Kiama is a township 120 kilometres south of Sydney in the Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia in the Municipality of Kiama. At the 2006 census, Kiama had a population of 12,286 people. One of the main tourist attractions is the Kiama Blowhole. The seaside town features several popular surfing beaches, caravan parks and numerous alfresco cafes and restaurants. It is the first country town south of Sydney, and attracts a large number of day trippers.

Courtesy of the Kiama Independent;

PLANNING for a redevelopment in Kiama’s CBD has stalled after negotiations between one of the landowners and the developer reached a crossroads.

Negotiations between Kiama Council, Weston and Co Publishing and developer Winston Langley Burlington started in November to build a new shopping complex at the corner of Shoalhaven and Akuna Sts on the council’s carpark and some of the Weston family’s land.

The proposal was to include a supermarket with a minimum floor space of 2000 square metres.

Kiama Council general manager Michael Forsyth said council was satisfied with its negotiations to date, however Weston and Co Marketing’s negotiations had stalled.

Mr Forsyth said the council met with the 149-year-old company last Friday to discuss the future of the site and Weston and Co wanted to seek expressions of interest from more developers.

“We will have to wait until the next council meeting to ask councillors if they think that’s appropriate,” he said.

“We’re always happy to talk to the developer but it depends on negotiations with the Westons.”

Mr Forysth was disappointed negotiations had not progressed further.

“The development has important public benefits in improving access to Terralong St from the public carpark and attracting another food retailer into town,” he said.

Winston Langley Burlington director Daniel Saab said the company was keen to proceed.

“We’re still actively interested and we’ll be seeking a meeting with the council to try and establish some common ground to remedy the situation,” he said.”The missing piece is the Westons coming on board – they’re the key to the whole redevelopment.”

Weston and Co Publishing director John Weston declined to comment.

Courtesy of the Illawarra Mercury;

Blue skies and a stellar line-up drew thousands of festival goers for Kiama’s three-day Jazz and Blues Festival at the weekend.

A crowd of 5000 filled parks, clubs and restaurants to hear boundary-blurring jazz and blues including burlesque, barrelhouse, swing, soul, fusion, funk and even a bit of Britney Spears.

Publicity co-ordinator Eevi Stein said the 25th anniversary festival was the most successful yet and attributed the huge crowd to the fantastic line-up and ‘‘the goddess of jazz and blues’’ for the beautiful weather.

One of the biggest musical drawcards was Christa Hughes and the Honky Tonk Shonks, who wowed the crowd at Kiama Leagues Club with a cheeky burlesque show.

The chanteuse sang traditional bluesy tunes but also managed to fit in songs by her former band, Machine Gun Fellatio, and her own version of Toxic by Britney Spears.

‘‘Christa was amazing – she is a little bit irreverent and pays out on everyone, she has a great sense of humour and just an amazing voice,’’ Ms Stein said.

She said other highlights included the Buddy Knox Blues Band and a gutsy performance by vocal powerhouse Fiona Boyes.

The festival finished yesterday with an all-day concert in Hindmarsh Park and sunset blues played by local outfit the Stringers at Kiama’s Grand Hotel.

Courtesy of Kiama Municipal Council;

Kiama’s Daisy the Decorated Dairy Cow

Daisy the Cow has been an institution within the Kiama community since 1991, she is located at the Old Fire Station Community Arts Centre in Terralong St, Kiama and is situated ‘out on show’ whenever an exhibition is open at the Centre.

Daisy’s coat of paint is changed throughout the year by local residents and artists giving her a life and personality all her own. She is frequently photographed by locals and tourists alike and can be seen around the world via the internet.

Council has published a Biography of Daisy’s life featuring many of her painted incarnations. The book is available for purchase for $15.00 at Kiama Library. Also available for purchase at the Library are postcards of some of Daisy’s favourite painted designs.

Fast Facts

• The idea for Daisy the Decorated Dairy Cow was conceived by Graheme Kime the then Cultural Arts Officer with Kiama Council.

• Daisy was ‘born’ in 1991 and is modelled on a real cow named, Meadowhaven Daisy the 47th.

• Meadowhaven Daisy 47th was an Illawarra Short Horn. This breed sprang from breeding programs of dairy cattle in the Illawarra which included genes from the Ayrshire and Shorthorn cattle. It has been said that the forbears of the Illawarra breed were shoved off ships and had to swim for it to 7 Mile Beach, Gerroa.

• Illawarra is an Aboriginal word that means ‘High Place by the Sea’.

• Meadowhaven Daisy 47th was bred and owned by local farmer Tom Walsh.

• The artist who sculptured Daisy was Ernesto Murgo, a local Italian born sculptor. Council later bought Daisy from Ernesto after receiving a grant from the Australia Council, when Ernesto decided he wanted to send Daisy to the ‘knackery’. 

• Daisy is made of; wire for bones and paper mache for flesh. However, she has since had a tougher hide provided for her by being coated in plaster and sisal.

• Daisy’s artwork is generally not planned and local artists and community groups paint her as they see fit. However, Daisy does now have some guidelines for her artwork which determine the type of artwork that she can display.

• There was another model of a Kiama cow before Daisy, she was made for the Springtime Festival in 1957. That cow was also modelled on an Illawarra Shorthorn, who was called Lemongrove Margaret the 6th from the farm of  C.R Chittick .

• Daisy is stored at night in the Old Fire Station, but by day, she is proudly displayed out on the street in front of the Old Fire Station. .

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