few others are coming back soon, so the team will only get stronger in the weeks ahead.”
Among the standouts was Jamberoo Superoos rugby league recruit Jason Pavser, who was named Players' Player of the Match.
“He came to us from rugby league, where he played as a forward, so we knew he’d bring a physical, aggressive style,” Grady explained.
“We’ve moulded him into
an AFL ruckman and he’s been excellent so far.”
On a tougher note, the Women’s Premier Division side went down to the Wollongong Bulldogs by 17 points - their sixth straight loss - though the effort was commendable given their significant injury toll.
“There were still a lot of positives to take from that game,” Grady said.
“The girls were short on numbers again - playing one short on the bench. But once a few of them return, the team will start to strengthen.”
All three Kiama Power grades will play this Saturday at Bonaira Oval against the Wollongong Lions, with the day doubling as the club’s annual Ladies Day.
“It should be a big day for the club,” said Grady. “We’ll be celebrating all the women involved with or who support the club.”
The Women’s Premier Division match kicks off the action at 10:30am, followed by a special function for the ladies in the clubhouse throughout the afternoon.
Lleyton Hughes
A Canadian Black Sheep squad scrum against Kiama.
Lleyton Hughes
Kiama Power supporters elated after their breakthrough win against the Suns.
Photo Brian Scott
Debutante Michael Blomley gearing up for a kick against the Suns. Photo Kiama Power.
18 year old Tom Wallace debuting for the Kiama Power Premier Division team. Photo Kiama Power
KIAMA KNIGHTS U18 GT VS DE LA SALLE
KIAMA JFC - 16-17 MIXED - DIVISION
GERRINGONG U16-1 BT
KIAMA JUNIOR KNIGHT U11 - RED VS BLACK
KIAMA U10 BT U10 RED VS GERRINGONG
Lleyton Hughes
Kiama bodyboarder
Sophie Leathers took out the inaugural women’s final of the Shark Island Challenge recently.
Located off Cronulla Beach, Shark Island is a rock reef renowned for producing one of Australia’s most dangerous and unpredictable wavesand it served as the dramatic setting for the long-awaited competition which draws competitors from around the world.
Originally scheduled to take place between April 28 and
June 30, the event window was extended to ensure the contest would run in peak conditions.
Sophie was invited on March 4, making it feel almost poetic that the event finally went ahead exactly four months later to the day.
“It ended up going ahead four months to the day of when I got invited, so it was literally just months of anxiety - and by the end of it, I was just ready for anything,” said Sophie.
Although she only received the official confirmation three days before the event, Sophie had a feeling it was going to
run that weekend. “I could tell just from the forecast. It was the end of the East Coast Low, which meant it was going to be big,” she said.
And it was big. “It was crazy. It was a really good size - probably four to six feet all day - but the conditions were changing heaps.
“I was watching it, trying to work out where I should sit. I’ve only surfed there a few times, and it’s just such an unpredictable wave.”
Eventually, she stopped overthinking.
“I got to the point where I was like, I’m just going to
Sophie snares Shark Island success after agonising wait
surf. There’s no point overanalysing, because you don’t really know what you’re going to get.”
The women’s heat was held just before the men’s final and was originally set to be an allKiama showdown - until local legend Lily Pollard was forced to withdraw due to injury.
“She got injured a month ago with a serious lung injury, and I know how badly she wanted to be there,” said Sophie.
“She’s really paved the way for women’s bodyboarding in Australia, especially at Shark Island - she’s been out there
versing the guys before. She inspired me to do it, and I reckon she’ll be back next year, sending it as hard as ever.”
Western Australian bodyboarder Rio Clarke stepped in to replace Lily. Sophie said her own performance was full of wipeouts, but her first and last waves secured her the win.
“It was pretty much my first wave and last wave that were the highest scores - everything in between was a wipeout,” she laughed.
“Honestly, my favourite waves of the whole comp were the wipeouts. Just paddling
into a wave and getting taken out - it’s so addictive. There’s so many little things you can tweak to improve it. The feeling, the energy of the wave, it’s pretty surreal.”
Now, Sophie is hoping her win will earn her a spot in the 2026 event - and she’s keen to see the women’s field grow.
“It’s definitely a risky and high-consequence wave, but at the same time, there’s still that point where you can push yourself. I’m super keen to hopefully get the invite again next year, and if they can get some of these other girls in too, I think it’ll be a crazy show.”
