Dalmeny and Kianga are two small adjoined settlements on the coast just a few km north from Narooma.
Some History.
Much of the route of the Dalmeny to North Narooma cycleway passes near a number of middens and artifact scatters as the area was well used for over 20,000 years by aboriginal clans who ranged the south east.
It was William Edye Mort (1850-1914) who established Dalmeny Estate in 1880. William was the second son of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort who had established the township of Bodalla.
Mort the Younger named “Dalmeny‟ after his old Eton school friend Lord Dalmeny whose family home was Dalmeny House near Edinburgh. William was Lord Dalmeny’s “fag” at Eton, while Lord Dalmeny had fagged for William’s older brother Laidley. (A “fag” is a junior pupil at a public school who does minor chores for a senior pupil)
In 1896, much of Mort‟s Dalmeny Estate was cleared for grazing
The land was dairy. Charlie Crapp sharefarmed “Dalmeny‟ from 1903to1923, reportedlyproducing 45 to 65 kg of cheese a day from about 100 cows; the cheesewas shipped to Sydney with cheese produced at Bodalla.
It was then bought by George and Emma Noble
In November 1926 cars became more commonplace and an increasing number of adventurous holidaymakers ventured to “Dalmeny” and would ask the Nobles’ permission to picnic or camp by the lake. The Nobles realised the increasing number of holidaymakers needed fresh milk and cream, so they ran a few cows for the demand.
John and Grace Cresswick of Sydney first visited George Noble’s “Dalmeny” farm on a camping and fishing holiday in 1927, probably staying in an old boathouse by Mummuga Lake on what is now George Noble Park
In 1927 John Cresswick enjoyed his stay at “Dalmeny” so much he ended up subdividing the property with the then owner George Noble
The Noble – Cresswick partnership also provided holiday camp sites and amenities. The most popular camping areas were along the foreshore of the lake around what is now called George Noble Park and from near the lake’s entrance around to where Dalmeny Rotary Park is now located
When Charlie Davis (Poppa Davis) moved to Dalmeny in 1946 there were only about a dozen houses, some of them weekenders, and only about 12 residents. He told the Southern Star newspaper up to 200 people at a time would camp at Dalmeny over the summer holidays in the 1940s
Campers liked Dalmeny because it was ideal for families with safe swimming, prawning and good fishing, and there were lobsters galore if you knew where to look. Many campers returned year after year, often for six weeks at a time.
There is some thought the word “Kianga” is an Aboriginal word, possibly meaning “home‟, but so far no documentation has been found supporting that. Interestingly, a Google search reveals many references to “Kianga” being a Swahili word meaning something along the lines of “sunshine after rain”,but it seems unlikely a Swahili name would have been introduced here.
They owned virtually all land from Dewsbury’s Road south. The company was owned by a group of related doctors with spokesperson Dr Francis John Graham. The road was realigned several times, basically involving moving it back slightly from the dunes. There were then moves to connect the two settlements of Dalmeny and Kianga along the coast instead of having to go around via the Princes Highway. Eurobodalla Shire Council completed the road in 1968.
Source Coastal Reserves Dalmeny – North Narooma Historical Review By LAURELLE PACEY
