Kiama Garages and Service Stations

It's hard to imagine a time before car travel, but next month, on 11 August, it will be just 118 years since the first motor vehicle roared along our then dusty local roads and into the town of Kiama. The driver of the vehicle was en route from Sydney to Bega, but unfortunately the journey was not a successful one; the driver lost control of the car on the road just south of Kiama and ran into a ditch (the Kiama Bends claiming it's first mechanical victim.) The car was towed back to Kiama by horse and then transported to Sydney by train.

The first motor car to be owned by someone in the Kiama area was in 1909, and cars remained a novelty for many years. The 'Kiama Independent' reported in 1914 that twelve motor cars passed through Kiama on the October holiday weekend within the space of two hours!

During the 1920s, cars and tractors started replacing horses for transport and farming equipment, and motor vehicles became an accepted part of life in the area. Opportunistic businesses, such as car yards and garages for petrol and servicing, emerged, which in addition to improving facilities for local motorists encouraged more day-trippers from Sydney and boosted the tourism industry here.

Some of the Kiama garage owners over the years were great characters and are still remembered fondly by many locals.

Mr Selwyn Ziems started Kiama Motors in Terralong Street, Kiama (c. 1920), and later took Mr Jones into partnership. Over the years, Kiama Motors flourished, which enabled Ziems and Jones to then buy out Mr Priddle's Manning Street Garage. Later, Kiama Motors merged with Hindmarsh's Garage on the corner of Collins and Terralong streets, and Hindmarsh then bought out Mr Ziems' interest in the business in 1930.

Another character many people around town remember is Freddy Addison. He owned the petrol station on the roundabout at the southern end of Manning Street. For many years Freddy's service station was the sole surviving garage in Kiama, prompting generous offers of purchase from Woolworths. However, Freddy maintained that a ‘standard’ petrol station could never compare with his traditional establishment, no matter how much money was invested: ‘I could never sell my station; my customers would be lost without it.'

French's Caltex Garage (c.1960s), located on the southeastern corner of Bong Bong and Manning streets

Kiama Motor Works (c.1950s), on the corner of Collins and Terralong streets (now Centrepoint Arcade).

General Motors Dealer, on the corner of Collins and Terralong streets,

The intersection of Terralong and Collins streets, Kiama, looking east (c. 1950s/60s).