View source for Wollongong

{{About|the metropolitan area in Australia|the [[Local government in Australia|local government area]]|City of Wollongong}}
{{Use Australian English | date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type                     = city
| name                     = Wollongong
| state                    = nsw
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| image1 = Wollongong and Port Kembla from Mount Keira (2).jpg{{!}} City Centre
|caption1 = Wollongong and surrounds
 | image2 = WollongongCourtHouse.JPG{{!}} Wollongong Court House
|caption2 = Court House
 | image3 = Crown Street, Wollongong 20220619110018 (2).jpg{{!}}Crown Street
|caption3 = [[Crown Street, Wollongong|Crown Street]]
  | image4 = Wollongong Harbour Flagstaff Lighthouse and Fort (2) (cropped).jpg{{!}}Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse
|caption4 = [[Wollongong Head Lighthouse|Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse]]
  | image5 = Heritage Hotel, Bulli (2).jpg{{!}}Heritage Hotel, Bulli
|caption5 = [[Heritage Hotel, Bulli|Heritage Hotel]]
  | image6 = Wollongong Harbour, Cove Beach and Foreshore (2).jpg{{!}}Wollongong Harbour, Cove Beach
| caption6 = [[Wollongong Harbour Precinct|Wollongong Harbour]], Cove Beach
}}
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| postcode                 = 2500
| elevation                = 5
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| timezone                 = [[Australian Eastern Standard Time|AEST]]
| utc                      = +10
| timezone-dst             = [[Australian Eastern Daylight Time|AEDT]]
| utc-dst                  = +11
| lga                      = City of Wollongong
| lga2                     = City of Shellharbour
| lga3                     = Municipality of Kiama
| region                   = Illawarra
| county                   = 
| stategov                 = [[Electoral district of Heathcote|Heathcote]]
| stategov2                = [[Electoral district of Keira|Keira]]
| stategov3                = [[Electoral district of Kiama|Kiama]]
| stategov4                = [[Electoral district of Shellharbour|Shellharbour]]
| stategov5                = [[Electoral district of Wollongong|Wollongong]]
| fedgov                   = [[Division of Cunningham|Cunningham]]
| url                      = 
| maxtemp                  = 21.8
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| mintemp                  = 13.3
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| rainfall                 = 1320.9
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| dist1                    = 85 
| dir1                     = S 
| location1                = [[Sydney]]
| dist2                    = 40
| dir2                     = N 
| location2                = [[Kiama, New South Wales|Kiama]]
| dist3                    = 73
| dir3                     = E
| location3                = [[Bowral]]
| dist4                    = 72
| dir4                     = NE
| location4                = [[Nowra]]
| dist5                    = 244
| dir5                     = ENE    
| location5                = [[Canberra]]
| near-nw                  = [[Gwynneville, New South Wales|Gwynneville]]
| near-n                   = [[North Wollongong, New South Wales|North Wollongong]]
| near-ne                  = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]''
| near-w                   = [[Mangerton, New South Wales|Mangerton]]
| near-e                   = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]''
| near-sw                  = [[Mount Saint Thomas, New South Wales|Mount Saint Thomas]]
| near-s                   = [[Coniston, New South Wales|Coniston]]
| near-se                  = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]''
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}}

'''Wollongong''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ʊ|l|ə|n|ɡ|ɒ|ŋ}} {{respell|WUUL|ən|gong}}; [[Dharawal]]: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the [[Illawarra]] region of [[New South Wales]], Australia. The name is believed to originate from the [[Dharawal language]], meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound of the sea'.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Croucher |first=John S. |authorlink=John Croucher |title=A Concise History of New South Wales |year=2020 |publisher=Woodslane Press |isbn=978-1-92-586839-5 |quote=The name 'Wollongong' is thought to come from the ''Dharawal'' language, although its meaning is debated. One interpretation is 'five islands/clouds', another is that it means 'ground near water', yet another that it means 'sound of the sea'.}}</ref> Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the [[Illawarra Escarpment]] and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres (53 miles) south of [[Sydney]].<ref>[https://www.google.com/maps/place/33%C2%B051'54.0%22S+151%C2%B012'34.0%22E/@-34.1823415,150.8421423,77689m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d-33.865!4d151.209444?hl=en Distance] from [[Hyde Park, Sydney|Hyde Park]] in Sydney city centre to [[Wollongong railway station]] in Wollongong city centre – Google Maps</ref> Wollongong had an estimated urban population of 302,739 at June 2018, making it the third-largest city in New South Wales after [[Sydney]] and [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] and the [[List of cities in Australia by population|tenth-largest city in Australia by population]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2016–17 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02016-17?OpenDocument |website=ABS |date=24 April 2018 |access-date=6 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180426213055/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02016-17?OpenDocument |archive-date=26 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The city's current [[List of mayors and lord mayors of Wollongong|Lord Mayor]] is Tania Brown who was elected in 2024.<ref name="NSWEC2024">{{cite web |title=Local Government Elections 2024: Wollongong - Mayoral Results |url=https://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/LG2401/wollongong/mayoral |publisher=NSW Electoral Commission |access-date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

