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Tropical $6m stunner sets record stunner
Matty Taylor
Ashowpiece beachfront home in Kiama Downs that evokes the feel of a tropical resort has broken the record for the suburb’s top sale price.
With a sweeping resortstyle pool, direct access onto the sand and Noosa-inspired design touches, the fourbedroom masterpiece brings five-star coastal luxury to the NSW south coast.
Designed by award-winning Queensland architect Paul Clout and built by owner Glenn Jones, the property at 42 Johnson Street channels the look and feel of a luxury retreat, right down to the glass
bridge, curved, black-tiled shower, and palm-fringed gazebo beside the pool.
After more than 200 days on the market, the house sold on June 2.
With a price guide of $5.9 million to $6.3 million, records show it has set the new benchmark for Kiama Downs, eclipsing the previous suburb record of $5.9 million set in October last year.
Innovate Property Group director Mark Spinelli, who managed the sale, said it was a privilege to be showcasing a standout property in the area.
“This is probably the best home that has been sold in Kiama Downs,” he told The Bugle
“It’s very unique. It’s the builder’s own home, and the attention to detail is next level.
“He had to build the beautiful, resort-style pool first, and the house has an amazing entry, with a massive glass door.
“When you walk in, you can see the pool and see straight through on to the beach.”
A key drawcard is the home’s genuine beachfront position, offering rare stepoff-the-lawn access to Jones Beach.
“It’s pretty rare now to get actual beachfront around Kiama,” Spinelli said.
“A lot of properties are waterfront, around cliffs, but there aren’t many where it’s
straight off your backyard onto the sand.
“Every single window and door have curved gyprock, and you’re walking on a glass bridge that looks directly down to the pool. It’s pretty cool.”
The layout includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, plus a powder room and underfloor heating.
Outdoors, there's an alfresco area, outdoor shower and double garage.
The showpiece pool cuts through the middle of the home and is visible beneath parts of the interior floor, connecting different wings of the residence with a flowing, high-end design.
A sandstone and timber gazebo beside the pool adds to the tropical holiday vibe.
Inside, standout features include louvre windows, stackable doors, polished concrete floors, and a Tasmanian Oak ceiling above the main lounge.
One of the bedrooms opens directly to panoramic beach views, while the living area offers uninterrupted sightlines to Minnamurra Headland and Cathedral Rocks.
Spinelli said the home, built by high-end operators Glenn Jones Homes, had been the full-time residence of Jones and his family since
completion several years ago.
The buyer is believed to be a local, despite strong interest from Sydneysiders.
The sale adds to Spinelli’s recent string of top-tier results, including a recent property deal in Kiama that also set a new benchmark.
“The surprising part was the amount of demand we had for an in-town, singlelevel weekender for between $3 million and $4 million,” he said.
“It was mostly Sydney buyers looking for a weekender. Kiama is still very appealing to out-of-town buyers.”
42 Johnson Street , Kiama Downs. Photos Supplied.
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No boomgate for Woolies after residents voice concerns
Paul Suttor
Kiama Council has shut down the plan for Woolworths to bring in paid parking under a boomgate system at the Terralong Street shopping precinct.
Councillors voted 6-3 at Tuesday night’s meeting against a proposal to amend a development application to allow the installation of a boomgate.
Local residents had raised concerns over the impact on traffic in the area and off-street parking.
Councillor Matt Brown spoke in support of the motion before the vote.
“This is about Woolworths basically installing a boomgate,” he told Council.
“We've been told how that boomgate will operate and that's predominantly, the boomgate will remain open as traffic enters into the car parking facilitytheir number plate will be recognised digitally and if a car overstays their welcome, which is two hours for the vehicle to exit the place without the boomgate closing, a fee will
need to be paid.
“I also understand that Council will be revenue sharing with Woolworths in that we own a number of the car spaces there but I also understand this is not really a revenue raising matter for Woolworths - this is simply a way of ensuring that there is enough car spaces for people to shop.
“I don't really have a major problem with this recommendation or this motion.
“I am concerned about workers who work there or close by as to where they will park and parking for staff in the street is a concern and something that we as a Council need to address and put our mind to.”
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald and fellow Councillor Mike Cains supported Cr Brown on the boomgate motion but it received no other support.
Council CEO Jane Stroud said that the matter would need to be raised again at the July meeting because it’s a planning matter and reasons need to be stated as to why it was rejected.
Locals spoilt for choice to Go Grand with holiday options
Kiama has joined forces with four other local government areas to Go Grand in promoting the tourist attractions of the South Coast and Southern Highlands.
The coordinated regional tourism campaign is designed to boost visitation during the winter months and support local tourism operators across the Grand Pacific Drive.
Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven and the Southern Highlands have united under four key themes for the winter tourism season: Grand Experiences, Grand Flavours, Grand Nature and Grand Stays.
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.
Destination Kiama chair, Councillor Matt Brown said when he was NSW Tourism Minister nearly 20 years ago he helped launch the Grand Pacific Drive campaign and a lot of that infrastructure is at the centre of this latest push for most tourists to discover the region.
“It’s really good that our local tourism organisations and councils are coming back to that campaign,” he said.
“We have these amazing rounds, starting up north with the Sea Cliff Bridge and going down south. We really want to make it more than just a drive, we’re looking at grand experiences and grand food.
“In Kiama at this time of year, one of the best things you can do is go to the Illawarra Fly and spend beautiful winter days looking over the escarpment. It’s really special and now that the Jamberoo Mountain Road is open, it’s one of the best experiences families can enjoy locally.
“It’s a fully iconic experience. You get put in a harness and whiz through the trees on a zipline, it’s very fun.”
The Go Grand is not just targeted at tourists from the rest of NSW and beyond with local residents also being encouraged to explore the region’s many eye-catching destinations.
“We are spoilt for choice as locals. If people haven’t seen the new and improved Minnamurra Rainforest and its walking tracks, or gone to the Illawarra Fly, make sure you do,” Cr Brown added.
“At the Kiama Visitors’ Centre you can get tickets for these things and really good advice on spending a day out and about.
“We don’t need to travel very far to have a great experience, whether it’s up in the Southern Highlands or down in the Shoalhaven, there’s so much to dowalking tracks, wineries, bed an breakfasts, there’s so much to see and do.
“I encourage people to visit something new or something they haven’t seen for a while in their own backyard.
"Kiama is proud to be part of the Go Grand campaign, celebrating our undeniably grand landscapes – from volcanic cliffs and rolling green hills to hidden waterfalls and iconic coast walk.
“But it’s the warmth of our community and the richness of our experiences that make a visit truly unforgettable.
“Whether it’s browsing seaside markets, indulging in local flavours or joining a vibrant winter event, Kiama offers moments that linger long after you leave.
“Partnering with our Top
Tourism Town neighbours across the South Coast and Highlands shows that when we work together, the journey becomes even grander.”
Shannan Perry-Hall, GM, Destination Sydney Surrounds South, said the Go Grand initiative was a landmark example of regional collaboration, “positioning the South Coast and Southern Highlands as NSW’s premier winter road trip destination”. The established touring route of the Grand Pacific Drive offers a connected and easily navigable itinerary for holidaymakers to plan a winter getaway through some of NSW’s most picturesque and experience-rich destinations.
“From the National Surfing Reserve at The Farm, Killalea, and the Shell Cove Waterfront Precinct, to HARS Aviation Museum and the lush Macquarie Pass National Park, Shellharbour offers diverse, unforgettable grand experiences,” Shellharbour City Council Mayor Chris Homer said.
Shoalhaven Tourism cultural & community services manager Kristy Mayhew said the Go Grand campaign would benefit their tourism operators in the offpeak season.
“Data tells us that spend is down and cost of living is hurting local businesses, so if you can take a short break and make it grand, the South Coast and Highlands await,” she said.
Grand Pacific Drive is a 140km scenic touring route that begins in the Royal National Park and winds its way through spectacular coastal and hinterland landscapes.
Paul Suttor
Mindful canoeing, a Jervis Bay seal colony, Sea Cliff Bridge and a whale off the South Coast.
Photos: Destination Sydney Surrounds South
Kiama Skate Park
Amy Molloy “Skatepark to be removed.”
When you read the summary of Kiama Sports Complex Masterplan, it seems clear: Kiama’s local skatepark will be demolished.
However, for those who read the full 56-page document, the truth is buried behind the bullet points: the Masterplan suggests the skatepark is rebuilt in “Central Kiama”.
This is good news for the thriving community of skaters, bikers and scooter fans who use the skatepark regularly, including Kiama Skater Kids
- a social group that brings skate families together.
The current skate park is old, especially compared to Berry’s Boongaree Park and Holborn Park in Berkeley.
However, the local skate community do have concerns, especially the size, location and whether it’s fit for purpose.
The Masterplan suggests there is space for a “small skate park” in Coronation Park or Black Beach Reserve.
These have been chosen because of their “central location” and “better surveillance”.
The current skatepark is covered in graffiti, tucked away in the corner of a carpark with poor lighting.
Awoman who was a mutual acquaintance of both complainants in the Gareth Ward sexual assault trial has told the NSW District Court that they were scared of coming forward to report allegations about the Kiama MP. The trial was interrupted during the week when a burst water main led to the closure of the Downing Centre Court complex with proceedings switched to Darlinghurst Courthouse.
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.
On Thursday, a political staffer took the stand to detail evidence about conversations she had with each complainant who has made allegations against Ward.
The older complainant was 24 at the time when he alleged Ward sexually assaulted him
at the Kiama MP’s Potts Points apartment a decade ago.
Another man, who had just turned 18 at the time of an alleged incident in 2013, has also accused Ward of an indecent assault at the Kiama MP’s Meroo Meadow property in the Shoalhaven.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spoke with the older complainant in 2020 after seeing a social media post in which he alluded to a suicide
attempt.
Beachside skate parks make great Instagram photos, but what about the flooding and the sand that blows in? (Sand and skateboard wheels are not a good combination.)
“I just hope they don’t reduce the size dramatically, and it’s built by someone who knows what they’re doing,” a local skater dad told me. My advice to Council? Ask the skater kids. This is their playground.
Amy Molloy is a journalist and editor, and the creator of Kiama Skater Kids - a social group that brings kids who love to skate, bike and scooter together.
The Future of Kiama Skate Park? Ask the Kids... CAST YOUR VOTE
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She said the man blamed himself for the alleged incident and “he kept apologising”.
In response, she told him that “it was not his fault, regardless of what happened”.
The woman shed tears as she told the Court that she encouraged the man to report the incident to police but the complainant was concerned that Ward had “a lot of power”.
Earlier in the trial, the
complainant alleged that after he went to Ward’s apartment to go to sleep in a spare bedroom, the politician sexually assaulted him.
Ward’s barrister, David Sullivan SC, has previously told the Court that the alleged incident did not happen.
On Thursday, the woman also said the younger complainant contacted her later that year to allege that Ward had assaulted him in 2013 at the politician’s
Shoalhaven home.
The younger complainant sounded distraught, according to her testimony, and he had told her that the incident had led him to serious drug use.
The trial before Judge Shead, continues.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Stroud keen to continue Council's growth after contract renewal
Paul Suttor
Kiama Council Chief Executive Officer Jane Stroud is ready to build on “the amazing/difficult experience” of her first four years in the job after being retained for another three years.
A contract renewal until 2028 was debated and voted on at the Council meeting on Tuesday night after she was rated as operating at a high standard at a recent performance review.
