Time temporarily disappears in Kiama
Time temporarily disappears in Kiama
July 22, 2009
Section: News
EMMA SPILLETT
espillett@kiamaindependent.com.au
TIME seemed to disappear in Kiama last week as the four dials on the area’s historic post office clock were removed.
The clock’s faces and hands were all taken down last Wednesday and the clock is set to be face-less for several weeks while the dials undergo repair.
A Kiama Post Office representative said the dials’ removal had aroused concern from a number of residents.
“We’ve had lots of people coming in and asking us about it,” she said. “The clock just stopped donging one day and we knew it was time for repair.”
The representative said the clock dial had been sent away to a man interstate who specalises in repairs.
“He has to find the parts and then fix the clock so it could be a couple of weeks before it’s back again,” she said.
The post office clock has been a key figure in the town since its erection in 1878.
Installed by Italian man Angelo Tornaghi, the clock is controlled by a pendulum and a double three-legged gravity escarpment, which was the type developed for Westminster’s famous “Big Ben”.
When first built, the four clock faces had white lettering on a black background.
In 1977, the clock faces were altered to feature black lettering on a white background with moulded circles either side of each clock face, encircling the numbers 18 and 78 to the left and right sides respectively.
The clock suffered breakdowns in 1975 and in 1989.
In 1989, the clock was stopped on December 28 at 10.27am, following shock waves from the Newcastle earthquake.