The Wollongong area extends from [[Helensburgh, New South Wales|Helensburgh]] in the north to Windang and Yallah in the south. Geologically, the city is located in the south-eastern part of the [[Sydney basin]], which extends from [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] to [[Nowra]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/96847/20758.gif |website=Dept of Primary Industries |title=Basin gif |access-date=12 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917080323/http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0007/96847/20758.gif |archive-date=17 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Wollongong is noted for its [[heavy industry]], its port activity and the quality of its physical setting, occupying a narrow coastal plain between an almost continuous chain of surf beaches and the cliffline of the rainforest-covered Illawarra escarpment. It has two cathedrals, churches of many denominations and the [[Nan Tien Temple]]. Wollongong has a long history of coal mining and industry. The city attracts many tourists each year<ref name="TourismNSW_Illawarra_stats">{{Cite web | publisher=Tourism NSW | title=Illawarra Facts & Figures | url=http://corporate.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Illawarra_p914.aspx | access-date=2 January 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525040600/http://corporate.tourism.nsw.gov.au/Illawarra_p914.aspx | archive-date=25 May 2009 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> and is a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. A [[college town|university town]], it is home to the [[University of Wollongong]].

==History==
[[File:Woollongong Prout SLNSW FL20195506.jpg|thumb|left|View of Wollongong, New South Wales, {{circa|1843}}]][[File:View_of_the_town_of_Wollongong,_Illawarra_1857.png|left|thumb|View of the town of Wollongong, Illawarra in 1857]]

The area was originally inhabited by the [[Dharawal]] [[Indigenous Australians]]. The first Europeans to visit the area were the navigators [[George Bass]] and [[Matthew Flinders]], who landed at Lake Illawarra in 1796. The first settlers in the region were cedar cutters in the early nineteenth century, followed by graziers in 1812. [[Charles Throsby]] established a stockman's hut in the area in 1815. The first land grants were made in 1816. In 1830, a military barracks was constructed near the harbour. Further settlers arrived and in 1834 a town was planned. On 26 November 1834, the town was first gazetted and George Brown erected the first court house. The main road down the Escarpment through [[Bulli Pass]] was built by convict labour in 1835–6, although other passes were built during the 19th century as well, such as O'Briens Road and Rixons Pass. By 1856 Wollongong had a population of 864. 
In 1858, a court house was built. In 1861, a horse-drawn tramway from [[Mount Keira]] to the harbour was completed. In 1862 a telegraph line was opened between Wollongong and [[Bellambi, New South Wales|Bellambi]]. In 1865 the first gas supply in Wollongong was provided from a gas plant in Corrimal Street. In 1868 the extensions to the harbour were opened by Lady Belmore and named Belmore Basin. Patrick Lahiff established a coke works at Wollongong Harbour in the 1870s. He erected two beehive coke ovens between the north eastern end of the basin and Pulpit Rock. The ovens were demolished in 1892. The remains of the coke ovens were uncovered and recovered and are now preserved beneath the hill, with a plaque explaining their history.[[File:Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse (21351551761).jpg|thumb|[[Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse]]|left]]
In 1871 the first lighthouse was completed.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} Nevertheless, in 1881 a British [[clipper]], {{ship||Queen of Nations|clipper ship|2}}, ran ashore off the mouth of Towradgi Creek. Her cargo included 24,000 bottles of [[Hennessy]] [[Cognac]]. Local police and NSW [[Customs]] recovered at least 5,000 bottles, but others were looted by members of the public.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/238309697 |title=The Queen of Nations. |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |page=3 |date=5 July 1881 |via=Trove |access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref>[[File:Clipper Queen of Nations.jpg|thumb|A painting of {{ship||Queen of Nations|clipper ship|2}} by [[Richard Ball Spencer]]|left]]

The surviving part of the ''Queen of Nations'' wreck is only about {{convert|70|m}} from the shore, in water only {{convert|3|to|5|m|0}} deep. From time to time, a violent storm uncovers part of the wreck. After one such storm in 1991, looting resumed, including of the Cognac. The Commonwealth Government quickly issued an order protecting the wreck under the then ''[[Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Queen of Nations: A Shipwreck with Influence |url= http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2006/04nutley2006an.pdf |first=David |last=Nutley |work=Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk: Managing Natural and Human Impacts / Heritage at Risk – Special Edition |publisher=International Council on Monuments and Sites |date=April 2006 |access-date=30 May 2022}}</ref> Since 2018 the ''[[Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018]]'' has automatically protected the wreck and its contents, as they are more than 75 years old.