Stroud joined Kiama Council as CEO in June 2021.
With an extensive background in local government and strategic planning, she previously served as director and deputy CEO at Logan City Council and director at Southern Downs Councils in Queensland.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, Councillors convened behind closed doors to discuss Stroud’s potential reappointment.
Council acknowledged and approved a request from the CEO to renew her contract for a period of three years from 18 June 2025.
Stroud’s employment contract will now run until midway through 2028 and she will receive a 3% pay rise as part of Council’s decision to keep her in the executive role.
“Firstly, can I just say thank you to the Mayor and the Councillors for their decision.
It's the single biggest decision that Council and councillors ever make - they only get one employee and I'm really honoured and privileged to be their employee and to work with them,” she said.
“It has been a really amazing/difficult experience working at Kiama Council over the last four years and I'm really grateful to be able to continue to be part of the direction that the organisation goes in and to keep working with the amazing staff and
the amazing team that I have built an incredible relationship with over the last four years.
“I have some absolutely fabulous people who work for me and who work on behalf of the community and do an incredible job. I'm proud to be their leader.
Stroud jokes that she lives in “PIO Land” in reference to the Performance Improvement Order which has been imposed on Kiama Council by the NSW Government due to past governance problems.
“That's a shared challenge but that is the challenge,” she said.
“I would really love to see the organisation have that PIO lifted and to be able to know that we have a sustainable future in front of us and that you can leave a legacy that nobody has to go through this again because it's been really tough.”
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald said he was really happy that the
Councillors have decided to support the CEO in keeping her around.
“I think it promotes great stability in the administrative arm of Council,” he said.
“Council has shown that they have confidence there that things are heading in the right direction.
“We've only been here for nine months and essentially we've come in on the back of a Performance Improvement Order that is really important that Council are addressing and we've seen that the results so far are going very well under the CEO and the executive leadership group that the CEO has been able to assemble.
“It provides great stability for the rest of our term and essentially I think it's really good to provide public confidence in Council that the councillors and the administrative arm are working cohesively with a set of objectives in mind.”
Inaugural Business Awards flooded with entries
Paul Suttor
Kiama Business Network has been inundated with nominations for the inaugural Kiama Business Awards.
Entries closed earlier this week for the first competition which recognises and celebrates excellence across the local business community.
Everyone who submitted an entry will be invited to the Awards Ceremony at The Pavilion in Kiama on Thursday 3 July.
At the ceremony, winners will receive trophies for the
seven award categories:
- Outstanding Employee - Excellence in Sustainability
- Outstanding New Business
- Excellence in Micro Business
- Excellence in Small Business
- Outstanding Young Business Leader
- Outstanding Business Leader (20 employees and under).
The overall Kiama business of the year will then be announced from the seven category winners. Also, the winners in each
category automatically progress as finalists to the Illawarra Business Awards later this year.
Kiama Business Network executive officer and market manager Mel Scarr said the idea for the Awards came about after Business Illawarra director Coralie McCarthy asked why Kiama did not have a competition of its own.
‘We were going to do it for next year because we had six weeks to launch ours but then we thought let's go for it and launch our own one,” she said.
“So, we did. And judging
by the amount of entries that we had, it's been very well received.
“We ended up with a good number of entries. We were surprised by how well it was embraced. And obviously, there was a need for it in the community by the amount of entries we got in such a short time.”
The judging period is now underway with a panel of local business leaders going through the various submissions.
Finalists for each category will be announced on Monday, 30 June in the leadup to the awards night.
Brady excited to be back at Council
Darren Brady has returned to Kiama Council as Director of Infrastructure & Operations. A civil engineering manager with experience in state and local Government, he has previously worked with Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Wollongong and Kiama Councils from 2006 to 2022. During his first stint at Kiama Council, he was Acting Director multiple times to deliver a range of capital infrastructure works, asset maintenance and waste services.
“I’m very excited to be back working within the Municipality that is Kiama. It’s great to see what has been achieved since I was last with Council three years ago, and I look forward to being able to lead the way when it comes to delivering more great work in the coming months.” Brady said
Brady has most recently worked with Transport NSW as a Natural Disaster Recovery Project Manager, where he oversaw and approved hundreds of disaster recovery infrastructure projects across several LGAs with approximate total value of over $200m in the past three years. “It is wonderful to have Darren back with Kiama Council in this leadership role,” Council CEO Jane Stroud said. “His established connections to staff and community will be welcomed as he takes on this executive position within Council.”
Man dies in house fire
A man had died, and house has been destroyed following a fire on the South Coast on Thursday morning.
About 5.20am, emergency services were called to Beach Road, Denhams Beach, following reports of a house fire. Officers attached to South Coast Police District arrived to find a home well alight. Fire and Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the home was destroyed.
Following a search of the home, emergency services located the body of a man. He is yet to be formally identified and is believed to be aged in his 50s. Police have established a crime scene and detectives have started inquiries into the cause of the blaze. A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Locals urged to share views on Visitor Economy Strategy
Kiama Council is gathering ideas and viewpoints to help develop a Kiama Visitor Economy Strategy for local tourism and events that will balance economic growth with community benefit. Council has also appointed DTM Tourism to lead the development of the Strategy.
“This being our first awards, we weren't sure what to expect, but the quality of entries and the enthusiasm has exceeded all expectations,” Scarr added.
“The response has been incredible so it shows how ready our community is to celebrate local success.”
One of the strengths of the Kiama business community is its diversity from microbusinesses popping up all over the local government area to bigger, established businesses which have stood the test of time.
With over 30 years of expertise in destination management, tourism strategy, and visitor experience development, DTM Tourism brings a wealth of experience in creating practical and achievable tourism strategies for regional destinations. Council manager of tourism & events Sally Bursell said an important element of any new strategy would be balancing economic growth with community benefit.
“Our local visitor economy continues to play a vital role in our region’s economy, with up to 1.2 million visitors a year spending a record $392 million. Tourism is the backbone of our economy, but we must manage it carefully to protect what makes our region special.”
CEO Jane Stroud
Photo: Darren Parlett
Banter Bugle
Spectre of Performance Improvement Order hovers over Council
Often when you try to please everybody you please nobody and Kiama Council is in a tricky spot at the moment in trying to navigate its way back to financial strength while operating under the NSW Government’s Performance Improvement Order.
Mayor Cameron McDonald is thrilled that Council has hit the 70% mark in its wide range of actions required to progress down the path of getting the PIO lifted at the end of the 2026-27 financial year.
Although Council is on the right track, it is still a long way from being out of the woods just yet.
And part of that process is having to say no to reasonable requests from local community groups and increasing fees for services.
Kiama Leisure Centre and Cemeteries fees have gone up by 5% and domestic waste charges have increased by 10%, which will cost the average household an extra $1.20 per week and has been brought about by waste disposal cost increases to Council of nearly 60% over the past three years.
Rates have increased by 3.7% which was set by the NSW Government’s Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal.
Kiama Council, at its meeting on Tuesday night, endorsed its suite of highlevel strategic documents, including the Community Strategic Plan, Long Term Financial Plan, Budget, Fees and Charges, and Delivery and Operational Plan.
Along with Chief Executive Officer Jane Stroud’s tenure being extended for another three years, Kiama Council has something that it has sorely lacked in recent yearsstability.
But there will continue to be short-term pain for the local community.
One such example that would be avoided in a perfect world was Gerringong Rugby League Club’s request for Council to provide a preowned lawnmower - free or for a nominal fee - for the Lions to use in their sterling efforts in keeping Michael Cronin Oval in tip-top shape.
Councillor Mike Cains
Paul Suttor
brought the motion before Council, arguing that club “continues to voluntarily maintain the grounds that would otherwise be maintained by Council”.
“They do this by relying on a 40-inch residentialstyle mower. Occasionally they borrow mowers and equipment from third parties but essentially they try to be as self reliant as possible.
“We are getting the understanding that to be reliant on such meagre assets so that they can maintain their grounds is quite possibly not sustainable in the long term.
“The administration of the Rugby League Group 7 has awarded the club with an $8000 grant to construct a purpose-built shed to house that mower so providing a pre-owned mower to the Gerringong Rugby League Club is a modest and meaningful way for Council to show support for our volunteer organisations and ensure that they remain a valuable asset for the community into the future.”
After the motion was defeated, Mayor Cameron McDonald told The Bugle that they were concerned about setting a precedent for the future if they agreed to the Lions’ request.
He said that Council needed to develop an asset disposal policy that would enable them “to justify those decisions as to why a mower would go here and why something else would go there with regards to those community and sporting groups”.
He acknowledged that a lot of local community groups put in countless hours of voluntary work to maintain Council assets but he wanted to ensure that decisions like this one can be done “in a fair and reasonable manner” for all groups.
Unfortunately for priceless community groups like the Gerringong Lions, these kind of situations will continue at least for the next couple of years ….but with Kiama Council on track to be back in the black within 24 months, Council’s newfound frugality means better times are on the horizon.
Kiama’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations are in danger of going up in smoke after Council withdrew funding for the 2025 event.
Destination Kiama now has to find sponsors to make up the $92,000 cost of staging the popular event or there will be no fireworks lighting up the harbour to ring in the new year.
The decision has disappointed Destination Kiama chair, Councillor Matt Brown who said Council should have prioritised money in the budget for this event rather than use ratepayer dollars to fund new Council Chambers.
“It’s a shame that that funding has been cut from the budget. The only years we didn’t do it was during COVID,” he said.
“We were presented with a choice of New Year’s Eve or event funding. The event funding is important as it spreads spend to attractions right throughout the year.
“But a smallish spend for New Year’s Eve results in a nearly 15 times return on investment.”
Council director of planning, environment & communities Ed Paterson provided Councillors with
Spendmapp's "Event Tracker" data which revealed there was $1.76 million in local spending on New Year’s Eve, which was the highest total recorded across recent major events.
Compared to other weekends, that result was 4% higher than the Changing Tides Festival 2023 and 24% above last year’s event, and more than $630,000 higher than a standard non-event weekend.
The New Year’s Eve Sky Show drives increased spending in hospitality, retail and related sectors, beyond what is usually expected on a busy summer weekend.
Cr Brown said local families and businesses will be extremely disappointed if the fireworks display vanishes into thin air.
“I know how much local businesses and local families enjoy our New Year’s night show. They choose to stay in Kiama rather than go to Wollongong or Sydney,” he said.
“It’s a huge financial injection into our local businesses and at a cost of only $9 per household.
“I’m disappointed that it’s come to this. We could have gone without a new Council Chambers and had the fireworks, for instance. It’s all about priorities - we spent $250,000 on new desks, carpet
New Year’s Eve fireworks could go up in smoke
and video equipment for our Council Chambers. Now we can’t afford fireworks.”
Cr Brown said Kiama’s iconic event is Australia’s biggest coastal fireworks outside of Sydney.
“I appreciate our financial situation at Council and I’d love to see businesses wanting to sponsor this event to reduce the burden,” he said.
“We might be able to resurrect New Year’s Eve fireworks.”
Kiama Council Chief Executive Officer Jane Stroud said in an ideal world, they would be able to cover the full costs but the reality of working under a Performance Improvement Order meant that alternative measures needed to be taken.
“What Council has resolved is that they would like Council to self-fund New Year's Eve,” she told The Bugle
“New Year's Eve is greatlast year we had over 16,000 people come and watch but it does cost the ratepayers up to $92,000.
