Developed by The Homes Corporation in the early 1980’s, Gainsborough was the original name of the housing estate to the western side of what was then the Princes Highway, Kiama Downs (now Riverside Drive). Today although the area is formally part of Kiama Downs, it is still is informally known as Gainsborough by many of the locals, especially those who have been there since the inception of the estate.
History of Gainsborough Centre
History about the Gainsborough Centre is somewhat sketchy as it was built before Council Records were digitised & similarly local newspapers from the time are still hard copies which makes searching through them very time-consuming.
The original survey for the Gainsborough Centre shops was conducted in late 1987 or early 1988, however, it was still a couple of years later before the Development Application for a Shopping Centre and Medical Centre, under the Environmental Planning Assessment Act 1979, was approved by Kiama Council on 30/07/1990. The Building Application for Gainsborough Centre was approved by the Town Clerk 23/10/1991.
Over the years many local businesses have called the Gainsborough Centre home, however, some have stood the test of time and been there almost as long as the Gainsborough Centre itself. Gainsborough Meats wins the “Gold Medal” as the longest tenant of the centre. Although there has always been a Bakery, Supermarket, Liquor Store & Restaurant as long as this writer can remember, the individual owners of those stores have changed over the years. Some may also remember a Garden Centre occupied Shop 11 in the early days.
If you know more about the history or have some early pictures from when Gainsborough Centre was opened, kindly use the Contact Page to let the administrator know.