Architecture at Dawn | Personal blog
Architecture at Dawn
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25.01.2022 The Kiama Lighthouse was completed in 1887 to improve the maritime safety along the rocky coastline which had claimed numerous vessels in the preceding years. It was designed by Edward Moriarty from the Colonial Archictects' Office. In 1920 the lighthouse was automated.
09.01.2022 PILOT'S COTTAGE - Kiama Harbour. The duties of the Harbour Pilot was to supervise and maintain orderly movement of shipping in Kiama's small harbour. He also had to maintain and repair the wharves and other features of the harbour including navigation lighting. He was also required to carry out the duties of the light house keeper. The cottage is constructed from basalt rubble, quarried on the site, and finished internally with Australian Red Cedar and local hardwoods. Construction on the cottage was commenced in 1880. The last Harbour Pilot finished his duties in 1978 and the building was vacant for several years until it was restored in 1984-85 and now houses a museum featuring much of Kiama's history.
07.01.2022 This two-storey Victorian Classic Revival rendered brick building first opened as the Kiama branch of the "City Bank" in 1884, and re-opend in 1887 as "The City Bank of Sydney" . After several mergers, the bank is now operated as the Kiama branch of the Westpac Bank. The unusual figurehead on the front portico is said to be of George Thornton, the original chairman of the bank. The rear and upper floor of the building was the Manager's residence, and includes a very impressive side portico and entrance to the residence.
07.01.2022 The first recorded cedar cutting in Gerringong was in 1812, with various land grants occurring in the early 1820's. The town was officially laid out in 1854, with several churches, shops, and schools being constructed in the following years. It was not until 1882 that the Catholic Church, known as St Mary Star of the Sea was constructed on the hill overlooking the coastline. Over the years, the church has been greatly increased in size, but the original character of the building has been maintained.
06.01.2022 In the early 1980's The Nowra School of Arts Building was facing demolition to make way for K-Mart. The Historical Society of the day, showed little interest in fighting to preserve this Council owned building, so myself and a few others mounted a campaign to save the building. My employer at the time, was leant on by someone who stood to gain financially if K-Mart had gone to this site, and I was told to stop my involvement in the campaign. I chose not to give up, and after ...the support of John Hatton MLA and Harry Sawkins who later became Mayor, and support from the public for the building to be preserved, it was saved from demolition. It has been restored and refurbished, and is still providing a valuable role to the community. This late Victorian public building was designed by one of early eminent architects, Cyril Blacket, and was completed in 1891. See more
06.01.2022 These buildings were originally constructed as workers cottages and date as far back as 1886. They were constructed to house the quarry workers and their families. The need for blue metal for roads, saw a rapid increase in the number of men working in the Kiama quarries. By the 1960's the buildings were in such a bad state of repair, they faced demolition, however, these that remain today were spared that fate , are now Heritage Listed and have been preserved and transformed from modest workers cottages into quirky shops and cafes. In recent years, additional shops have been constructed to the rear of the original cottages, being constructed in a heritage architectural style that is complimentary to the old workers cottages.
05.01.2022 The Old Worrigee Cemetery sits on land donated by Prosper De Mestre and is on the grounds of the original St Johns Anglican Church. It is situated on Greenwell Point Road at Worrigee, just past Milbank Road.
05.01.2022 The Old Numbaa Cemetery was developed in association with the private township of Numbaa on Alexander Berry's Coolangatta Estate. Burials began pre 1856 when the civil register of Births, Deaths and Marriages was established. Located on the levee bank on the south side of the Shoalhaven River, the cemetery survived the disastrous floods of 1862 and 1870 which demolished much of Terara.
04.01.2022 KIAMA POST OFFICE The Kiama Post Office was constructed in 1878, and is in an Italianate architectural style. Designed by one of our colonial architects, James Barnet, it's Victorian Classical Revival structure with colonnades and a tall clock tower contributes greatly to the local landscape.
02.01.2022 Meroogal House, in Nowra, was built between 1885 and 1886 and has been hardly changed at all since it was first constructed. 4 generations of women of the Thorburn and McGregor families loved and maintained this house. It is slightly quirky in it's 'Carpenter Gothic' architectural style , and is quite unique in Nowra, and the Shoalhaven. Meroogal is open for guided tours each Saturday between 10-30am and 3.30pm.
01.01.2022 The foundation stone for the former Council Chambers Building was laid in 1900, however it must have been a very slow building process, as the building was not officially opened until1915. The former School of Arts Building was adjacent to the Council Chambers Building, and was later to be used by the Council Engineering Department before it was demolished to make way for the new Administration Building which was built in the early 1980's. The building is still in use for community and civic purposes.
