At the conclusion of her speech during the unveiling of the NSW Blue Plaque commemorating Orry-Kelly, Australian director Gillian Armstrong turned to Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald and said with a smile, “And Mr Mayor, Orry-Kelly Boulevard has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

The mood at The Sebel’s Assembly Room this morning was one of celebration and long-overdue recognition. Armstrong was joined by Sarah Kaine, Labor representative for Kiama, along with Kiama Historical Society President Sue Eggins, to unveil the plaque honouring one of Australia’s most accomplished yet often overlooked talents.

The ceremony began with a Welcome to Country delivered by Councillor Stuart Larkins. Kaine then addressed the audience, offering insight into the NSW Government’s Blue Plaque program.

“First of all, I don’t know what’s happening in Kiama, but this is the second Blue Plaque we’ve unveiled in two years,” Kaine said.

 “I think there’s something special going on here - Kiama punches above its weight. And of course, there’s a fabulous and very active historical society.”

“The Blue Plaque program recognises people, events and stories of significance that have had an impact on New South Wales. That’s why we’ve already acknowledged Charmian Clift, and today, it’s only fitting we honour Orry-Kelly.”

Kaine then welcomed Gillian Armstrong to speak. A film icon in her own right, Armstrong directed My Brilliant Career, Little Women, and the documentary on Orry-Kelly titled Women He’s Undressed.

“When he died, Jack Warner of Warner Bros. read the eulogy at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Beverly Hills,” Armstrong recalled.

 “The funeral was attended by Hollywood stars like Cary Grant, Tony Curtis and George Cukor. In the U.S., his death mattered - covered by the LA Times, New York Times, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.”

Orry-Kelly's Blue Plaque

“But in Australia, when we went searching, we found just a couple of lines - one in one paper, one in another - under the headline, ‘Costume Designer Dies of Cancer.’ So why has it taken so long for his home country to recognise his talent and achievements? Perhaps it’s because we celebrate fast runners, golfers, tennis players... but not costume designers?”

Armstrong closed her speech by referencing the final lines in Orry-Kelly’s memoir, where he imagines skipping a stone across the water all the way back to his hometown of Kiama.

It feels especially poetic, then, that Kiama has finally honoured one of its own - with a Blue Plaque placed outside his former school, which could aptly be described as being “round as a stone.”

For today only, an exhibition located just behind the new Blue Plaque in The Sebel Assembly Room showcases some of Orry-Kelly’s work and details about his life. Entry is $10 and it is magnificent!