“We will need to do up a package and put
that out to the market and see if there are people, companies, businesses who would like to partner or sponsor, and contribute to the funding of the fireworks.
“It's a really lovely way to see the year out. I'm really hopeful we'll find some interested businesses and sponsors who want to be part of it because it's pretty incredible.”
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald was also hopeful that a solution can be found to keep the event alive.
“We are mindful that it does cost us a lot of money as a Council and it is ratepayers’ money in this time when we're under a PIO,” he said.
“The influx and the dollar spend for our local community and our local businesses is significant, so it's a matter of weighing that up as to how we approach it.”
Photos: Peter Izzard Photography
Printing with purpose after ‘happy accident’ sparks successful career pivot
Esther Keenan has some sage advice for anyone embarking on big life and career choices: your passion now might not be your passion in the future, be open to opportunity.
“It really needs to be emphasised, especially to kids, that if you find a passion now it doesn't mean you have to still be doing that in 20 years’ time,” says the Kiama businesswoman who set out on a nursing career pathway and is now printing with purpose.
“Taking the chance and doing something you love is so fulfilling, and you just never know where that’s going to end up.”
Esther is the owner of Kiama’s Known Design and Print, a bespoke business that started locally and has grown to provide printing and design services across the nation.
She says starting a small business was a happy “accident” from an opportunity after a family trip overseas.
Esther and her husband had taken their four children, whom she home-schools, to the US to represent Australia in the World LEGO robotics competition.
While in the States, Esther came across clothing with “inspirational, thoughtprovoking prints” such as Love Fearlessly. The messaging resonated with her and, once back home, she
regretted not bringing home some shirts.
“I thought about getting some posted over but the cost was really prohibitive,” she said. “So I bought an entrylevel vinyl cutter instead to make my own prints, just for fun.”
Esther gave the printed shirts to friends and family and, through word-of-mouth, her clothing was soon in hot demand.
Limited by single colour vinyl printing, Esther decided to take the plunge and invest in a commercial printer.
“It was a very scary experience,” Esther said. “Luckily I have a very supportive husband who said let’s do it.”
Initially, Esther says she was
“terrified and overwhelmed” not only because of the large financial investment but also because she had to figure out how to use a commercialsized machine to make prints for her clothing range.
In a stroke of luck, Esther realised she could also create product labels and decals with her newly purchased printer. Another happy accident that helped her business grow.
“As soon as I started to tell people locally that I could offer product labels and decals as well as clothing prints, the business went boom,” she added.
What started as “a very local Kiama-based business” five years ago has now grown to include customers from across Australia, with
been a COVID thing for us, it’s been a life thing, so if you want to talk about careers that’s a full-time one,” she added with a laugh.
Her advice for those considering a career path or pivot: “Back yourself and find people who will back you”.
coffee distributors and candlemakers among bigname clients.
Esther now has three commercial printers to meet demand and has branched out into packaging and branding prints while still creating a “local” experience with small in-store signage, such as car decals, for clients.
“Known Designs is more than a business - it's a demonstration of our love for creative expression and the satisfaction of delivering exactly what our customers envision,” said Esther, who continues to home-school her children (and can add teacher to her impressive skill set) while balancing her business and life in general.
“Home-schooling hasn’t
“It’s so important to surround yourself with the right people. And there are no shortage of them here in Kiama.”
Esther’s point of difference to bigger print organisations is that she does small print runs for suppliers starting out their own businesscapturing a South Coast market filled with creative types and entrepreneurs.
“I don’t charge more for small runs,” says Esther. “So, if you're a candlemaker launching a small run as you start out, I will print 10 labels, instead of the minimum order of hundreds at a time.
“A lot of my customers have been on the same journey that I have, launching a small business is terrifying so if I can help them to make it easier, then that’s my niche.”
Danielle Woolage
Kiama, I Do Love you for wedding expo
For those with wedding bells in their ears or thinking about bending the knee, the upcoming Kiama I Do event on June 28 is not to be missed.
The event features highly sought-after venues and exhibitors from Kiama and its surrounding districts, with the focus on showcasing the many facets of the wedding industry.
This year’s venues include The Pavilion Kiama, The Sebel Kiama, and Greyleigh, offering a mix of seaside charm or hinterland rustic elegance to suit couples.
At The Pavilion Kiama, Culinarius general manager Rebecca Armstrong said “we will be set for a wedding, so guests can experience The Pavilion looking its best for a wedding, thanks to some amazing local suppliers.
“They’ll be able to really be transported into some wedding inspiration at our venue and the other venues will be doing the same with local suppliers as well.
“All venues will have their wedding coordinators
and team there to answer questions and help couples on their journey to find the perfect wedding, stylist or florist.”
There will be food samples provided. Even a lucky door prize.
At Greyleigh, general manager Hamish McCallum said they were excited to be a part of Kiama I Do to welcome potential couples through showcasing the venue as a wedding destination.
“We are going to have a selection of our favourite vendors and suppliers from locally based wedding businesses.”
Greyleigh will also have their venue set for a wedding and will be providing samples of their food.
Whether you’re newly engaged with no firm planning, booking those forgotten suppliers, or just looking for inspiration, the Kiama I Do event is for everyone
Kiama I Do is on June 28 from 11am to 2pm.
Entry is free to the event.
For more information head to www.kiamaido. com.au.
Making Faces makes waves with national award
Shelby
Gilbert
Kiama local business, Making Faces Makeup Studio has won the 2025 Wedding Industry Award for Bridal Hair and Makeup in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands.
The Wedding Industry Awards, recognise excellence over 30 regions of Australia and are considered the pinnacle of recognition in the Australian wedding industry.
Owner of Making Faces Makeup Studio, Meryll Faulkner, and her team of six, bring world-class expertise to South Coast clients. Meryll has trained under Oscar-nominated makeup artist Tina Earnshaw in Los Angeles, in Paris with Atelier Maquillage, and with renowned fashion artist Victor Noble in New York.
“It’s good, not just for me, it's for all our team. Which is really lovely,” said Meryll.
“I think it's great for the industry to know that you're experienced. You know what you're doing. You're pretty professional”.
After establishing Making Faces Makeup Studio in Sydney. Meryll made the decision to relocate her business to Kiama. The move was a significant shift for someone who spent years building a reputation in Sydney’s beauty industry.
“I was just married to the business… life is about balance,” said Meryll.
“I think you can have a business run you, instead of you running it. So, I think that coming to Kiama has been a good thing”.
As a multi-year winner of the Australian Bridal Awards for Excellence and nominee for Australian Makeup Artist Awards, Meryll has trained leading makeup artists and worked across television, film, and high-profile events including a Channel Nine Today Show wedding segment.
What distinguishes Meryll’s bridal work is her combination of skill, experience and personal approach to each client's unique style and needs.
Meryll Faulkner
“Brides have to connect with you. I think that's really, really important, and it's such a special day,” she said.
Beyond weddings, Meryll actively supports the Illawarra’s growing film industry, working as a lead makeup artist for the Channel 10 TV series ‘Mass to You at Home’, and local productions including ‘I’ve Got You’ and ‘Lesley’.
As a NSW and ACT distributor for Atelier Maquillage professional makeup, her company supplies artists across television, theatre, and film.
“It's really not about me,
it's about the client and it's about being reliable and professional when things happen...experience just tells you how to handle a challenge,” Meryll said.
Meryll’s achievements demonstrate what’s possible for creative professionals based outside major cities.
She successfully navigates servicing local and Sydney clients whilst gaining herself national recognition for her work.
As Making Faces Makeup Studio grows its local presence, Meryll remains committed to supporting local creative industries and
emerging talent.
The Wedding Industry Award recognises not just individual achievement, but the quality of talent in the area. For Illawarra brides, having access to award winning artists in the local area reinforces the region's growing reputation for wedding excellence.
Making Faces Makeup Studio is located in Kiama and services the South Coast, Highlands, and Sydney regions.
More information can be found on their website makingfacesmakeup.com.au
Mitchell Beadman
Shoalhaven Mayor hits out at union over job loss claims Ahead of its time:
Shoalhaven Mayor Patricia White.
Listen to Kiama Golf Club's amazing history
Danielle Woolage
Andrew Wilson never set out to be Kiama Golf Club’s official historian but, after more than 50 years of membership at the club, it was a gimme.
On Saturday Andrew will host a talk for the Kiama Historical Society, sharing 122 years of the golf club’s history from its early years at Chapman Point, to a brief period at what is now Kiama High School, to the past 90 years at Minnamurra.
Andrew grew up in the area and became a Kiama Golf Club member in 1971.
Four decades later, when a member of the board discovered Andrew’s passion for playing golf with hundredyear-old hickory clubs, he was asked to delve into the club’s dusty archives.
“Hickory clubs are the golfing equivalent of driving around in a Model T Ford,” laughs Andrew. “Presumably as a consequence, I was asked to take on the role of Kiama Golf Club historian.”
The rest, as they say, is history.
Andrew found himself going down the proverbial rabbit hole, and his sleuthing not only uncovered a treasure trove of fun facts but unearthed his passion for research.
When he first began trawling through old newspapers and documents, Andrew made an interesting discovery; Kiama Golf Club had celebrated its centenary in 2005 but the club had in fact opened in 1903 not 1905 as first thought.
“A story published in 1903 in the Shoalhaven Telegraph says: ‘Kiama can now claim a golf club … and with a goodly number of members there is every prospect of (the club) having a very successful career’,” explains Andrew.
He has since spent almost 15 years documenting the club’s ‘very successful career’ after being given a box of documents, photos and old newspapers as the newly-minted club historian.
“It was all hard copy,” says Andrew. “I didn’t really know what to do but just started
reviewing, scanning and recording the documents. I also used Trove, an excellent research tool, and interviewed long-time club members like Margaret Boyd to fill in the gaps.
The Boyds continue to have strong links to the club, 90 years after Cyril Boyd made the land available for the Minnamurra course in 1935.
“Margaret won 23 club championships over six decades,” says Andrew. “She could really hit a ball. Her sister-in-law Val Boyd probably stopped Margaret from winning more. Val won 10 out of 12 championships between 1961 and 1972.
“Margaret and Val were the respective wives of Alan and Sam, Cyril’s sons. Sadly Alan died suddenly in 1972 while president of the golf club, but the Boyd family continues to play a significant role in the club’s history.”
Margaret’s daughter Noni and granddaughter Amy are upholding the Boyd tradition of strong female golfers at Kiama. Andrew’s research also shows the pivotal role a large number of women historically played in the club’s success.
“You go right back to the very, very early days and there are quite a lot of women who were active golfers at the club,” says Andrew.
Kiama golfer Nell Caird was the runner up in the Inaugural NSW Ladies Country Championship in
1906 and crowned the NSW Ladies Amateur Champion 1909.
Press reports called the club ‘one of the most progressive’ in NSW. In 1935 there were 35 associate members (women were only allowed to be associates at the time, not full members) and only 30 male members.
“That was the same year that the new course at Minnamurra was unveiled with great fanfare,” says Andrew.
The president of the suburban country golf association did the honours and was quoted in the Kiama Reporter and Illawarra Journal as saying that ‘golf is primarily a man’s game’ but the ladies ‘excelled themselves in serving a truly delightful meal on the verandah’.
“I don’t know whether he was aware of the fact that the women actually outnumbered the men at the golf club,” laughed Andrew. “But, by all accounts, he got out of Kiama with his skin still intact.”