[[File:Aerial view of Wollongong Harbour 1887.jpg|thumb|left|Wollongong N.S.W. 1887; Aerial view of Wollongong Harbour. From the "Illustrated Sydney News" of 15 October 1887.]]
[[File:Wollongong Harbour Flagstaff Lighthouse.jpg|thumb|[[Wollongong Head Lighthouse]] and the [[Flagstaff Hill Fort]]]]

In 1880 steam locomotives were introduced to haul coal from Mount Keira mine to the harbour. Gas street lighting was introduced in 1883. In 1885 a new court house was erected in Market Street. Like many Australian court houses, it was designed in a Classical Revival style considered appropriate for public buildings. It is now listed on the [[Register of the National Estate]].<ref>Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Publishers, 1981, p.2/173</ref> In 1886 the first town hall was erected. The Illawarra Railway to Wollongong was completed in 1887, and now continues as far south as the town of [[Bomaderry, New South Wales|Bomaderry]] on the [[Shoalhaven River]]. The navigator George Bass first documented the Illawarra coal deposits in 1797. There have been many coalmines in the district. Australia's worst coal mining disaster occurred in 1902, at the [[Mount Kembla]] mine when an explosion killed 94 men and boys, the youngest aged 14, the oldest 69. Two other men died attempting to rescue survivors. Survivors were treated at the "A. M. (Albert Memorial) Hospital",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article143024362 |title=Kembla Disaster Notes |newspaper=[[South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus]] |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 August 1902 |accessdate=3 January 2022 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> which opened in 1864 and closed when the Wollongong Hospital opened in 1907<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163659124 |title=Opening of the Wollongong Hospital. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser]] |volume=LXXXIV |issue=2386 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=31 July 1907 |accessdate=3 January 2022 |page=291 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> on Garden Hill. In 1916 the Wollongong High School was opened.

[[File:Wollongong looking south-east 26 November 1937 RAHS (RAHS-Adastra Aerial Survey Collection) (27197371454).jpg|thumb|Wollongong in 1937]]

Heavy industry was attracted to the region by the ready availability of coal. In 1928, Hoskins, later Australian Iron & Steel, started a steelworks at Port Kembla, a few kilometres south of Wollongong. The former Broken Hill Proprietary Company (now [[BHP]] after merging with Billiton plc) acquired AI&S in 1935, but has since spun-out their steel division as a separate company, now known as [[BlueScope]]. The steelworks has grown to become a world-class flat rolled steel producer, operating as a fully integrated steel plant with a production of around 5 million tonnes per year. Other industries to have set up in the massive Port Kembla industrial complex—the largest single concentration of heavy industry in Australia—include a fertiliser plant, an electrolytic copper smelter, a locomotive workshop, a coal export shipping terminal, a grain export shipping terminal and an industrial gases manufacturing plant.

[[File:Crown Street, Wollongong, N.S.W. - 1940s.jpg|thumb|[[Crown Street, Wollongong|Crown Street]] in the 1940s]]

In 1936, the new Wollongong Lighthouse was finished on Flagstaff Point.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.lighthouses.org.au/lights/NSW/Wollongong/Wollongong%20Head.htm |title=The Wollongong Head Lighthouse |access-date=15 March 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304134152/http://www.lighthouses.org.au/lights/NSW/Wollongong/Wollongong%20Head.htm |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1942 Wollongong was proclaimed a City. In 1947 City of Greater Wollongong was formed. In 1954 the population of Wollongong was 90,852. In 1956 new Wollongong City Council Chambers were opened. In 1961 the Wollongong University College was established. In 1963, the Wollongong Teachers College was established. In 1965 the [[Westfield Group|Westfield]] shopping centre at [[Figtree, New South Wales|Figtree]] opened.

In 1985, the railway line was electrified to Wollongong, and in 1993 to Dapto. In 1986 the Wollongong Mall was completed. For a short while, trams (trackless trains) were used in the mall, though this ceased due to dangers involved. The mall was re-opened to traffic after the initial test but re-zoned a pedestrian area after and has remained one since.

In 1987, the council chambers and library building were completed, replacing the old council building at the present art gallery site. The Crown Gateway Shopping Centre was completed. Wollongong Mall was opened. In 1988, the current council administration building was completed, as well as the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre ([[IPAC wollongong|IPAC]]), across the road on Burelli Street. IPAC was officially opened by [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]] and [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Princess Diana]] in 1988. {{Citation needed|date=December 2015}} A sculpture recognizing [[Lawrence Hargrave]] was placed via helicopter on the eastern foothills of [[Mount Keira]]. In 1998 the 6000 seat [[WIN Entertainment Centre|Wollongong Entertainment Centre]] was opened.

