App versions are available for Apple iPhones and iPads, as well as for devices running Android software, designed to lead residents and visitors on a 45-minute guided walking tour, complete with sound recordings and photos.

The tour begins on the corner of Railway Parade and Terralong Street, where long-time resident Annette Hoskins recalls the dress fabrics available at the former Palace Stores, and her family's annual shopping sprees there during the 1930s.

Kiama library manager Michelle Hudson said the stories were gathered as part of an oral history project several years ago, but the app offered a way to bring the tales to more listeners.

"It's a way of drawing in people who might not be used to engaging with things like local history," she said.

"I think the novelty value of being able to download [history] and hear it in different people's voices just reaches a different audience."

The tour app cost about $3000 to develop and was supported by the Powerhouse Museum.

Versions of the app are available from the Apple App Store and Android Marketplace, by searching "Kiama Library tour".

Information services librarian at Kiama Library, Sharon Jones, said the app also can be downloaded using the library's free NBN-enabled wireless internet.