Kiama Police Station
Have you ever wondered about the history of the beautiful old buildings next to the Post Office - the Police Station residence and the Police Station itself?
The Police Station residence was one of the earliest public buildings in Kiama. The site for the residence, Police Station and the Court House were marked out in 1849. In 1856, a slab-style lockup consisting of three cells and one keeper’s room was built, costing £70. Up until 1860, when the Court House was completed, the keeper’s room was sometimes used as a court room.
In 1863, tenders were called for a Police Station to be built adjacent to the Court House. This was what is now known as the Police residence (next door to the Post Office). John Brown was the builder, and the cost of the building was £671 (it had been estimated to cost £900).
In 1884, the present Police Station was completed alongside the first ‘Watch House’. The first building then became the Sergeant’s quarters and was referred to as the Police Barracks. The new Police Station was a late Victorian design by the Government Architect, James Walker, and constructed by builders Wilson and Walker.
In 1902, the Police residence building was extended at the front - three rooms were added along with a symmetrical facade and a wooden verandah, and the gambrel iron roof was extended over the verandah. These extensions were built up against the original 1863 building, which had been very roughly built of bricks with a shingled roof.