By the 1980 and ‘90s golf was booming, Greg Norman was at the peak of his power, and Kiama’s playing membership grew to over 1000. The battle for places on the competition timesheet was fierce, with ladies and men both playing midweek.
This sparked the ‘Great Wednesday Competition Controversy’ with female golfers taking their concerns to the anti-discrimination board.
“Increasing pressure on tee times for the Wednesday comp led to a proposal to move the ladies’ comp to Thursdays,” explains Andrew. “This was not well received by the ladies but thankfully the matter was resolved.”
If you’d like to find out how, or you just want to know more about Kiama’s rich golfing history join Andrew’s talk – The History of Golf in Kiama – at the Kiama Library Auditorium on June 21 from 2pm. Tickets include afternoon tea and are $3 for members and $5 for nonmembers.
Shoalhaven Mayor Patricia White has returned serve at the United Services Union after its claim that as many as 110 Council staff members would be losing their jobs.
USU issued a statement last Friday claiming that Council would be sacking one in five of its staff under a plan the Mayor had “rammed through Council” three days earlier.
The union claimed Cr White had assured staff at a meeting in December their jobs were safe.
Cr White has responded by saying “I cannot believe that the Unions would put a media release OUT on a Friday afternoon stating that Shoalhaven Council was cutting jobs and alarming employees and their families”.
“This is old news, as in late 2024 following the elections they ran the same stories. Obviously, it is a slow news day.
“I can confirm that Council continues to work on the financial sustainability project that we have implemented since the 2024 elections. Council has a plan that has been shared with staff, residents and community in an open and transparent way andcontinues to work with Councillors, staff and the independent Finance Committee on Implementation.”
Cr White said ratepayers should look behind the scenes at the agenda of some Councillors, calling out Jemma Tribe, who she said was last year’ claiming Council was reducing staff around the same numbers up to 500.
“This has not happened. In my opinion Cr Tribe has a vested interest in wanting to become mayor,” she said.
“Many people have commented to me that Cr Tribe, following her mayoral loss at the 2024 election, said ‘It was my god-given right to be the Mayor and I won’t stop’.
“She has attacked me on travel allowances, trying to stop myself and Councillors from representing ratepayers (as Council business) and much serious matters. I
believe she will not stop with this agenda over the next three years.”
Last Tuesday night, Council discussed the Office of Local Government financial results of 128 councils in NSW based on parameters like population and land size.
Cr White said Shoalhaven Council had agreed to a target to be no more than 20% above the average of our peer group by June 2027.
Tribe and fellow Councillors Matthew Norris, Ben Krikstolaitis, Gillian Boyd and Natalee Johnston opposed the plan.
“We just must maintain our focus on justifying how ratepayers’ money is being spent with every decision Council makes and we will achieve for our residents and communities,” Cr White added.
She issued an open invitation to USU industrial officer (Southern Branch) Stuart Geddes to discuss Council’s plans to reduce its workforce and he has accepted the offer to meet.
“I look forward to meeting with Mayor White to find out on behalf of our members how many of their jobs she plans to cut,” he said.
“The Mayor has been talking about percentages thus far, she says the council is 31% overstaffed and she wants to bring that down to 22%, but people aren’t percentages, they’re human beings and they deserve to know if they’re being shown the door.
“We need to know how many jobs the Mayor wishes to cut and from what departments, will they be the people who conduct rhyme time at the libraries, will they be the road workers who fix potholes in the district or will they be the people who mark the fields for Saturday sport?
“We’re still dealing with the fallout from the Mayor’s decision in February to privatise local child-care services, leaving local children and parents facing lesser services for higher costs and six council staff at Centrelink.”
Uncertain time for older people with Aged Care Act delayed Billy the blacksmith...
Clive Emery
Blacksmiths were such an essential part of the community more than a century ago, especially in country areas. Before tractors, cars and trucks, horses would do most of the work. Clive Emery brings to life the story of one in Gerringong, Billy Lees.
Billy Lees was one of four blacksmiths we had in Gerringong, from early in 1900 to about 1950. Other names were Cockerill, Bourke and Fitzpatrick.
horses for the farmers.
Two sons, Tommy and Tod, would be helping on most occasions, especially if a horse was to be broken to the saddle.
Young Tod did this job in the circular yard. Tod was a great horseman and as a young man, worked in Neely's store, riding around the district taking orders each Monday, and delivering them in a sulky the next day.
daughter, “Bubby”, who attended the school as her brother had done, and for a period when I was a student. She was slight of build and wore her hair shoulder length. She and Ella Donovan were neighbours as well as great mates.
His wife was a great worker for the Anglican Church but otherwise was content to care for the home beside that of the Donovans.
Jacqueline Forst
The new Aged Care Act was set to take effect next month but the Federal Government has wisely decided to delay implementation until 1 November as providers are not ready.
We have seen little in the mainstream media about the changes coming our way. For decades, we've expected significant government support in our later years and that’s about to change.
The Aged Care Royal Commission’s 2021 report exposed harrowing conditions and called for sweeping reforms. Improvements have been made, but they have come at a cost. Rising expenses are pushing the sector’s financial sustainability to the brink.
For Kiama residents, given our demographics, access to aged care remains a pressing concern.
Although the Act has been passed, key regulations are still being drafted and may not be released until just before implementation, which creates uncertainty for providers and residents.
Two significant changes
will impact older residents in Kiama: a substantial increase in user fees (with existing arrangements “grandfathered”) and the removal of planning controls and bed licenses.
This shift allows providers to open or close facilities at will, leaving access to care in the hands of market forces, not community need.
Wealthier areas will likely attract investment, while lower-income regions are left behind. The Kiama region is attractive to aged care investors, particularly as lifetime accommodation fee caps are lifted for those without a pension.
Some of the new charges being asked are staggering.
Profits lie in luxury retirement apartments, not in aged care beds. Yet, as our population ages, the demand for beds will rise.
The government claims that fewer will be needed, assuming most prefer to age at home. But residential care is often a necessity, not a choice.
Many people can’t afford a luxury aged care apartment; more vulnerable people with high needs will be pushed to remain at home, relying on increasingly expensive in-
home care.
Both major parties support these reforms, but many Baby Boomers won’t be able to afford the needed support.
The new “Support at Home” program replaces existing Home Care Packages.
It promises more funding tiers (from 4 to 8) but less flexibility and higher costs.
As a carer of an elderly person, I know it’s a privilege but it comes with sacrifices.
For at-home care to be effective, more families will need to bear the load. The new model must not deepen intergenerational inequity.
In Kiama, our updated Housing Strategy must expand lower-income housing options for the elderly and support innovative intergenerational living arrangements.
The answer is not simply down-sizing as pensioners on fixed incomes cannot afford high strata fees in luxury Kiama apartments on top of increased co-payment fees for assistance with showering or dressing.
We cannot become a town of holiday homes and luxury retirement apartments while the elderly who built Kiama, the workers, and the families we rely on are priced out.
Billy's shop was in Fern Street where the old Post Office building (now changed to commercial enterprises) was situated. I well remember turning the handle of the bellows for him while a horseshoe was being softened for shaping in the bed of coke or coal simmering in the bed of ashes.
This was contained by brickwork against the northern wall of his corrugated iron premises.
There was a sign painted on the outside of the southern wall of the building,
Tommy was the elder of the boys and worked on the roads mostly during his period in Gerringong. Tommy had bright blue eyes like his father and remained an excellent citizen during his lifetime in Gerringong.
Billy was to be found in his pole and corrugated iron premises on most days, and the “ring” of steel as he hammered shoes into shape and mended broken machinery and plough shares for the farmers could be heard all over town.
On most days, if they were “shoeing days”, the smell of burning hooves was abundant as red-hot shoes were temporarily fitted and shaped the hoof rather than
Billy's shop was a Mecca for idle men. When Tom Love retired from dairying to Fern Street he would always be found at the shop, helping Billy by turning the bellows handle if it was necessary while Billy shaped red-hot shoes and punched seven holes for the nails.
Great yarns were told and retold, when Tom pushed the old wooden window out and propped it with the swinging shaft to keep it stable and sat on a block at the aperture to watch the traffic.
Perhaps a cart or two or Jim Donnelley delivering a passenger to his destination with his coach and pair, or perhaps he might spot James Walker looking out his shop doorway for a sighting of an approaching customer. Billy and Tom were a great combination - they pondered, proposed and predicted between yarns and hammer blows, even while Billy was shoeing a horse with six nails in his mouth as he hammered the first one home!
was displayed in blue lettering and read, for as long as the premises remained: “Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills.”
As a boy I thought it was some remedy for ailing horses, because Billy was also a horse doctor. I knew this because he came to our farm at Crooked River once to dose one of our horses suffering from gripes.
The remedy, as I remember, was a bottle of whisky. The horse was up and about within the hour!
There are many things for which Billy should be remembered besides shoeing horses. The principal one was his eternal good humour. In all my life I do not remember meeting him in anything but a cheerful mood.
Billy was a nugget of a man whose strong, hairy arms were never covered.
He wore a short-sleeved flannel shirt open at the neck and heavy tweed trousers with a bluish tinge.
He had a breaking-in yard on the boundary of the school ground where we could watch him breaking in
to be then cooled and refitted.
He had room in the shop for three horses at a time, and most farmers waited for the job to be done, when the horse would be put back in the shafts and driven home.
Everyone in town knew when it was “shoeing day”, for the mixture of coal fire and burning hooves floated before the breeze.
However, shop doors were never shut as a result, for Billy was as much entitled to free trade as anyone else, and respect for him as a person and a worker would be far too strong in any case.
Now they are gone forever! The shop has gone, the smell of burning horsehair has gone, and the ring of steel on steel will never again be heard in Fern Street.
The present has overtaken the past, as time goes by, taking the local smithy with it.
My personal interest in Billy as a young child was because he was the first man I had ever seen with gold in his teeth clearly visible when he smiled, as he did often, and I thought him a rich man.
The one thing in which he was rich was heritage, because his grandfather arrived on our shores in 1822, and his father settled in our district on a farm near the foothills of Willow Vale. Billy died in 1953, aged 72.
Walker residence Gerringong, where the chemist is now
A store in Gerringong opposite the Town Hall in about 1900
Photo: Darren Parlett
Kiama High School: Out
and About
HPGE innovation
Over the past few Wednesdays, our High Potential and Gifted (HPG) students have been making the most of an exciting opportunity to experience high schoolstyle learning at Kiama High School.
In the Bibara Gym with Mrs Lewis, students enjoyed some friendly competition while engaging in team challenges using high school equipment.
More recently, they joined Mr McKay in the science labs to explore distillation and get hands-on with beakers and bunsen burners.
These sessions have sparked curiosity, built confidence and given our students a valuable taste of what lies ahead in their learning journey.
Comedy for a Cause
Thank you to all of the people who came along to the Comedy for a Cause night at the Kiama Leagues Club recently.
The school was thrilled to see close to 100 people in attendance.
With more prizes than ever before, we are especially thankful for the local businesses who generously donated prizes to the raffle: Kiama Leagues Club, The Sebel Kiama, Blooms the Chemist Kiama, Jamberoo Action Park, Drifta Stockton, Endota Spa Kiama, Natural Necessity Gerringong, King’s Patisserie Jamberoo, Curries and Spirits Gerringong, Mystics Mechanics Minnamurra, The Bookshop Bowral & Kiama, The Hill Bar and Kitchen Gerringong, The Core Store Gerringong, and Jemfish Takeaway Kiama.
