by Heather Bell, a longtime member of Kiama Friends of Vision Australia

For over 50 years a model ‘lighthouse’ has stood in Terralong St, outside Mitre10 Hardware store, which in recent years has morphed into The Collective.

The small change deposited by members of the public has been collected by Kiama Friends of Vision Australia to add to their fund raising over the years. The group has been going for nearly 60 years. It was originally called The Kiama and District Royal Blind Society Auxiliary and was formed when the Mayor of Kiama convened a public meeting on 30 April 1963 at the request of The Royal Blind Society.

At the beginning the aim was not fund raising, but to be a service to blind people in the district. In the early years the Auxiliary did assist and visit a lot of people in the local area who were blind or vision impaired.

However in recent years, fund raising has been the primary focus. Street stalls, afternoon teas, raffles, golf days, themed dinner dances and Bunnings BBQs have been held and since 1995 (the only records we have), over $180,000 has been passed on to Vision Australia which changed to this name in 2005.

Unfortunately, at our last AGM on 14th July this year, the group was unable to form a committee and it was decided to close down as a group.

Dwindling and ageing membership and COVID 19 lockdowns and restrictions have affected momentum.

Basically, money raised since 2020 has been only from donations by individuals and Kiama Lions Club. Even the lighthouse has been contributing less, as an increasing percentage of the population doesn’t carry money.

According to Ross Simmons, the original lighthouse that stood outside their Mitre 10 store, was built by Peter Mitchell and the art work was by Kiama High’s art teacher, Gwenda Hodgson.

When it wore out, a ‘new’ lighthouse was constructed by Ralph Steel and members of the Kiama Men’s Shed.

We are pleased to report that Kiama Lions Club is going to take over the lighthouse.

Appropriate, as they have not only a Save Sight Foundation but also an Eye Health Program targeting children’s vision.

We have appreciated the members of the community who have made donations and supported our events and also the staff of Mitre 10 and The Collective who have faithfully wheeled the lighthouse outside, each trading day.

Kiama Friends of Vision Australia was the last of over 20 such groups in NSW.

Meanwhile, we remind readers that if you need help, the local office of Vision Australia is located at 2/106 Market St, Wollongong or call 4220 4300.

It’s close to public transport, on one level, and has all the specialised services and equipment for those who are blind or have low vision. Information can be obtained on-line and it is a registered charity.