Rye's Limestone Kilns

Rye’s Lime Kilns – Stories in stone

The Rye area holds an important place in the history of lime burning on the Mornington Peninsula. In the mid-1800s, settlers quarried the local limestone and built kilns to produce lime, which was shipped to Melbourne and used in construction and mortar. This trade was one of the peninsula’s earliest industries, leaving behind a legacy still visible today.

White Cliffs Foreshore Kiln

• Where: At the base of the White Cliffs, around one kilometre west of Rye Pier.
• What you’ll see: A carefully reconstructed lime burner’s kiln.
• Why it matters: It stands as a memorial to the resourcefulness of early settlers and the role lime burning played in shaping Victoria’s growth.
• Getting there: Follow the Bay Trail from Rye Pier along the foreshore for a gentle walk with sweeping coastal views.

Sullivan’s Kiln

• Where: Brown’s Road, near Rye.
• What you’ll see: A heritage-listed hillside kiln, remarkably intact from the 19th century.
• Why it matters: Its preservation reveals the industry’s impact on the land, including the clearing of trees for fuel, while also telling the story of how settlement spread across the region.

The Lime Story

• How it worked: Limestone was burned to make quicklime, used in building, mortar, and even to improve soils.
• Its influence: The lime trade came before large-scale farming or tourism, making it the peninsula’s first major industry.
• What remains: Kilns like those at White Cliffs and Brown’s Road remind us of a time when industry and landscape were closely entwined, shaping the character of Rye and beyond.

Location

Point Nepean Rd, Rye 3941  View Map

-38.3707321,144.8254264

Point Nepean Rd , Rye 3941

Point Nepean Rd , Rye 3941

Rye's Limestone Kilns