Here is some links to where Kiama is and its local heritage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiama
(I re-wrote the history section!)
Kiama is in the Illawarra, on the South Coast of News South Wales, in Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illawarra
It is a place of volanic rock and soil, where the high escarpment (mountain range) traps all the rain coming in form the Tasman Sea and keeping hte centre of Australia dry.
One of our special trees is the Illawarra Flame Tree which has leaves that get this colour only once every seven years, and it really is that bright and can be seen for miles and even kilometres!
http://bdimages.zenfolio.com/p611066324//slideshow#h6a99e9d
I will be posting some more information on our unique plants and animals soon.
http://www.kiama.com.au/minnamurra_falls/
Kiama is full of contrasts from Terragong Swamp (over which the recent freeway by-pass build a bridge which is longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0007967 and http://www.baulderstone.com.au/index.php?page=projects&id=345)
near the mouth of the Minnamurra river
to the dense rainforest near the Minnamurra Falls.
These two photos are from http://www.gang-gang.net/nomad/index.html
http://www.threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov.au/tsprofile/pas_lga_region.aspx?name=Kiama+Council
http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:xFRiuDYxGXQJ:www.kiama.nsw.gov.au/environmental-services/pdf/fauna-of-Kiama.pdf+fauna+kiama&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=au
and the Kiama pelican (which has a statue at Kiama Harbour)
The bronze-mix statue was made by artist Tim Johnman and was erected at Kiama Harbour in December 2002. The plaque underneath the statue explains the Pelican Story and asks the community to protect our bird and marine life by disposing of all litter properly. A second identical transportable statue was also produced to use as an educational tool for visits to shopping centres, schools and at environmental events. (Thanks to the work of Kiama and District Hitorical member Winsome Barker)
http://www.kiama.nsw.gov.au/Environmental-Services/pelican-story.html
and fish
http://www.fishingtackleshop.com.au/webcontent14.htm
We had a world record tiger shark and world record marlin caught of the Kiama coast in 1938, the shark nicknamed Big Ben!
and lyrebirds
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2007/10/lyrebird-killed-on-belmore-falls-road.html
http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/images/Lyrebird_Superb2_Stephinson.jpg
and sea eagles (photographed on Seven Mile Beach in the Daily Telegraph in 2008)
and fairy penguins that need to be taught to swim
and weedy sea dragons
Check out billunder’s video of a weedy sea dragon at Kiama here!
and the famous Kiama Blowhole
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiama_Blowhole
Here is a great recent video of the Kiama Blowhole from Libby Withnall’s blog ( who does a very classy blog with a link back to kiamalocalhistory, thank you very much)
doing its thing. Pretty Impressive!
here is the front entrance of the Kiama Blowhole
http://www.kiama.com.au/attractions/blowhole.htm
and the Kiama Rock Pool, (which can get dangerous during king tides twice a year!)
This was photographed by ‘evita’ at redbubble.
and waterspouts,
photgraphed by ‘Australia Severe Weather’ in 2004
http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/arc2004.htm
who sold some of their photos for Lord of the rings ‘Return of the King!)
and also filmed by ozthunder in 2004
Hi there,
I’m wondering if any Kiama local historians know of the whereabouts of family members of John Orry-Kelly the Hollywood costume designer. I think the family name may have been Kelley. I’m researching him for a book and I believe he wrote an unfinished memoir. I’m wondering if family members were left any documentation.
Any help gratefully appreciated!
Cheers,
Lee
Hi Lee,
I just had a quick look at http://www.leetulloch.com/biography.html and I think your interest in John Orry Kelly ( known as ‘Jack’ and his brand as ‘Orry_Kelly’) http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A140703b.htm
is totally justified. I will put a more definite response on kiamalocalhistory later, but locally what exists or is known;
1/His father William Kelly was a gentleman tailor in Kiama, (photos exists showing his shop sign in Terralong Street, Kiama near the harbour, next door to the current Harbourside Brighton Restaurant) was born on the Island of Man , founded the Kiama Progress Association and was a big promoter of swimming, and won an award for bravery for saving a ship by diving down and closing an open porthole ( a silver watch we have on display at the Kiama Pilot’s Cottage museum)
http://nswoceanbaths.info/people/p008.htm
2/A number of a ‘chocolate-box top’ drawings of his done as a young man are apparently around Kiama, and the Westons (who owned the local newspaper since 1863, until last year) have a large number of postcards he sent to his mentor Eleanor Weston, who he knew through Miss Swindell’s Academy (which taught the arts after school in Kiama). At the Pilot’s Cottage we have a original photo of Orry at 8 years old in a dramatic production at said Academy. Watercolours by him are around and one was donated to the Museum but I am unaware of its present locaiton.
3/A niece of his inherited his unfinished biography called ‘Women I have Undressed’ and the fate of his three Oscars in unknown, ( possibly bequeathed to Mrs Jack Warner, of Warner Bros, who he was apparently very fond (Jack Warner was a pall-bearer for Orry). The details about his days as a display dresser in Sydney department stores, selling hand-painted ties on the streets of New York, his work as a stage dresser in New York, trying to start up nightclubs with his intimate companion Cary Grant, and his big break in Hollywood with Bette Davis, seem to all come from this source. I believe the book still exists and the niece and her descendants live down the far South Coast of NSW.
Finally the major sources for us are the archive of all the Kiama Independents since 1863(which are on micro-fiche at the Kiama library), and the photos of Samuel Cocks, who had a photographic studio in Kiama for many years with many photos (not all) here at
http://www.library.uow.edu.au/archives/collections/d100.html and the Family Histroy Centre
http://svc012.wic039p.server-web.com/community-services/family-history-centre/index.html
Kiama had strong ‘chain migration’ and was mainly settled by Northern Irish Protestants, and as such Orange Lodges and Freemasony was rife in the area.
http://kiamalocalhistory.wordpress.com/2008/03/17/tall-tales-ghost-stories-secret-societies-lost-treasure-and-big-fish/
Tony Curtis on Orry-Kelly
Orry-Kelly, the film’s costume designer, was “a very gay guy in all senses of the word, and he told me that one day when he was fitting Marilyn he said, ‘You know, Tony’s ass is better-looking than yours.’ And Marilyn said, ‘Oh, yeah? Well he doesn’t have [breasts] like these!’ — and then yanked open her blouse to prove it.”
If I get more definite info on the niece, I will post it.
Cheers,
Mark Whalan
Living on the Isle of Man, and having written about Orry-Kelly some twenty years ago, I was interested to read of your response to Lee Tulloch about possible living relatives. I would be interested in any information you may have about Orry, his father William, or any relatives.
Regards,
Valerie Caine
Hi Mark,
Valerie has just drawn my attention to your extremely helpful information, so please forgive my late note of thanks. It certainly gives me something to work on. I’m going to try and track down those relatives. Most of the information I have on him is from Behind The SCreen by William J Mann, a book about gay HOllywood and there also is, interestingly, quite a bit about his relationship with Cary Grant in Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart by Higham and Moseley. I’ll keep you in touch if I find out more,
Many thanks again,
Lee
HI Valerie
I have added some material on Orry to the front of this site