There were many happy raffle prize winners who went home with more than a few laughs.
Great Barrier Reef trip
Kiama High School’s Year 12 Geography and Marine Studies students travelled all the way to Port Douglas and Cairns recently for a five-day trip as part of their study of the Great Barrier Reef.
The students examined the biophysical interactions which operate on the reef, the
impacts humans have on the health of the reef and the ways in which the reef is managed.
The group enjoyed an outer reef tour, Fitzroy Island and the Daintree Rainforest. They snorkeled several times and saw turtles, reef sharks and numerous other species. The students had a great time and were a credit to Kiama High School the entire trip.
Year 10 Geography fieldwork
Kiama High’s Year 10 students headed out for a day of Geography fieldwork activities on Warilla Beach recently. Despite very cold and windy conditions, students were able to complete their work looking at the various management strategies that have been put in place to combat erosion in the area.
With the help of staff from the Illawarra Environment Education Centre, students observed and sketched the different management approaches undertaken at
Lake Illawarra and Lake Elliot, conducted scientific testing and observation in the dunes and discussed the use of engineering to manage erosion in the area.
SBS shines light on Kiama’s stories and local heritage
Kiama was recently featured in an episode of the SBS series Who Do You Think You Are?, which explored the ancestry of Alone Australia winner Gina Chick.
The episode revealed that Chick is the granddaughter of renowned Kiama-born literary icon Charmian Clift, and the great-granddaughter of Clift’s father, who worked at Bombo Quarry as an engineer.
The episode shows Chick, known for her deep connection with First Nations culture, finding the discovery confronting.
“That was one of the most devastating moments for me in the whole journey,” Chick told SBS during the episode, reflecting on her visit to Bombo Quarry.
“The moment where I saw the quarry where my great-grandfather had been working as an engineer, designing the systems that would take stone away from Wadi Wadi land.
“There were people
living there, and my greatgrandfather was directly responsible, along with hundreds of others, for the removal of that stone. When I got to that quarry, it was like a sledgehammer hit me - when I saw and viscerally understood that there were people living here,” she said.
Kiama Historical Society President Sue Eggins was consulted regarding the episode. She said she enjoyed it, though she noted that several filmed scenes didn’t make the final cut.
“Not that much of Kiama was shown, except Bombo Quarry,” Eggins explained.
“There was filming at the Pilot’s Cottage Museum, but it didn’t make it into the episode.
“Nadia Wheatley, who is Charmian Clift’s official biographer, was filmed there and also at Bellevue Guest House.”
Eggins hopes the episode, now available to stream on SBS On Demand, inspires viewers to explore their own roots and visit Kiama’s local heritage sites.
“I hope the show encourages people to take an interest in local history and visit the Pilot’s Cottage, which currently features an exhibition on Charmian Clift,” she said.
“The Kiama Family History Centre, located beneath the library, is an excellent place to begin researching your family history. We’re incredibly fortunate to have this facility - it’s the only one of its kind outside of Sydney, established by the State Government.”
The Pilot’s Cottage is a community-run museum managed by the Kiama Historical Society. Eggins emphasised the importance of community involvement in preserving and sharing local stories.
“I think community involvement is essential in telling our history through stories. The Pilot’s Cottage has been run by volunteers since 1988.”
The Pilot’s Cottage is open Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Visitors are encouraged to stop in and explore the current Charmian Clift exhibition.
All students were also able to walk over to Windang Island and enjoy lunch with a magnificent ocean view. These fieldwork days are a compulsory part of the Geography syllabus and are vital in allowing students the chance to observe and experience geographical processes in the real world. They connected classroom learning with actual environments, helping to solidify concepts taught back at school.
Tennis success
The KHS boys and girls tennis team headed to Bomaderry on an extremely windy day recently.
In the trying conditions both teams were undefeated and progressed to the South Coast finals.
The boys’ team of Zane Finley, Clay Allchin, Vinnie Sherrell and Henry Mortimer dominated all ties and only dropped two sets for the whole day.
The girls’ team of Nyasa Nakhate, Nellie Johansson, Mahala Probert and Savannah Hedstrom defeated a strong Ulladulla team to win the zone final for the first time in many years.
Congratulations to all players on displaying excellent sportsmanship and effort in the difficult weather. On to the next round.
Line dancing fever gives ‘shivers’ to Kiama
Mitchell Beadman
The line dancing routine to Ed Sheeran’s song ‘Shivers’, which has gone viral on social media, has bootscooted into Kiama.
Each Monday night at Kiama High School’s gymnasium, Zoe McCarthyfounder of the Miss Zoe School of Dance - holds a line dancing class which is becoming increasingly popular.
One of the participants in the class is McCarthy’s mum, Kim Robinson, who lives an hour on the South Coast.
“In all the 19 years I have had my dance school, I have never taught my mum a dance class until now doing the line dancing,” McCarthy said.
“She is just thrilled, honestly. She has the time of her life, and it is really lovely having her there.”
The classes have only been held for the past five weeks but the local community is embracing line dancing.
“It is a lovely community feel - the community of Kiama is really getting behind us,” McCarthy said.
“We have families that come together - mothers and sons and sisters, and groups of friends.”
As it is an adults class, the ages range from 18 right through to active locals in their twilight years.
“We even have a beautiful lady who is in her nineties come along and sit and watch the class sometimes and clap along. She comes with a little group of friends,” McCarthy said.
Kiama local Maree O’Shea, heard about the line dancing classes on the grapevine and is one of those who have brought their mum and sister along.
“I saw it advertised on the community forum and thought I’d give it a crack and took my mum and sister along and it was a bit nostalgic, as we used to have dancing lessons there (in the gymnasium) as a high school student,” O’Shea said.
“It’s a nice way to get out in the community now that we don’t dance as a society as much as we used to.”
In the 1950s and ’60s,
Special Dance Nights were a common occurrence where many could even trace the beginnings of their grandparents’ relationships. On social media, line dances are a regular feature in short videos or reels, with some having upwards of 5 million views.
Although line dancing became a phenomenon in the USA, it is actually considered to have been conceptualised in Europe.
For O’Shea, the simplicity of the line dancing classes leaves her with something to look forward to every Monday.
“I think just not taking it seriously, like we’re not performing for a concert each week, we are just familiarising ourselves with the moves a bit more and we’ve got some challenging ones like the viral Ed Sheeran one, that’s like pretty complex,” O’Shea said. The classes are held at 6:30pm every Monday, each week at the ‘old gym’ at Kiama High School and cost $15 each session.
For more information www. misszoedancestudio.com.au
Lleyton Hughes
Gina Chick with Tony Gilmour at Bombo Quarry Headland, NSW. Credit SBS
Reykjavik pricy restaurants raking in the bucks
Carol Goodard
After a week of driving ourselves around the South of Ireland, self-touring on the relative cheap, we've arrived at our destination in Iceland, and we go straight downstairs to the bar for our first drink.
And what a stylish bar it is.
It's in the foyer of the Hilton Parliament hotel.
Apparently this hotel was only built a year or two ago so it's very new, very plush and very designer oriented, with evocative modern paintings and sculptures gracefully dotted around the typically minimalist Scandinavian furniture.
From a small metallic box dangling from the ceiling, coloured light is exuding, continuously spraying shards of colour onto a feature wall. Very upmarket.
As were the drink prices. But what did we expect, honestly? This is Reykjavik.
It was happy hour - the trendy set had arrived, glasses were tinkling, it was Friday night. And one small beer and a glass of wine was $A22.
I could hardly wait to find out what the drink prices were when happy hour ended, but we'd made it by one minute, so that was fortunate.
Reading the menu, and despite it being Reykjavik, the hotel pricelist for the main restaurant seemed absolutely out of this world.
And I don't mean on the low side.
I always look at the wine list first.
Bottle prices started at A$150. Delightful.
So the decision was made: we're going to walk down the street in search of traditional Icelandic food and more amenable, Aussie type prices.
There was a quaint little restaurant strip not far from the hotel so we popped our head into a few of them, and very soon discovered we were not going to have a cheap meal tonight.
Undaunted, we forged ahead. I mean, we had to eat, and the local snack places didn't quite cut it.
Unfortunately, most restaurants had required booking ahead, but we soon came upon a diner-type establishment with a host of traditional dishes portrayed on posters hung on the walls, and an obvious local patronage.
Dining here looked a possibility ,but then I read about the compulsory fermented fish and I remembered Rick Stein’s long weekend in Reykjavik
when he nearly threw up after eating some. And besides, no alcoholic beverages were on the menu.
So off we went again, and discovered a cute little cafe specialising in tapas. However, it was Spanish tapas. I felt it wasn't right to be eating anything other than traditional fare on our first night in Iceland, but we ventured in anyway.
The cooking smells on the other side of that door were intoxicating. The divine wafting of garlic was next level. Yes, we were staying to eat. So while I ventured to the bathroom, hubby ordered from the menu, which appeared quite reasonably priced.
He chose three separate dishes. The first, anchovies in olive oil, the second was garlic prawns and the third was grilled vegetables. And that is what we received.
However, the anchovies were just that - six tiny anchovies smeared in olive oil on a tiny plate. There were four garlic prawns like the ones you find on top of pizzas, and they were relatively tasteless.
Getting bread to dip into our olive oil was akin to getting blood from a stone. We were served three tiny pieces initially. Only three. And asking for more required skill in negotiation, patience and diligence. But the best was yet to come, our veggies.
Out from the kitchen came a saucer-sized plate. On it, draped ceremoniously, were: one strip of eggplant, one of red pepper, and one of onion. Smeared in olive oil. No bread. For two people. Our last course.
I laughed. No wonder the prices were reasonable.
And this leads me to the wine prices. Once again, we wouldn't pay for a bottle so we had a glass each, a very small glass of white wine, $A23. Per glass.
The absurdity of this night didn't escape meAustralians eating Spanish tapas in the capital of Iceland and trying to avoid high prices.
Clearly our strategies needed work. We gave up and went back to our hotel. We were starvingdinner didn't suffice, but the cocktails at our hotel were great and it was still happy hour!
And so we dined again, on an espresso martini, a Margarita and a packet of Pringles!
So much for my aim of eating traditional food, but it turned out to be one of those fun travel experiences that make a great memory.
Funky festival turns Berry into a living artwork
Lleyton Hughes
Berry was transformed into a living artwork over the weekend as the 2025 OpenField Arts Festival brought the town to life with a vibrant mix of art, music, parades, parties, and community spirit.
Now in its second edition, following its debut in 2023, the festival featured 24 artist projects, including installations, sculptures, video works, performance art, workshops, and events held across a variety of local venues.
The idea for the festival was born during the COVID pandemic, according to founding member and Artistic Director Lenka Kripac.
“It was COVID and I'm actually a musician but at that time I couldn't tour or anything so I was a bit restless creatively,” said Kripac.
“But it was also about looking around our town in Berry and seeing that there were lots of artists, lots of creatively engaged people, but no arts infrastructure. We don't have a gallery, we don't have a music venue, we don't have a cinema.
“And we thought, you know what? We need to have something in this town where creatives can meet and collaborate and show one another their work and celebrate. So we chose a festival model, partly because we have such fabulous buildings and
spaces in Berry that are available to hire.”