In 1999, the Gateway and Crown Central mall buildings were unified as [[Wollongong Central]] and a pedestrian walkway/café was built connecting the buildings in an above ground bridge. In 2000, as part of the Sydney Olympics, the Olympic torch was carried through Wollongong as part of its journey. In 2001, the population of Wollongong reached 181,612. In 2004 the Wollongong City Gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2005 [[Qantas]] established a daily air service from Wollongong to Melbourne that lasted till 2008.

In 2006/2007, the library was renovated, including new facilities, as part of the tenth anniversary of the library's current site. Also at this time the beachfront was renovated with a new lookout and walkway upgrade. In June 2007, erosion was caused via storms to the beaches, the worst in 30 years.

Despite the decline of traditional manufacturing and blue-collar industries due to the abandonment of [[protectionism|protectionist]] economic policies in the 1980s, many of these industrial installations still exist. The city's economy is, however, on the rebound, thanks to diversification of economic activity including higher education, the [[fine arts]], tourism, residential construction and eco-friendly [[electricity generation]]; however, the city's economy still relies primarily on heavy industry, and will continue to in the near future.

In 2024, the wreck of a coal ship was discovered by accident off the coast of Wollongong. The ship, the SS ''Nemesis'', was sailing from Wollongong to Melbourne and sank nearly 120 years ago.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/25/accidental-ocean-floor-discovery-solves-120-year-old-mystery-of-coal-ship-disappearance | title=Accidental ocean floor discovery solves 120-year-old mystery of coal ship disappearance | newspaper=The Guardian | date=25 February 2024 | last1=Visontay | first1=Elias }}</ref>

== Heritage listings ==
[[File:Former Wollongong Post Office.jpg|thumb|Former Post Office, now the Illawarra Museum]]

Wollongong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
*[[Church Street, Wollongong|Church Street]]: [[St Michael's Cathedral, Wollongong|St Michael's Cathedral]]<ref name="nswshr-602">{{cite NSW SHR|5045655|St. Michael's Cathedral & Rectory|hr=00602|fn=10/7440; S91/01160, HC 87/0819|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* Cliff Road: [[North Beach Precinct]]<ref name="nswshr-1737">{{cite NSW SHR|5052983|North Beach Precinct|hr=01737|fn=H04/00331|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* Cliff Road and Endeavour Drive: [[Wollongong Harbour Precinct]]<ref name="nswshr-1823">{{cite NSW SHR|5056349|Wollongong Harbour Precinct|hr=01823|fn=EF14/5893; 09/910; S90/7365|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* 87 [[Crown Street, Wollongong|Crown Street]]: [[87 Crown Street, Wollongong|87 Crown Street]]<ref name="nswshr-467">{{cite NSW SHR|5045687|Shop|hr=00467|fn=S90/04840 & HC 33032|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* 91 Crown Street: [[Old Wollongong East Post Office]]<ref name="nswshr-1616">{{cite NSW SHR|5051724|Wollongong East Post Office|hr=01616|fn=H00/00648|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* Darling Street: [[Elouera House]]<ref name="nswshr-836">{{cite NSW SHR|5045619|Wollongong Hospital Nurses Home|hr=00836|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* Illawarra railway: [[Wollongong railway station]]<ref name="nswshr-1289">{{cite NSW SHR|5012291|Wollongong Railway Station Group|hr=01289|fn=10/11835|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* 197 Keira Street: [[Regent Theatre, Wollongong|Regent Theatre]]<ref name="nswshr-1735">{{cite NSW SHR|5053515|Regent Theatre|hr=01735|fn=H02/00088|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>
* 11 Market Street: [[Old Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office]]<ref name="nswshr-1940">{{cite NSW SHR|5062291|Original Wollongong Telegraph and Post Office|hr=01940|fn=EF14/6341|access-date=18 February 2020}}</ref>
* 31–33 Smith Street: [[Little Milton, Wollongong|Little Milton]]<ref name="nswshr-272">{{cite NSW SHR|5045565|Little Milton|hr=00272|fn=12/19878; S90/06083|access-date=18 May 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Wollongong}}
[[File:Mt Keira views 2017 - Wollongong Central.jpg|thumb|Central Wollongong and its surrounds as viewed from [[Mount Keira]]]]

