Illawarra | |||||||||||||
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 Panoramic view fromMount Keira | |||||||||||||
  Illawarra | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates:34°30′S150°54′E / 34.5°S 150.9°E /-34.5; 150.9 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | New South Wales | ||||||||||||
| LGA | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorates | |||||||||||||
| • Federal divisions | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 1,089 km2 (420 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 313,842 (2021)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 288.19/km2 (746.4/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+11 (AEDT) | ||||||||||||
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TheIllawarra is a coastalregion in the southeast of the Australian state ofNew South Wales. It is situated immediately south ofSydney and north of theSouth Coast region. It encompasses the two cities ofWollongong,Shellharbour and the coastal town ofKiama. Wollongong is the largest city within the Illawarra with a population of 240,000, followed by Shellharbour with a population of 70,000 and Kiama with a population of 10,000. These three cities have their ownsuburbs. Wollongong stretches from Helensburgh in the north to Windang in the south, with Maddens Plains and Cordeaux in the west.
The Illawarra region is characterised by three distinct districts: the north-central district, which is a contiguousurban sprawl centred onLake Illawarra, the western district defined by theIllawarra escarpment, which leads up to the fringe ofGreater Metropolitan Sydney including theMacarthur in the northwest, and to theSouthern Highlands region in the southwest, which is historically semi-rural, but now defined by increasing urbanisation.
The word "illawarra" is derived from theAboriginalTharawal word "allowrie," also sometimes spelled as "elouera" or "eloura." According toA. W. Reed, the word is variously translated as "pleasant place near the sea" or "high place near the sea."[2][3] The prefix of "illa" is also known to mean "white clay;" with the suffix "warra," sometimes spelled as "wurra," meaning "mountain" in the local indigenous language.[3]George Bass andMatthew Flinders were the first Europeans to visit the area, with Flinders recording that it 'was called "Allowrie" by the natives'.[2]
For the period around 1806, the region was called "Five Islands"; referring to the group of five islands off Red Point.[2][4][failed verification] In 1817GovernorMacquarie, referring to region, wrote: 'part of the coast known generally by the name of the Five Islands, but called by the natives "Illawarra".[2]
Archaeological evidence indicates that Aboriginal people inhabited the Illawarra region for at least 20,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. The Tharawal and Wadi Wadi peoples were the traditional custodians of the land surrounding Lake Illawarra.
The first recorded European exploration of the Illawarra was conducted by Matthew Flinders and George Bass in 1796. The region remained largely uncharted until 1815, when a drought in Sydney prompted settlers to seek new grazing lands. That year, some of the traditional custodians guided European settlers and their cattle down the escarpment into the area.
The region consists of agrassy coastal plain, narrow in the north and wider in the south, bounded by theTasman Sea on the east and the mountainous, almost impassable Illawarra escarpment (forming the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau) to the west. In the middle of the region is Lake Illawarra, a shallow lake formed when sediment built up at the entrance to a bay. The district extends from the southern hills of theRoyal National Park in the north to theShoalhaven River in the south, and contains the city ofWollongong, the fourth largest urban area in New South Wales.
North of Wollongong the plain narrows to a small strip of land between the coast and the escarpment. AtCoalcliff andStanwell Park small valleys are formed allowing further settlement. To the south it widens, and becomes increasingly hillier before reaching Stockyard Mountain, a long divide between the main plain and theJamberoo Valley, which stretches until it reachesKiama. South of Kiama isSaddleback Mountain and south of that the Shoalhaven plains and the outcrop of Coolangatta Mountain.
Ecologically, the coastal grassy region of the Illawarra is within theIllawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland biome. Characteristic tree species in the region includeEucalyptus tereticornis,Eucalyptus eugenioides,Eucalyptus longifolia,Eucalyptus bosistoana andMelaleuca decora. Shrub species includeAcacia mearnsii,Dodonaea viscosa and as well as the endangeredorchardPterostylis gibbosa.[5]
The wet elevated areas of the Illawarra, where rainfall exceeds 1300mm, are within theSouthern Lowland Wet Sclerophyll Forests andSouthern Escarpment Wet Sclerophyll Forests biomes which generally feature tall, compact eucalyptus forests 30m-60m tall andunderstorey that include moist shrubs,tree ferns, a few vines and a uninterrupted herbaceousgroundcover.[6][7] TheIllawarra-Shoalhaven subtropical rainforest lies in the region.