In addition to the exhibitions and art installations, the festival featured lively evening events such as a cabaret night and a DJled discotheque.
“Then we had parties at night, like a cabaret night and a DJ night and everything was great. It was really well attended,” said Kripac.
“There was a really warm vibe, people were really friendly and there was a feeling of connection and authenticity on the streets. We don’t have the exact number of people who attended yet, but I’d say it was in the thousands.”
One of the standout features of the 2025 festival was the inclusion and celebration of First Nations artists, including what Kripac believes may have been a world first.
“There was a First Nations hub in the rural youth hall which was amazing. They turned it into a skill sharing, yarning space and there were workshops going all the time, as well as some very talented up and coming First Nations artists showing and selling works,” said Kripac.
“And then there was also a panel and a beautiful performance by a violinist from Sydney called Eric Avery, who performs his ancestral songs, but with a classical violin style. We even had Gadhungal Marring performing didge and dance and song at our
burlesque cabaret night, which was possibly a world first.
“Definitely nothing I've ever seen before to have that combo of local First Nations plus classic French burlesque.”
Another festival highlight was the colourful street parade, which saw the main street of Berry shut down as costumed participants and musicians marched with signs and energy.
“We shut down the main street of Berry and made a lot of noise with a brass band from Wollongong called the Femme Fatales. People labelled it soft activism. Everyone has the intention of trying to get word out about issues of the day, but it didn't feel like a protest. It felt like a celebration of our artistry and creativity and passion,” said Kripac.
Kripac is optimistic that the festival will return in 2026, especially after this year’s success.
“It will be back again, but it's going to be a constantly evolving umbrella brand. We know that this works, but it is really challenging to put on as a non-profit volunteer-run arts organisation,” said Kripac.
“We may need to evolve it into something slightly different in the future. But so far for the first two festivals, this has worked, but really because of the blood, sweat and tears of the entire town making it happen. I don't know if that's sustainable forever, but there's so much joy and energy behind it.”
Smoking ceremony cleanses spirits at OpenField
Art and culture lovers who converged on Berry for the start of the OpenField Arts Festival at Berry School of Arts last Friday were treated to an Indigenous smoking ceremony of great cultural significance. The festival was officially opened with a smoking ceremony led by Drew Longbottom, songs in language by Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, and a Welcome to Country by Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.
Longbottom, a GameaDharrawal/Jerrinja-Wandra Wandian Guruyal Gadhungal Marring Yuin, ba Djirringanj Guyangal Gadhungal Marring Yuin man, explained the
purpose behind the smoking ceremony.
“The smoking ceremony’s pretty much to cleanse the spirit that sits within us … Our inner health is important, so if we strengthen that, nothing negative attaches.”
Before the ceremony began, he gave a speech to honour Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.
He spoke about the role of mothers as nurturers, saying that everything we need comes from them and that “Mother Earth nurtures us in that same way.”
“Everything that we need in life comes from our mother.
"Whether it be the food you eat, whether it be the wood that builds your home, whether it be the electricity to charge your phone in to get that power in the battery.
"Electricity comes from
mother, jewellery comes from mother, everything we exploit for our good looks comes from mother!”
He used the native cherry, or cherry ballart, as an alternative to eucalyptus for the smoking ceremony.
Once the smoke began to rise, everyone in attendance was invited to take part. It became so smoky that the front doors of the arts centre had to be closed as the smoke started drifting inside.
Afterwards, the guests made their way inside where artwork lined the room.
In Aunty Delia's Welcome to Country, she delivered a heartfelt speech and reminded everyone: “Never say never, you can always strive to be better.”
Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips,
was also in attendance and thanked the sponsors, funding bodies, artists, volunteers and everyone who contributed to the festival.
Describing herself as an appreciator of art rather than an artist, she said, “art is like planting a seed of what can be.”
Afterwards Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, musicians "revitalising local languages through song", sang songs in language, with traditional instruments and powerful voices.
There were many more cultural artists and workshops over the course of the threeday festival, through the First Nations program curated by Guringai and Yuin cloakmaker and storyteller Amanda Jane Reynolds.
Veronica Bardsley
Drew starting the smoke.
What’s On?
Artisan Knitware
exhibition
Thu 19 June to Wed 25 June,
10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Winter Solstice
Fri 20 June to Sun 22 June, from 3pm
The Waterfront Shell Cove
Revvies Kiama
Coastal Classic
Sun 22 June
Register online.
Echoes: Steel City Strings
Sun 22 June, 2pm-4pm
The Pavilion Kiama
Book online
Sing Australia Kiama’s 15th birthday
Wed 25 June
contact: Maree Shepherd, 0414 752 982, maree@shepherd.com.au
Lunch & Learn Series
Wed 25 June, 12-2pm
The Kiama Pavilion
Helen Pain exhibition
Thu 26 June to Wed 2 July, 10am-4:30pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Akmal - Live in Kiama
Fri 27 June, 8-9:30pm
The Pavilion Kiama
Tickets can be purchased at the Pavilion’s website.
Kiama I Do - Wedding
Open Day
Sat 28 June, 11am-2pm
The Pavilion Kiama
Gerringong Music Club presents Estampa Sun 29 June, 2pm-3:30pm Gerringong Town Hall Book tickets online or at the door.
Kiama Woodcraft Group exhibition
Thu 3 July to Wed 9 July, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Entries close for Country Press NSW Short Story Competition
4 July
Pick up entry forms from The Bugle offices.
Kiama Vintage Fair
Sun 6 July
Masonic Hall, 46 Collins St, 9am-3pm
Come along to find vintage treasure, collectables, mid century, retro, memorabilia, vinyl, and so much more!
NAIDOC Week
art exhibition
Thu 10 July to Wed 16 July, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Kiama Winter Street Festival
Sat 12 July
Terralong Street, Kiama
Step into a Winter Wonderland in Kiama!
$5 donation upon entry is kindly requested
1927
Sat 12 July, 7-11pm
The Pavilion Kiama
1927 are excited to announce their upcoming show at Kiama Pavilion, tickets will sell fast so don’t miss out!
Textile Art Group Kiama
Sat 12 Jul, 10am-1pm, second saturday of the month
Kiama Library
Reflections of Realism and Fantasy exhibition
Thu 17 July to Wed 23 July, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
Hurricane: The Australian Luke Combs Tribute Show
Fri 18 July, from 4pm
The Co-Op Gerringong
Tickets can be purchased on their website.
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
Discover a stunning collection of handcrafted quilts and textile creations, lovingly made with exceptional skill and care.
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.
Orry-Kelly Dressing
Hollywood Gala Sat, 26 July 2025, 6pm
The Sebel, Kiama
The gala will honour the legendary costume designer’s exceptional career and achievements, celebrating his legacy right here in his hometown of Kiama.
NAIDOC Awards
Ceremony
Sat 26 July, 5-10pm
Shellharbour Civic Centre
Celebrate the contributions and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven.
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
The Creative Business Summit 2025
Thurs 14 Aug, 9am-5pm
The Pavilion
Tickets can be purchased online.
Leonie Simmons exhibition
Thu 14 Aug to Wed 20 Aug, 10am-4pm
Old Fire Station Art Gallery
South Coast Ceramics Market
Sun 17 Aug
The Co-Op Gerringong Kiama U3A Excursion
- Nan Tien Temple
Fri 28 Nov, 9am-4pm
Nan Tien Temple
Find more information at Kiama U3A’s website.
East meets West with Steel City Strings fusion
Fresh off a well-received performance in Bowral, Illawarra’s Steel City Strings is bringing Echoes to Kiama this Sunday, June 22 at the Kiama Pavilion.
The performance blends Australian and Asian musical traditions and features clarinet virtuoso Lloyd Van’t Hoff with a modern setlist that spans decades.
Adrian Davis, the artistic director, and principal viola was enthusiastic and looking forward to the upcoming performance in Kiama.
“I think it’s just a gorgeous place to be, on the ocean, to have so much natural space around you,” Davis said.
When Davis first began visiting Australia in 2009, he started to uncover layers
of exchange between the Australian and Asian cultures.
Within this performance that explores the Australian sound and incorporates Asian influences throughout, concert goers can look forward to a range of ‘scales’ being explored throughout.
“I think the composers have done a really good job of mixing the two (Australian and Asian scales).
“Most of them have used subtle aspects of Asian music, like rhythmic aspects or using scales from other cultures, and using them in Western formats, which makes them a little more approachable for audiences.”
One of the pieces to be performed is Sonus Dulcis composed by Andrian Pertout with of course, an
Asian inspired feel.
“(It) uses a Japanese scale, and that scale is very distinct,” Davis said.
“If you hear it, it makes you think of the Japanese folk song Sakura.
“So it’s very distinctively Japanese in sound, and so they’ve taken that scale and written something that’s very Western in its setting.”
Davis considers the set list to be modern with the oldest piece only tracing back to 1977.
“That’s by Anne Boyd, and we go all the way up to 2018, by Brendan Collins, so it spans quite a bit, but I’d still call it all quite modern music.
“Anne Boyd has always been a trailblazer of the influence of Australian aspects of culture, place, music, and incorporating that into her sound, and she’s
been doing that since the 60s.
“So I has been very interesting to hear how her music compares to someone like Brendan Collins, who wrote his piece quite recently, about a Korean train.”
As principal Viola, that means Davis sits in the first chair with the responsibility of ensuring his section ‘tight’. Tight is a musical term which means performers are in sync and creates a greater listening experience.
“I sort of do quality control for my little section, and I collaborate with the other principals to make sure that we are all getting the sound that we want.”
Tickets range between $15 - $65
For bookings: www. steelcitystrings.com.au/ events-calendar/
Mitchell Beadman
Finding the music in art: Helen Pain’s new exhibition
Lleyton Hughes
Kiama artist Helen Pain paints with a sense of rhythm - as though the music within her spills out onto the canvas. Her artworks are filled with fluidity and movement, a natural extension of her musical background.
Before picking up a paintbrush, Helen had an extensive career as a professional singer in musical theatre and opera, followed by a series of influential roles in regional and state music education - including Choral
music had shaped her approach to art.
“I never paint anything that doesn’t have movement or flow,” she said. “I don’t listen to music while I paint, but I find myself painting musically anyway - thinking about rhythm and timing, repetition and contrast. There’s always that sense of motion.”
Now, Helen is preparing to launch her new solo exhibition Light Up My World, on display at Kiama’s Old Fire Station gallery from Friday 27 June to Wednesday 2 July.
The opening event on Friday promises to be extra special,
helping her grow as a painter.
“It’s a fantastic community for ideas, encouragement, and friendship,” she said. “Some of the most valuable lessons came from informal interactions with other members.”
Though she often paints landscapes, Helen’s works are far from literal. She approaches scenes with an impressionistic eye - and a unique creative process.
“I don’t like to paint places I haven’t been,” she said. “I take lots of photos when I’m out, then I put the photos away and ask myself: what do I actually remember about that
Director and later Associate Director of the Schools Spectacular.
But after retiring, she needed a new outlet for the creative energy that had always defined her. That’s when painting entered her life.
“My dad was an artist, and my mum was a china decorator,” Helen said. “So I grew up with a lot of art around me, but I was so busy performing and enjoying music that I didn’t really explore art until I retired.”
Over time, Helen began to realise just how deeply
with a live performance from the Bonaira Ukulele Group at 3pm - a group Helen herself plays with.
“We’ve been playing together for a couple of years now - there are 14 of us - and we have such a great time,” she said.