The city of Wollongong has a distinct geography. It lies on a narrow coastal plain flanked by the [[Tasman Sea]] to the east and a steep sandstone precipice known as the [[Illawarra Escarpment]] to the west. The coastal plain is widest in the south and narrowest in the north, with the city [[Central business district|centre]] located about midway. South of the city centre but within the urban area is Lake Illawarra, a large lagoon. Although Wollongong sits on the immediate coast, it lies on the same [[longitude]] as [[Greater Western Sydney]]. The escarpment ranges between {{Convert|150 and 750|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level, with locally famous mountains such as [[Mount Keira]] ({{Convert|464|m|ft|abbr=on}}), [[Mount Kembla]] ({{Convert|534|m|ft|abbr=on}}), [[Broker's Nose]] ({{Convert|440|m|ft|abbr=on}}) and [[Mount Murray (New South Wales)|Mount Murray]] ({{Convert|768|m|ft|abbr=on}}) to the south. It contains strata of coal measures, and the [[adit]] entrances to many coal mines have been established along the slopes of the escarpment throughout Wollongong. Suburbia encroaches on the escarpment's lower slopes in some areas, but the majority remains in a relatively natural state forested with dry [[sclerophyll]] and pockets of [[temperate rainforest]]. The escarpment is largely protected by a [[Protected areas of New South Wales#State Conservation Areas|State Conservation Area]] and local scenic protection zoning, and provides the visual backdrop to the city.

[[File:Bald Hill, overlooking Stanwell Park.jpg|thumb|Scenic view of Wollongong's northern coastline from [[Bald Hill (Australia)|Bald Hill]], overlooking [[Stanwell Park, New South Wales|Stanwell Park]]|left]]

In the north the escarpment meets the coastline, and north of this the coastal road [[Lawrence Hargrave Drive]] hugs the cliff line. The unstable geology of the escarpment resulted in rockfalls, forcing the closure of the road. Subsequently, part of Lawrence Hargrave Drive was replaced in 2005 by the [[Sea Cliff Bridge]] just off the coast, crossing the submerged rock shelf. The bridge carries both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The [[Illawarra railway line]] must go through several tunnels to reach the Sydney metropolitan area. The [[Southern Freeway]] and [[Princes Highway]] provide alternative inland routes, descending the escarpment further south at [[Bulli Pass]] or at [[Mount Ousley, New South Wales|Mount Ousley]], entering just north of Wollongong's city centre.

To the south the plain reaches its maximum extent around [[Albion Park, New South Wales|Albion Park]] where it incorporates a large coastal saltwater lagoon called [[Lake Illawarra]], separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long sandy spit.

[[File:Walking near Wollongong.jpg|thumb|Wollongong's coastline on the outskirts of the city]]

The coastal strip consists of highly fertile [[alluvium]], which made Wollongong so attractive to agriculturists in the nineteenth century. It contains many hills including the foothills of the escarpment's lower slopes, and while these generally do not exceed one hundred metres in height they give much of the city an undulating character. The coastal strip is traversed by several short but flood-prone and fast-flowing streams and creeks such as Fairy Creek (Para Creek), Cabbage Tree Creek, Allans Creek, Nostaw Ravine, Jimbob Creek, Mullet Creek and [[Macquarie Rivulet]].

The coastline consists of many beaches characterised by fine pale gold-coloured sands; however, these beaches are sometimes interrupted by prominent and rocky headlands, such as Tego Rock, jutting into the sea. In places these headlands have been excavated or extended to create artificial harbours at Wollongong, [[Port Kembla, New South Wales|Port Kembla]], [[Shellharbour, New South Wales|Shellharbour]] and [[Kiama, New South Wales|Kiama]]. Just off the coast south of Wollongong centre, near Port Kembla, lies a group of five islands known collectively as [[Five Islands Nature Reserve|The Five Islands]]. The islands are a wildlife refuge.

[[File:Illawarra Panorama from Mount Keira.jpg|alt=|center|thumb|800x800px|Lookout from the [[Illawarra escarpment]] above the Wollongong metropolitan area]]

===Climate===
Wollongong has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''), bordering on [[humid subtropical]] (''Cfa'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wollongong, New South Wales Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase) |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=960860&cityname=Wollongong,+New+South+Wales,+Australia&units= |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906140556/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=960860&cityname=Wollongong%2C+New+South+Wales%2C+Australia&units= |archive-date=6 September 2015 |access-date=15 February 2019 |website=Weatherbase}}</ref> as its warmest month mean of {{convert|21.9|C|F}}
is just below the subtropical isotherm of {{convert|22|C|F}}. The highest recorded temperature is 44.1&nbsp;°C on 1 January 2006, and the lowest 0.8&nbsp;°C on 27 July 1986. Annually, Wollongong receives 107.4 clear days.<ref name="BOM_Woll">{{Cite web |title=Bureau of Meteorology – Summary statistics WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068188_All.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129052420/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068188_All.shtml |archive-date=29 November 2014 |access-date=20 November 2014 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]]}}</ref>

