Historic Dry Stone Walls, Kiama

Reminiscent of the Kiama area's strong farming history, many of the stone walls were constructed more than a century ago as paddocks were cleared for cropping and stock agistment. Fine examples can be seen in the hills and valleys west of Kiama township, with much of the work being attributed to Thomas Newing, a prolific and skilled stone wall builder who worked in the area for over 60 years. The building method developed by Newing uses the local volcanic stone, and consists of two wall faces leaning against each other capped by a continuous row of larger stones. Nearly 400 stone walls have been listed as heritage items in the Kiama Municipality. The walls that occur along the Saddleback Mountain Road have been repaired or reconstructed by volunteers using the traditional methods. More information on the history of the area, including the dry stone walls, can be found at the Kiama Library and on their website.