“We’ve done a few performances, mostly in retirement villages, and I thought, what better way to open my exhibition than to bring together my two great passions: music and art.”
Helen is also a former president of the Kiama Arts Society, a role she held for seven years. She credits the group with
Jai Courtney stars in genre-bending shark film Dangerous Animals
Lleyton Hughes
“I read on the internet a long time ago that the shark film is the only type of film that's never lost money, and we all know the internet never lies.”
- Sean Byrne, director of Dangerous Animals
The latest Australian shark thriller from director Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil’s Candy) is called Dangerous Animals - but the twist? The dangerous animals aren’t quite what you’d expect.
place? What drew me to it? What was the feeling? Then I try to paint that - the memory, not the photo.”
Now, she’s excited to share her latest work with the local community - in a space she holds dear.
“It’s just lovely to hear people’s reactions, to connect, and to be part of such a vibrant local arts scene. Kiama has so many incredible artists - it’s amazing how it’s growing. We’re really lucky to have a public space like the Fire Station for exhibitions that’s right in the heart of town.”
Make sure to stop by the Old Fire Station from 3pm on Friday to enjoy Helen Pain’s colourful blend of visual art and live music - a celebration of a life lived in creativity.
The film opens with two innocent foreigners visiting Australia to swim with sharks. Enter Jai Courtney (Suicide Squad, A Good Day to Die Hard) as Tucker - a physically imposing and unpredictably charismatic local who quickly becomes the heart (and menace) of the story.
“He was our first choice and that very rarely happens. He's an absolute beast in the film,” Byrne says of Courtney.
“He's kind of uniquely Australian in a wildly charismatic way. He’s also so incredibly physically intimidating. When I first met him, I couldn't even wrap my arms around him because he's like a grizzly bear.
“I thought that combination could be really kind of intriguing. Unhinged is a great word to describe his performance - in the best way possible.”
Tucker, a boat captain who runs a shark cage tourist attraction and also claims he was bitten by a shark as a child, soon proves to be far more dangerous than anything lurking in the water. As his behavior grows increasingly erratic, the film's tension begins to simmer.
Meanwhile, a romantic subplot quietly unfolds between Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), an American tourist, and Moses (John Heuston), a local real estate agent. Both are loner surfers, looking for a connection beyond the sea.
But just as their budding
rom-com begins to take shape, it gets T-boned by Tucker’s shark movie - crashing genres in a chaotic, exhilarating collision. The result? A mashup that feels like Death Proof meets Jaws… with a wink to When Harry Met Sally (well, maybe not quite that last one).
This genre-bending concept is exactly what drew Byrne to writer Nick Lepard’s script.
“It’s just a great fusion of two very popular sub-genres of horror,” says Byrne.
“As soon as I read it, I thought Nick had kind of cracked the code. It felt genuinely original. Every shark film was basically the same after Jaws, and I was like, who doesn’t want to see an original shark film?”
Dangerous Animals slowly stacks tension like a tower of Jenga blocks - each scene more unstable than the last, but somehow still standing. At just 98 minutes, it’s lean by modern standards, but that only sharpens its impact.
The film delivers memorable characters, punchy action set pieces, emotional surprises, and stylish cinematography that leans into its B-movie aesthetic.
And there was even a reallife shark encounter during filming.
“We actually did have a real shark incident,” Byrne recalls. “We had a dive team manning the perimeter, and our actors were in what's called a marine life barrier, which is safe.
“But while they were in the water, we had a real shark turn up and take one of the divers under - took his flipper, and that was that.
“Part of it was just because we were shooting on the water for a month, and we were told the only way something like that can happen is if you're staying in the same position. Sharks get really curious. It was more like the shark just kind of wanted to be an extra and gave the diver a bit of a nudge,” Byrne jokes.
Ultimately, Dangerous Animals is a pulpy, tightly constructed horror-thriller that plays with expectations - and wins. Jai Courtney’s unhinged, magnetic performance alone makes it worth diving in.
The film is out now at Event Cinemas and Hoyts Warrawong, so go support an Australian made film.
Jai Courtney in Dangerous Animals. Source Kismet Movies
Helen Pain in the Barroul House art studio at Blue Haven Bonaira
Stitching for community and good
Mitchell Beadman
One of Kiama’s recently ordained Hidden Treasures, Boni Maywald, was thrilled to see a successful exhibition of knitters, quilters, and crochet items at the Kiama Library over the past two weeks, while also celebrating Worldwide Knit in Public Day.
“The quality of work and the art in the craft was world standard and Australian standard,” Maywald said.
“We are very proud of the two-week exhibition.
“Local Brian McCarthy’s hand spun, hand dyed fine hand knits … the art embroidery by the Kiama Quilters Group, at least 10 of those are top quality across Australia. Beautiful pieces.”
The displays were a clear indication of the rich qualities of not only the arts and crafts within the Kiama region, but also the engagement from
the community.
“There is a lot of creativity here,” she said.
Arts and crafts can be traced back to the Palaeolithic (hunter and gatherer) period and is still relevant in society today with many cultures globally producing items for exhibition and everyday uses.
A few of the items that were on display will be donated to the organisation Wrap With Love which coordinates the making of blankets to give to people who have been displaced due to disasters or are vulnerable.
“They do about 20,000 blankets a year, so over 33 years that is about 600,000 blankets, which is a lot of knitting!” Maywald said.
“10% of global deaths every year are caused by people who cannot get warm for a range of reasons.”
Maywald estimates the Kiama region finishes more than 500 blankets a year.
“Myself, my husband and Tia Blanche have been coordinating a collection of blankets, squares, anything that is made locally and we either donate it directly here to people in need, or we take a carload up to Alexandria in Sydney to Wrap With Love.
“This year we have just finished our 42nd blanket for Indigenous themes that have been going to children in palliative care units at Randwick and Westmead Children’s Hospital’s and also some to Steve Burrows Foundation who support vulnerable communities.”
While the crafter is donating their piece of art to provide support to others less fortunate, Maywald explained the many benefits.
“To knit, crochet, or stitch by hand gives as much in mental and physical health benefits to the maker as this also does for the receiver of the homemade gift,” she said.
For those who are new to the area or looking to put their hands to task with knitting, quilting or crochet, there is something for you.
“We support a read, knit and chat group once a month at Kiama and Gerringong Libraries,” Maywald said.
Kiama Library holds the ‘read, knit and chat group’ on the first Thursday of the month between 2-4pm.
Gerringong Library holds the same group on the last Friday morning of every month between 11am – 1pm.
Innovative local business awarded federal defence grants
Shoalhaven-based business SMETEC Services has been awarded two grants from the Federal Government.
The funding boost of just under $300,000 was announced on Monday by Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips.
As part of the first round of the Defence Industry Development Grants program, the Woollamia business will receive $81,106 under the Sovereign Industrial Priorities funding stream to acquire and commission advanced coating facilities for fabricated metal components used in armoured combat vehicles.
The specialised material processing, engineering and fabrication service will also receive $218,373 through the Export Funding stream
to purchase, install and commission a fibre laser cutter.
This new laser cutter will be used for the manufacturing of large steel sheeting to support the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, and the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise.
Phillips said the grants would support the local veteran-owned manufacturing business operated by Tim and Louise Smeets.
“It’s crucial that we support smart, innovative local businesses like SMETEC that work alongside Australian and international defence companies, including Global Defence Services and Sikorsky Australia also located here in Nowra,” she said.
“These companies provide
hundreds of local jobs and training opportunities, boost our local economy and play a crucial role in supporting the Australian Defence Force.
“The local defence industry continues to grow and evolve. And is not just important to Nowra, it’s important to the nation.”
SMETEC director Louise Smeets said the grants would significantly enhance the company’s ability to manufacture and finish highquality components for key defence programs.
“This investment improves our productivity, precision, and capacity to meet defence’s stringent quality and security standards,” she said.
“As a veteran-owned SME based in regional NSW, we specialise in precision fabrication and finishing for defence projects.
“We employ and upskill local tradespeople and engineers, creating sustainable, skilled jobs and helping to build Australia’s sovereign industrial base.
“We’re proud to continue serving Australia through industry, contributing to national security and capability.
“These grants help us grow, innovate, and support the people and platforms that protect our country.”
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NSW FootGolf Open:
Paisley triumphs again at Jamberoo
Lleyton Hughes
Australian Ryan Paisley has claimed back-toback victories at the 2025 NSW Open FootGolf tournament, held over the weekend at Jamberoo - firmly establishing himself as one of the sport’s elite.
The tournament took place on 14–15 June at Jamberoo Golf Club, where competitors were greeted with ideal weather and a pristine course.
“It turned out to be excellent weather, so it was absolutely ideal in that respect,” said FootGolf ambassador and player Deryn Knott.
“We had 27 men in the Open Men’s division - more Malaysian competitors than Australians - as well as one Japanese player.”
“The conditions were really beautiful, the course was running really fast. So, that made it quite pleasant to play on, despite all the rain that we'd had in the lead up,” said Knott.
The two-day event featured 18 holes each day and culminated in a thrilling finish. Paisley and Kamal Yatim were tied heading into the final hole.
“They were level going into the last hole. Ryan parred it, while Yatim bogeyed after landing in the water,” said Knott. “Ryan had this tricky downhill putt - you just have to tap it and let it roll toward the flag - and he nailed it.”
Meanwhile, Malaysian competitor Asyraf Ruslan also finished at 12-under, tied with Yatim. The pair went into a playoff, with Ruslan emerging
as the runner-up.
Paisley was born in England but represents Australia and is a member of South Coast FootGolf Club based in Jamberoo. His win earns him valuable points towards qualification for the 2026 FootGolf World Cup.
“This was the biggest tournament of the year. Winning both the NSW State Championship and the Australian Championship gives Ryan automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup in Mexico,” Knott explained.
In addition to the open men’s division, the tournament also featured a women’s competition and senior divisions for players over 45 and over 55.
“In the women’s division, Australian Kristy Horton
took the win. Among the seniors, it was Malaysia’s Nizam Othman, and in the 55+ category, Richard Chamberlain from Queensland came out on top,” said Knott.
Knott also praised the efforts of Jamberoo Golf Club president David Ransom and Suzanne Paul for their role in organising the event.
“It really was a great weekend. We had some kids around, and after Saturday’s play, everyone shared a dinner at the golf course. Even with the competitive edge, the atmosphere was fun and supportive,” he said.
Next up on the FootGolf calendar is the Queensland Open in July, as Australian players continue their push toward World Cup qualification.
Kiama Rugby assert dominance at the top
Lleyton Hughes
Kiama Rugby’s first grade side made it five wins in a row over the weekend, defeating Camden with a dominant 41-25 victory at home.
After climbing to the top of the ladder last week, Kiama knew they needed to reinforce their position with a strong showing against third-placed Camden.
Player Dante Patrick said the team struggled to find their rhythm early.
“It was a tough game to get into from the start. They threw quite a bit at us and, as I’ve said the past few weeks, we’ve really been working on our defence,” he said.
“We weathered the storm and once we started getting a bit more ball to play with, it was quite a pretty thing to watch.”
Despite the commanding win, Patrick noted the team was still disappointed to have conceded 25 points - most of them late in the second half.
“We started to lack a little bit of discipline, gave away back-to-back penalties, and a couple of turnovers that really let Camden get a few last-minute points to scare us a little bit,” he said.