Rainfall is spread through the months but has a bias to the first half of the year. It is often associated with [[orographic lift]] caused by the escarpment and its exposed location on the Tasman Sea, which makes it more prone to moist easterlies. A significant flood event occurred on 18 August 1998 when Wollongong recorded 316&nbsp;mm of rainfall (the nearby suburb of Mt Ousley recorded in excess of 445&nbsp;mm), mostly falling in a 3-hour period.<ref name="BOM_AUG_1998">{{Cite web |title=SIGNIFICANT WEATHER – AUGUST 1998 |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/public/sigwxsum/sigw0898.shtml#rain |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212060121/http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/services_policy/public/sigwxsum/sigw0898.shtml#rain |archive-date=12 February 2008 |access-date=24 February 2008 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Meteorology]]}}</ref><ref name="GSB_WF">{{Cite web |title=Geography Stimulus Booklet – Wollongong Floods |url=http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Student_broadsheet.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627115002/http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/Documents/Student_broadsheet.pdf |archive-date=27 June 2008 |access-date=24 February 2008}}</ref> Wollongong also experiences [[thunderstorm]]s during the warmer months bringing [[lightning]], heavy rain and occasionally [[hail]].

July and August are known as the windy months, with westerly gales that can gust at over 100&nbsp;km/h.<ref name="BOM_Woll" /> These are generally dry [[Southeast Australian foehn|foehn winds]] off the [[Great Dividing Range]], which are common in the winter and spring on the leeward side of the Ranges.

{{Weather box
| location = Wollongong University (1970–2008) 
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 44.1
| Feb record high C = 41.7
| Mar record high C = 40.2
| Apr record high C = 35.4
| May record high C = 28.5
| Jun record high C = 24.7
| Jul record high C = 25.7
| Aug record high C = 30.3
| Sep record high C = 34.2
| Oct record high C = 38.8
| Nov record high C = 40.6
| Dec record high C = 41.5
| year record high C = 44.1
| Jan high C = 25.8
| Feb high C = 25.8
| Mar high C = 24.5
| Apr high C = 22.6
| May high C = 20.1
| Jun high C = 17.9
| Jul high C = 17.2
| Aug high C = 18.6
| Sep high C = 20.7
| Oct high C = 22.5
| Nov high C = 23.1
| Dec high C = 24.9
| year high C = 22.0
| Jan low C = 17.9
| Feb low C = 18.1
| Mar low C = 16.6
| Apr low C = 13.8
| May low C = 11.6
| Jun low C = 9.6
| Jul low C = 8.4
| Aug low C = 8.6
| Sep low C = 10.5
| Oct low C = 12.5
| Nov low C = 14.2
| Dec low C = 16.3
| year low C = 13.2
| Jan record low C = 9.6
| Feb record low C = 10.3
| Mar record low C = 9.1
| Apr record low C = 5.1
| May record low C = 3.1
| Jun record low C = 2.0
| Jul record low C = 0.8
| Aug record low C = 2.0
| Sep record low C = 3.3
| Oct record low C = 4.7
| Nov record low C = 5.4
| Dec record low C = 8.3
| year record low C = 0.8
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 130.3
| Feb rain mm = 156.4
| Mar rain mm = 160.4
| Apr rain mm = 129.3
| May rain mm = 106.4
| Jun rain mm = 112.4
| Jul rain mm = 63.4
| Aug rain mm = 83.3
| Sep rain mm = 67.4
| Oct rain mm = 100.5
| Nov rain mm = 115.6
| Dec rain mm = 94.6
| year rain mm = 1320.9
| Jan rain days = 13.8
| Feb rain days = 13.7
| Mar rain days = 14.5
| Apr rain days = 11.2
| May rain days = 10.8
| Jun rain days = 9.7
| Jul rain days = 8.5
| Aug rain days = 7.8
| Sep rain days = 9.3
| Oct rain days = 11.4
| Nov rain days = 13.6
| Dec rain days = 13.0
| year rain days = 137.3
| humidity colour = green
| Jan afthumidity = 68
| Feb afthumidity = 69
| Mar afthumidity = 66
| Apr afthumidity = 63
| May afthumidity = 62
| Jun afthumidity = 59
| Jul afthumidity = 54
| Aug afthumidity = 52
| Sep afthumidity = 55
| Oct afthumidity = 61
| Nov afthumidity = 64
| Dec afthumidity = 64
| year humidity = 61
| source 1 = <ref name=BOM_Woll/>
| date = August 2010
}}

== Urban structure ==
[[File:Apartment buildings in Wollongong August 2020.jpg|thumb|Wollongong city centre]]

The [[inner city]] area includes the suburbs of Wollongong and [[North Wollongong, New South Wales|North Wollongong]], extending from Fairy Meadow in the north, west to include the [[Wollongong Hospital]], and south to the [[Greenhouse Park]]. At the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the suburb of Wollongong had a population of 18,442.<ref>{{Census 2016 AUS | id = SSC14358| name = Wollongong (state suburb)|quick=on|access-date=16 July 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Crown Street, Wollongong 20220619110018.jpg|thumb|[[Crown Street, Wollongong|Crown Street]]]]

