As the dust settles over the historic grounds of Havilah Place, Kiama Council has confirmed the demolition of the old Blue Haven nursing home is on track for completion next month.

The site has been undergoing an $850,000 transformation - funded via Council’s Capital Works program - into level, vacant land that is safe to use but for what purpose? 

While the site has been officially designated as a "catalyst site" under the Strategic Finance & Governance Improvement Plan, a Council spokesperson clarified that no formal masterplans have been developed yet.

Any future use will be subject to the usual community consultation. 

Once the derelict buildings are cleared, the area will be fenced off to allow for grass regrowth and to protect the site from vandalism, leaving an area that Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald has previously described as “an open book”.

This transition marks the end of a storied chapter that began in the 1870s when the land served as a State Rail Quarry, providing the blue metal that paved the streets of Sydney. 

By the 1970s, the site took on a more humanitarian purpose. 

Kiama State Quarry Rose Series Postcard

At a time when the local hospital was overflowing and elderly residents were being forced into nursing homes as far away as Sydney, the community rallied to build a local solution. 

After years of political turbulence and funding delays during the Whitlam and Fraser eras, the facility finally opened in 1979, serving as a cornerstone of local aged care for four decades.

As the demolition crews complete their work, Council’s Finance and Major Projects Committee will begin the complex task of fitting the site into a larger "jigsaw puzzle" of community assets. 

The future of Havilah Place is expected to influence the redevelopment of the nearby Kiama Sporting Complex, with residents already floating ideas ranging from affordable housing and retail space to expanded parkland. 

Nursing home and hostel 1979

While the original 1979 structures are being removed, Council has assured the public that Blue Haven Terralong and the Kiama Community Garden will remain untouched, ensuring that even as the landscape changes, the legacy of community service that defined the site for 50 years continues in a new form.