With five consecutive wins against top teams, Kiama remains firmly atop
Kiama Power’s saint: Shellee Gibson honoured as ‘Legend
Kiama Power player and long-time volunteer Shellee Gibson has been awarded a brand-new barbecue as part of Bunnings Warehouse’s Legends of the Tongs initiative.
The national campaign aims to recognise and reward community heroes who fire up the BBQ at local games each week - often the unsung champions behind the scenes of grassroots footy.
“Our Legend of the Tongs campaign celebrates some of the best parts of our local community,” said Bunnings Shellharbour Complex Manager, Greg Sutton.
“Whether it’s at their local club grounds or as part of our
weekly sausage sizzles, unsung heroes like Shelley tirelessly show up week in and week out to support their players and raise much needed funds for their clubs.”
Each week, five individuals are selected as Legends of the Tongs, receiving a Jumbuck Club 6 Burner BBQ, a two-piece BBQ tool set, a 3x3m marquee, exclusive merchandise - and a shot at becoming one of eight national finalists flown to the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
“It’ll be really good because cooking the barbecue every week raises funds for the club,” said Shellee. “And everyone loves the barbecue - the food, the smell, the atmosphere.”
In her application, Shellee shared what makes Kiama Power special: “We’re a small club run by volunteers.
We always have music, the barbecue going - it’s just a great vibe and so good for the community.”
Shellee’s commitment to women’s AFL runs deep. Fifteen years ago, she was the driving force behind the Illawarra’s first women’s AFL team - the Wollongong Saints - where she took on the roles of president, treasurer, coach, captain, and player.
“We had to play in the Sydney competition because there wasn’t one here. So every week we travelled to Sydney. It was a big commitment - but it was the only way we could play,” she said.
Now playing and volunteering with Kiama Power for the past four years - including a premiership win - Shellee has witnessed
the sport’s dramatic growth firsthand.
“When we first started, I was door-knocking businesses asking for $100 just to cover our registration fee - and people laughed at me. They’d say things like, ‘Girls don’t play footy,’” she recalled.
“But I kept knocking. Eventually, we raised the money. And now look at it - we went from no teams to one, and now there are around 15 or 16 women’s teams in the South Coast division. And women’s AFL has its own league - it’s on TV. It’s been amazing.”
In a couple of weeks, Shellee is set to play her 200th women’s Aussie Rules game for Kiama Power - a remarkable milestone for a grassroots footy pioneer who continues to inspire on and off the field.
the competition ladder. But Patrick says the team won’t be getting ahead of themselves.
“We let in 25 points on the weekend, and for a team that's trying to maintain a high standard, we want to bring that number down. That’s what keeps us hungry and ensures we don’t get complacent about where we are,” he said.
As a reflection of their impressive season so far, two Kiama players have been selected to represent NSW Country. Lock Jack Hobbs has been picked for the Open side, while prop Isaac Kaunicaramaki will represent the under-20s Colts.
“It’s very well deserved. It's a big achievement, and it’s great to see one player in each side. The whole team is behind them - I think the whole town of Kiama is behind them,” said Patrick.
Next week, Kiama travels to face sixth-placed Bowral. Patrick expects a tough contest, especially with the added challenge of playing away in cold conditions.
“They've got a young team with a few Illawarra representative players as well. So it’ll be a really good clash, and if we don't give them the respect they deserve, they could do a number on us. We’ve just got to get our prep right,” he said.
of the Tongs’
Lleyton Hughes
Shellee Gibson (left) was named a Bunnings Legend of the Tongs. Photo supplied
Deryn Knott approaching the 18th hole. Photo Julia Ackland
Winner Ryan Paisley teeing off from 15th hole. Photo Julia Ackland
Mens winner Paisley hits an approach on the 18th. Photo Julia Ackland
Kiama made it five in a row over the weekend. Photo: Supplied
Dragons need to bounce against Eels as finals hopes fade
Suttor
St George Illawarra need to win eight of their final 11 matches to have any hope of qualifying for the NRL playoffs.
The Dragons have their third and final bye this week before an 11-game unbroken stretch to finish the regular season.
They have dropped to 12th spot after last Thursday’s 3018 loss to Cronulla at Shark Park when they coughed up a 12-point half-time lead in conceding four unanswered tries in the second term.
Despite their modest record of five wins from 13 matches, they will likely finish Round 15 just two points outside the cut-off mark for the finals.
But they face a daunting task to remain in the finals equation when they return to the field next week.
To be any chance of sneaking into the final eight, they need to win eight more times but after losing five of their past seven matches, that is looking highly unlikely.
They return to WIN Stadium next Saturday when they will face former Dragons star Zac Lomax and
the Parramatta Eels, who are at the bottom of the ladder and will be without halfback Mitchell Moses due to the calf injury which ruled him out of Origin II in Perth this week.
The Dragons then travel to Canberra to face the in-form Raiders, take on the Roosters at Kogarah and competition leaders Canterbury at Accor Stadium.
In the ensuing seven rounds, Shane Flanagan’s squad faces three more teams - Canberra, Cronulla and the Warriors - who are currently in the top eight as well as premiers Penrith.
One of the bright spots for their season has been the rise of Gerringong duo Hamish Stewart and Dylan Egan into the NRL ranks.
Egan scored three tries in his eight appearances before an ACL tear ended his season last month during their win over Brisbane.
Stewart, another 20-yearold forward, has racked up 12 matches in his rookie season, averaging a fraction over 30 tackles per match.
He was only given 22 minutes of game time off the bench against the Sharks last week but still managed to power through 21 tackles.
Ref on the rise: Ryan’s NRL dream
Lleyton Hughes
Last week, Group 7 referee Ryan Micallef was officially selected for the NSW Referees High Performance Squad, bringing him one step closer to his dream of officiating in the NRL.
Only 40 referees across the state were chosen for the elite squad, which will see Micallef take on matches in the Jersey Flegg competition - a major stepping stone on the pathway to top-tier rugby league.
“It’s the culmination of a 12-year journey - a pathway not too dissimilar to that of a player,” Micallef said.
“You come in at the junior league level, move through the representative pathways, and work your way into the high-performance system.”
Micallef is among only a small handful of referees from the Group 7 competition to have ever made the cut.
“There are only 40 referees in NSW in the squad, so it’s pretty special. And to
achieve it from outside the Sydney metro area makes it even more meaningful. The number of referees who get graded is already limitedthose doing it from regional areas are even fewer,” he said.
From here, Micallef hopes to continue progressing through the ranks, with the goal of refereeing in the Sydney Shield, Ron Massey Cup, and NSW Cup.
“The top cup guys are usually around 30 years old, so I’ve still got a bit of time ahead of me. But I just want to make a strong impression, stay consistent with my training and performances, and hopefully keep building. If all goes well, I’d love to be closing in on the NRL in five or six years.”
Micallef first became involved in rugby league as a junior player with the Kiama Knights but began refereeing at the age of 14 - initially just to earn some pocket money.
“It started off as a way to make a bit of cash. But the deeper I went into it, the more
I enjoyed it,” he said.
“And honestly, I wasn’t a great player. So to stay involved in the game, earn a little money, and then progress through levels I never could have reached as a player - that was something I really valued.”
Now known for his calm presence on the field, Micallef embraces a refereeing philosophy that values flow and game awareness.
“I think the best referees know when to step in and when to step back,” he explained.
“Some games require a lot more management, others almost run themselves. It’s about reading the match and understanding what’s needed.
“I try to set a clear standard early, then let the game breathe. Ideally, if things are
going smoothly, I can stay out of it - and only step in when I need to.”
As he departs Group 7, Micallef leaves behind a strong legacy: 195 matches officiated, including 90 first grade games and four first grade grand finals - two as the lead referee, and two on the sidelines.
Group 7 will miss his dedication and professionalism on the field - but they’ll be watching with pride as he continues his journey on the big stage.
Paul
Ryan Micallef (middle) after refereeing one of his four Group 7 first grade grand finals. Photo Group 7 Referees Association
Ryan Micallef (left) will leave behind a large legacy at Group 7. Photo Group 7 Referees Association
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan.
Stingrays strike late to sink Kiama in nail-biter Stingrays strike late to sink Kiama in nail-biter
Lleyton Hughes
It was heartbreak for the Kiama Knights in Round 9 of the Group 7 South Coast Rugby League competition, as they went down in the 78th minute of their top-of-the-table clash against the Stingrays of Shellharbour.
The Stingrays got off to a flying start with a try in just the 2nd minute. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle. Kiama’s Brad Killmore responded in the 8th minute, but Tim Lafai put the Stingrays back in front with a try in the 18th.
Soon after, Trey Barlow extended the Stingrays’ lead by pouncing on his own kick to score. But the Knights
stayed in the contest, with Matt Morris crossing before halftime to bring the score to 16-10 at the break.
Coach Matt O’Brien clearly sparked something in the Knights during halftime, as they came out firing in the second half. Tries from Kye Andrews and Kieran Poole pushed Kiama into the lead.
Tim Lafai struck again in the 73rd minute with his second try, narrowing Kiama’s lead to 22-20 with just seven minutes to play.
The Knights defended bravely but couldn’t hold out, conceding a try in the corner in the 78th minute that sealed the Stingrays’ victory.
“It was a good hit-out, finally getting back on the field after three weeks off, especially
against the top team,” said Knights fullback Brad Killmore.
“Disheartening finish with them scoring in the last minute, but there are still plenty of positives to take from the game. I’m keen to move on and take on Jamberoo next week.”
Jamberoo also pushed last year's runners-up, the Shellharbour Sharks, but couldn’t quite secure the win.
After an even first half, the Sharks led 14-12 at the break. But the second half started all Shellharbour, who ran in three quick tries to make it 28-14.
Jamberoo showed plenty of fight. Jack Talbott ran nearly the length of the field for a try in the 63rd minute, and the team capitalised again three
minutes later to bring the score to 28-24. Unfortunately, they couldn’t close the gap before the final siren.
Despite the result, Jamberoo coach Jono Dallas found plenty of positives, especially given the injury toll affecting the squad.
“We’re still missing our two starting props, so to hold their pack was impressive,” Dallas said.
“We actually turned a corner in a few areas. Most of the tries we conceded came down to poor decisions. I think we could have solved them with a bit more composure.
“We’re still without eight from our squad and suffered another broken arm yesterday, so if we can fight through the next couple of weeks, we’ll get
some luck and finish the year strong.”
The Gerringong Lions were the only local first-grade team to secure a win in Round 9, ending their losing streak with a 30-18 victory over the NowraBomaderry Jets.
The Lions roared out to an 18-0 halftime lead, but the Jets responded strongly, levelling the scores at 18-18 midway through the second half.
However, Gerringong regained control with tries in the 64th and 72nd minutes to seal the win and put themselves back in the hunt.
Lions Captain, Nathan Ford said he was glad to be back in the winners circle especially considering it was Jake Taylor’s 150th first grade game.
“The win was set up by our
defence early in the first half which allowed us to score points in the back end of the half,” said Ford.
“Didn’t start well in the second half with errors and some poor decisions letting them back in the contest.
Was proud of how we fought our way back and held our composure, especially back at home for Jake Taylor’s 150th first grade appearance.
“Will be a great confidence boost heading into the second half of the season. We will continue working hard before the game with Berry this week.”
This weekend will feature a local derby as Kiama take on Jamberoo, while Gerringong face Berry in another crucial clash.
Photo: @stickspix_