The CBD is a major commercial hub containing many department stores and specialty shops, offices, and entertainment venues. It is centred on the [[Crown Street, Wollongong#Crown Street Mall|Crown Street Mall]] and [[Wollongong Central]], and approximates the area bounded by Market, Corrimal, and Burelli streets and the [[Illawarra railway line|railway line]]. Surrounding the CBD lies a mixture of parks, reserves, light commercial property, houses and multi-story residential units. Multi-story housing is evident particularly on Smith's Hill, north-east of the CBD, reflecting the popularity of combining inner-city living, coastal views and a beachside lifestyle.
To the east of the city lies Flagstaff Point, a rocky headland with eroded low cliffs topped by a grassy hill. The northern side of the point was excavated by convict labour to form Belmore Basin. This was later extended with the northern breakwater to create Wollongong Harbour. The area is the site of a historic colonial [[Flagstaff Hill Fort|fort]], several restored cannons and two lighthouses, a feature peculiar to the east coast of Australia. The older [[Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse]] located at the harbour entrance was made of wrought iron plates in 1871 and has become an icon of the city. The newer [[Wollongong Head Lighthouse]] was constructed in 1936 atop the Flagstaff Hill and is still used in the early 21st century. Belmore Basin houses the commercial fishing fleet and Fisherman's Co-op, while the main harbour shelters private vessels.

The main beaches of central Wollongong are North Wollongong (or simply North [gong]) Beach, extending from the harbour up to the Fairy lagoon and [[Puckeys Estate Reserve]], and Wollongong City Beach, extending south from Flagstaff Point and into Coniston Beach.

==Demographics==
The Wollongong metropolitan area includes the suburbs, outlying towns and rural localities stretching from [[Helensburgh, New South Wales|Helensburgh]] in the north to [[Municipality of Kiama|Kiama]] in the south. According to the [[2021 Australian census|2021 census]], it had a population of 305,691. 
* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.6% of the population.
* 76.3% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 3.9%, North Macedonia 1.3%, New Zealand 1.1%, Italy 0.9% and India 0.9%.
* 81.7% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Macedonian 2.0%, Italian 1.1%, Arabic 1.1%, Mandarin 0.8%, and Spanish 0.8%.
* The most common responses for religion were No Religion 38.0%, Catholic 23.3% and Anglican 13.6%.
* 5.1% of employed people worked in Hospitals (except Psychiatric Hospitals). Other major industries of employment included Other Social Assistance Services 3.1%, Aged Care Residential Services 2.8%, Supermarket and Grocery Stores 2.6% and Takeaway Food Services 2.5%.<ref name="ABSSUAMAP">{{Cite web |title=2021 Wollongong, Census All persons QuickStats {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census/find-census-data/quickstats/2021/1036 |access-date=2023-05-27 |website=www.abs.gov.au}}</ref>
<gallery mode="nolines" widths="250">
File:StMichaelsCathedral.JPG|[[St Michael's Cathedral, Wollongong|St Michael's Cathedral]]
File:Wollongong StFrancisXavierCathedral.JPG|St Francis Xavier Cathedral
File:Nan Tien teams, Berkeley New South Wales, Úc - panoramio.jpg|alt=|Nan Tien Temple
</gallery>

It is the [[List of cities in Australia by population|third]] largest city in New South Wales and the [[List of cities in Australia by population|tenth]] largest in Australia. Using 2006 [[Australian Bureau of Statistics|ABS]] geography, around 89% of the statistical district's population reside in the built-up urban centre extending from [[Clifton, New South Wales|Clifton]] to [[Shell Cove, New South Wales|Shell Cove]].<ref name="ABS_SD_2006">{{Census 2006 AUS|id=1006|name=Wollongong (NSW) (Statistical District)|quick=on|accessdate=7 September 2008}}</ref><ref name="ABS_UCL_2006">{{Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL184800|name=Wollongong (Urban Centre/Locality)|quick=on|accessdate=7 September 2007}}</ref><ref name="ABS_UCL_MAP">{{Cite web |title=Wollongong Urban Centre/Locality Map |url=http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/ImageServer?id=map,Census,2006,UCL184800 |access-date=7 September 2008 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]}}</ref>

Wollongong is continuing to grow with a population growth of 3.1% for the period 2001 to 2006, although the supply of new residential land is limited by the geography particularly in the northern suburbs. The west [[Dapto, New South Wales|Dapto]] area is a major centre of future growth with plans for 19,000 new dwellings and 50,000 people within 40 years.<ref name="WCC_WestDapto">{{Cite web |title=West Dapto |url=http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/planning/westdapto.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722053531/http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/planning/westdapto.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=22 July 2008 |access-date=16 January 2009 |publisher=[[City of Wollongong|Wollongong City Council]]}}</ref><ref name="WCC_WestDaptoImp">{{Cite web |title=West Dapto Implementation |url=http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/planning/3483.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723023527/http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/planning/3483.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=23 July 2008 |access-date=16 January 2009 |publisher=[[City of Wollongong|Wollongong City Council]]}}</ref> New residential areas are also being developed further south around the [[Albion Park, New South Wales|Albion Park]], [[Shell Cove, New South Wales|Shell Cove]] and [[Kiama, New South Wales|Kiama]] areas.

