Wollongong is the gateway to the South Coast of NSW and is one of Australia’s most liveable regional cities located just south of Sydney.
Bordering the southern suburbs of Sydney (only a 40min to 1hr drive from Sydney) and stretching south along the coast, the city is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Illawarra Escarpment.
Wollongong has everything to suit the needs of families, couples, business delegates and and travellers and offers itself as the most liveable regional city on the South Coast.
Wollongong is a city transformed. Renowned as an industrial powerhouse, with a proud heritage in steel-making and coal mining, Australia’s City of Innovation is now emerging as an important knowledge services centre, international trade hub and leading university city.
Useful Facts
Size : 684km2
Population : 292,000
Climate : Warm coastal climate. Average temperature range is 14° to 26°C in summer and 8° to 18°C in winter. The average annual rainfall is 1,301mm.
Transport
Road: 80km from Sydney, 250km from Canberra
Rail: Wollongong is on the Sydney train network with regular trains to local areas as well as Sydney.
Airport: Sydney (82km)
Local: Premier Illawarra provides the local bus service in and around Wollongong. The Gong Shuttle is a bright green bus that is easily identifiable to get you around the city – for shopping, business or to connect you to other transport. The Shuttle is frequent and it’s free.
Education
Employment
The sectors that employ the most people are manufacturing, construction, health care and social assistance, education and training, and retail trade.
Dining
Boasting a budding small bar scene, idyllic cafes and restaurants showcasing the finest seafood and other cuisines, Wollongong is quickly becoming known for its ability to tantalise the taste buds.
Wollongong continues to wow the palates of dinners’ as its reputable food culture continues to evolve.
Wollongong is one of Australia’s most culturally diverse cities with over 80 different cultural groups calling Wollongong home. This diversity also lends itself to the Wollongong food scene, spoiling visitors and locals alike for choice
Sport
Wollongong has 17 seasonally-patrolled local beaches. Surfing, rock fishing, swimming, skimboarding are common activities. Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track , a thirteen kilometre Heart Foundation walking/biking pathway which runs northwards adjacent to the Illawarra coastline starting at Wollongong Beach, is frequented by walkers, joggers, skaters and bicycle riders. Bushwalking on nearby Mount Keira and Mount Kembla , and motorbike riding at the Motocross Track on the escarpment west of Wollongong, are also popular activities.
Wollongong has many parks and almost every other type of sporting facility from gymnasiums and tennis courts to basketball courts and skate parks.
Arts & Culture
Wollongong maintains an active arts scene. In the area of music the city is home to the Wollongong Symphony Orchestra , BlueScope Steel Youth Orchestra , a jazz club and various groups and ensembles. The Wollongong Conservatorium of Music provides musical tuition for instruments and voice in classical, jazz and contemporary styles.
The local professional theatre company, Merrigong Theatre Company , is located at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Other local theatre groups include The Arcadians, Roo Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre and Wollongong Workshop Theatre.
The annual Wollongong Eisteddfod showcases local talent in music, theatre and dance.
The Wollongong City Gallery houses a significant collection of the art of the Illawarra, contemporary Australian, Aboriginal and Asian art. In addition there are a number of private and community galleries, particularly in Wollongong’s northern seaside suburbs.
Aboriginal Culture
The Dharawal people (also spelt Tarawal or Thuruwal) lived on the coastal areas of Sydney between Broken Bay / Pittwater, west to Berowra Waters, south to Parramatta and Liverpool and extending into the Illawarra and Shoalhaven districts. The traditional language of this tribe was also known as Dharawal.
The Wodi Wodi are a sub-group of the Dharawal nation who occupied areas around Lake Illawarra, including Berkeley and Hooka Creek.
The Illawarra region has many different nation groups / traditional owners:
- Korewal Elouera Jerrungarugh Tribal Elders (KEJ)
- Wadi Wadi Coomaditchie Aboriginal Corporation
- Wodi Wodi Elders Corporation
- Wodi Wodi Traditional Owner Corporation.
Other nation groups residing within the Illawarra region include, but are not limited to the Yuin, Wiradjuri, Kamilaroi, Bundjalung, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggir nations. Cultural identities are extremely important for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They represent different heritages, languages, cultural practices, spiritual beliefs and geographic areas.