Historical society nominate Kiama writer Charmian Clift for state honour

From first-edition books to an old typewriter, fragments from Charmian Clift's life and works - many inspired by her childhood in Kiama - are on display, and are woven into the seaside town's history.

While her name may not ring familiar to some, Kiama locals are determined to change that.

The Kiama and District Historical Society have nominated Clift for a Blue Plaque - an honour bestowed by Heritage NSW on people, events and places that have shaped the state's history.

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Society President Sue Eggins, who nominated Clift for the plaque, believes it's time for the writer to be recognised among Australia's greats.

Clift was a prolific writer, most famously known for her trailblazing weekly newspaper column that reached the kitchen tables of thousands of women in the 60's.

"Through the transformative years of the 1960's, Clift's weekly newspaper column in the Sydney Morning Herald became a radicalising force for feminism, multiculturalism, First Nations recognition, heritage protection and a fair go for society's 'little people'," Ms Eggins wrote in her application for the plaque.

Clift was also known for her travel memoirs, Mermaid Singing and Peel me a Lotus, but it was her first solo novel Walk to the Paradise Gardens that conjures images of her home town of Kiama.

The writer's life was tragically cut short by suicide in 1969, when Clift was only 45.

On the 100^th anniversary of the writer's birth, Ms Eggins and the Historical Society hope to ensure Charmian Clift's legacy is remembered by new generations of locals and visitors.

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If approved, the Blue Plaque would appear at Kiama Library - the only local library to hold a complete collection of Clift's published works - and Ms Eggins hopes it may act as a catalyst for a new and renewed interest in the local author.

While the Historical Society won't discover the outcome of their nomination for some time, locals interested in learning more about Charmian Clift's life and works can attend a talk by Julian Neylan, who also assisted with the nomination, at Kiama library on March 18.

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