A special piece of Kiama's military history was officially unveiled at Jamberoo RSL Hall on Thursday.
Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald joined Kiama-Jamberoo RSL Sub-branch officials at the Hall for a re-dedication service ceremony for a Japanese anti-tank cannon which had previously been housed outside Kiama Municipal Council's administration building until early last year.
The cannon was first presented to Kiama Mayor Wattie Holden by the crew of HMAS Kiama in 1946.
"The return and re-dedication of this Japanese anti-tank cannon is a special and important piece of our local history," Mayor McDonald said.
"It has been 80 years since HMAS Kiama's farewell visit and I am pleased to see that the RSL will be the custodians of this cannon so that people now and in generations to come can learn more about the role that Kiama has played in our nation's military history.
"I would like to thank the Kiama-Jamberoo RSL Sub-branch for the fine work they do 365 days a year, not just on the major occasions like Anzac Day and Remembrance Day.
"We thank them for their support to past and present service personnel and for carrying on the spirit and tradition of the servicemen and women of previous generations."
The cannon, which has been restored by a group of local volunteers, has its origins in a German design from the 1920s and was used extensively in the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
"A lot of work had to be done to get this important war relic back into shape," Kiama-Jamberoo RSL Sub-branch president Gary McKay said.
Kiama-Jamberoo RSL historian Terry Stamp told the attendees at the ceremony that the design was copied by the Japanese in the mid 1930s and could fire high-explosive armour-piercing rounds.
This cannon was obtained by Australian forces in the Pacific in 1945 before it was one of two that were gifted to the town of Kiama in February the following year during a six-day farewell visit. The ship was then decommissioned and sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy where she served from 1952-76.
"On the day of the presentation, the guns were rolled up the street from the wharf to the Council Chambers where they were put into storage for some years," Stamp said.
"They then went on public display, but one of the guns had alas fallen into deteriorated state. The other gun was mounted outside the Council Chambers.
"Two years ago, the gun was relocated here to Jamberoo, where - with the assistance of Commonwealth Government funding, we were able to renew the wooden wheels and give the old girl a paint job.
"So thanks to the foresight and determination of many people over 80 years, Kiama still has a healthy example of one of the machines of war, which helps us never forget the sacrifices of so many."
Lesley Friedmann and Jill Calloway - descendants of Leading Supply Assistant Alan Hopkins, who served on HMAS Kiama during WWII - also attended the ceremony at Jamberoo RSL Hall.
