The prestigious Blue Plaque awarded to Kiama’s beloved Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly will be placed in a special spot.

It will adorn a wall outside the Heritage Conference Rooms of The Sebel Hotel - the site where Orry attended school - and it will be available for everyone to view.

He has been recognised as one of 16 new recipients of a prestigious Blue Plaque.

Launched in 2021, Blue Plaques NSW is a state government initiative that highlights individuals and events that have shaped New South Wales’ rich history. Blue plaques are installed at publicly accessible sites across the state, commemorating significant local figures and moments.

Orry-Kelly will be the second person in Kiama to receive this recognition, following Charmian Clift. Kiama Historical Society President and Orry-Kelly expert, Sue Eggins, sees it as a significant achievement for our small town.

“The Blue Plaques recognise people who were born and who lived in a particular area as people of significance. And to get two in the one town is apparently quite rare,” Eggins said.

The 16 new plaques were chosen from 184 public nominations and assessed by Heritage NSW and independent historians. They join 49 already announced from Waverly to Wagga Wagga, Beecroft to Broken Hill.

Eggins, who was a researcher on Women He’s Undressed - the movie about Orry-Kelly’s life - says the Blue Plaque is another important step in giving the designer the recognition he deserves, particularly in his hometown.

“When I first started researching him in Kiama, people thought his name was Horace. His father was quite famous here, more famous than him. Because his father did a lot of things in the community and for the community. His father had a file at the museum, but Orry didn't have a file. His name is even wrong on his father’s gravestone,” Eggins said.

“And I've been nagging about him for many, many years and people still say, who’s that? So, I think he's well worth the recognition. Plus in a lot of interviews with Orry, and in his biography, he references Kiama and being a Kiama boy.”

Sue Eggins is also a part of the Kiama Icons and Artists group who are planning an Orry-Kelly themed event called: The Orry-Kelly Gala: Dressing Hollywood held at The Sebel on 26 July. For more information on that, join their Facebook page.

The Bugle have also done a series of articles about Orry-Kelly’s life - including his relationship with Hollywood stars Cary Grant and Bette Davis.

The full list of Blue Plaque recipients are: Bobby Goldsmith, Building Bridges Concert, Bessie Guthrie, Golding Sisters, Ida Leeson, Koori Knockout, Leslie Mervyn Tanner, Louisa Lawson, Malcolm Cole, Orry-Kelly, Paul Sorensen, Peter Allen, Sarah (Fanny) Durack, Sister Kaliniki, The Introduction of Weet-Bix, Wilhelmina (Mina) Wylie.