For the purposes ofAustralian federal elections for theHouse of Representatives, the Illawarra region is contained within the electoral Divisions ofCunningham,Whitlam and the northern tip ofGilmore.[8][9][10]
For the purposes of New South Wales elections for theNSW Legislative Assembly, the Illawarra region is contained within the electoral districts ofWollongong,Keira,Shellharbour,Heathcote, andKiama.
For the purposes oflocal government administration, the Illawarra region is contained within the cities ofWollongong,Shellharbour and theMunicipality of Kiama.
The main industries in the area have traditionally been farming, coal mining andsteel making. Australia's largest steel-works,BlueScope, operates atPort Kembla. The area, especially aroundPort Kembla andWollongong, was once known for its mainly industrial jobs, but since the 1990s commerce has played an increasing role in the city, overtaking industry in many areas.
Illawarra cattle were originally bred in Illawarra and are now Australia's 3rd largest breed in population. They are large dark red cows sometimes with white patches. They produce large amounts of high butter fat and high protein milk and are suited to the Australian climate.[11] TheIllawarra Central Co-operative Dairy Factory was used by the Illawarra Central Co-operative Dairy Co. Ltd. for the intake ofmilk andcream fromdairy farmers in the local area.
Coal mining has been a key part to the Illawarra's economy for over 200 years.[12] The southern part of the region has been a source of crushed-stoneconstruction aggregate andrailway track ballast material for over 140 years.[13]
The Illawarra region is linked to Sydney in the north by several passes, a motorway (Southern Freeway) and an electric railway (seeIllawarra railway line); to the west by theIllawarra Highway and Picton Road; and to the south by thePrinces Highway. AtAlbion Park Rail the Illawarra Regional Airport serves the region.[14]
TheIllawarra SteelersRugby league Football Club played in theNSWRL rugby league competition, then theNRL, from 1982 to 1998, and currently forms one half of theSt George Illawarra Dragons joint venture, who play six of their twelve home games atWIN Stadium in Wollongong. The Illawarra Steelers still field teams in the lower rugby league divisions.
Many famous footballers, such asBob Fulton,Graeme Langlands,Mick Cronin,Rod Wishart,Paul McGregor,Craig Fitzgibbon,Luke Bailey,Steve Roach,Garry Jack,Warren Ryan, and the Stewart brothersBrett andGlenn, have come from the Illawarra region.
TheIllawarra Hawks have represented the region (previously known as The Hawks and the Wollongong Hawks) since the foundation year of theNBL, 1979.They won the NBL championship in 2001 defeating the Townsville Crocs 2-1 in the best of 3 finals.They also finished as runners-up in 2005 and 2010 seasons. The team caught global attention when American teen sensationLaMelo Ball announced on ESPN's show The Jump that he will be joining the Hawks through the NBL's Next Star program. In April 2020, LaMelo Ball and his business manager, Jermaine Jackson announced they had bought the Hawks.[15]
TheWollongong Wolves participated in the now defunctNSL, winning back to back premierships in 2000 and 2001. The Wolves were not selected for the NSL's replacement, theA-League, and instead chose to compete in theNew South Wales Premier League under the nameWollongong FC. The Wolves organisation collapsed in 2008, and was taken over byWollongong Community Football Club. The Wolves have continued to play in the New South Wales Premier League.
Cricket has also been played in the Illawarra for at least one hundred and fifty years with the Keira Cricket Club being founded in 1862.
The first recorded match of water polo in the Illawarra came in 1894, in a men's match between the Wollongong and Kiama Swim Clubs at Brighton Beach. The Kiama Swim Club prevailed, winning 3–0.[16] Water polo is currently played at UOW Pool through the Illawarra Water Polo Club. Each year, Illawarra also compete at the NSW Country Club Championships, whereby the Illawarra U14's boys won in 2021.[17]
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