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="4" | Wollongong Population Growth 1947–2010 <small>(Statistical Local Area)</small>
|- valign="top"
! Year
! Population
! Increase
! Growth
|-
| 1947
| align="right" | 70,135
| align="right" | &nbsp;
| align="right" | &nbsp;
|-
| 1954
| align="right" | 100,725
| align="right" | 30,590
| align="right" | 43.6%
|-
| 1961
| align="right" | 150,387
| align="right" | 49,662
| align="right" | 49.3%
|-
| 1966
| align="right" | 177,432
| align="right" | 27,045
| align="right" | 18.0%
|-
| 1971
| align="right" | 202,800
| align="right" | 25,368
| align="right" | 14.3%
|-
| 1976
| align="right" | 222,250
| align="right" | 19,450
| align="right" | 9.6%
|-
| 1981
| align="right" | 231,400
| align="right" | 9,150
| align="right" | 4.1%
|-
| 1986
| align="right" | 232,240
| align="right" | 840
| align="right" | 0.4%
|-
| 1991
| align="right" | 244,930
| align="right" | 12,690
| align="right" | 5.5%
|-
| 1996
| align="right" | 255,740
| align="right" | 10,810
| align="right" | 4.4%
|-
| 2001
| align="right" | 269,597
| align="right" | 13,857
| align="right" | 5.4%
|-
| 2006
| align="right" | 277,984
| align="right" | 8,387
| align="right" | 3.1%
|-
| 2010
| align="right" | 292,190
| align="right" | 14,206
| align="right" | 5.1%
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:center;font-size:88%" | Source: 1947–1996<ref name="HoW">{{Cite book |title=''A History of Wollongong'' |publisher=The University of Wollongong Press |year=1997 |isbn=0-86418-446-8 |editor=Hagan, Jim |chapter=14. The Emergence of Multicultural Wollongong}}</ref> 2001–2010<ref>{{cite web |date=31 March 2011 |title=Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2009–10 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02009-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129123400/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/3218.02009-10 |archive-date=29 January 2012 |access-date=30 July 2014 |website=Australian Bureau of Statistics }}</ref>
|}

Wollongong has a distinctly multicultural population. Many migrants were attracted to the area by the job opportunities at the [[Port Kembla, New South Wales|Port Kembla]] steelworks in the [[Post war immigration to Australia|post-war period]], and settled in surrounding suburbs such as [[Cringila, New South Wales|Cringila]], [[Warrawong, New South Wales|Warrawong]] and [[Coniston, New South Wales|Coniston]]. By 1966 about 60% of the wage earners at the Australian Iron and Steel steelworks were born overseas coming from over 100 countries.<ref name="HoW" /> These included [[British Australian|British]], [[Irish Australian|Irish]], [[Macedonian Australian|Macedonians]], [[Spanish Australians|Spaniards]], [[Portuguese Australian|Portuguese]], [[Greek Australian|Greeks]], [[Italian Australian|Italians]], [[Arab Australians|Arabs]], [[Russian Australians|Russians]], [[Bosnian Australian|Bosnians]], [[Croatian Australian|Croatians]], [[Serbian Australian|Serbians]], [[German Australian|Germans]], [[Turkish Australian|Turks]], [[Lebanese Australian|Lebanese]], [[Chilean Australian|Chileans]] and [[Brazilian Australians|Brazilians]].<ref name="HoW" /> With the end of the [[White Australia policy]] these were followed by Indo-Chinese refugees in the 1970s, [[Indian Australian|Indians]], [[Filipino Australian|Filipinos]], [[Chinese Australian|Chinese]], [[Japanese Australians|Japanese]], [[Malaysian Australian|Malaysians]], [[Singaporean Australian|Singaporeans]], [[Korean Australians|Koreans]], [[Vietnamese Australians|Vietnamese]], [[Cambodian Australians|Cambodians]], and [[South Sea Islanders|Pacific Islanders]] in the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name="HoW" /> The [[University of Wollongong]] continues to attract students and staff from all over the world, with around 5,000 overseas student enrolments and countless overseas professors working there.<ref name="UoW_stats">{{Cite web | publisher=[[University of Wollongong]] | title=Key Statistics | url=http://www.uow.edu.au/about/keystatistics/index.html | access-date=2 January 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217073558/http://www.uow.edu.au/about/keystatistics/index.html | archive-date=17 December 2008 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Around 20,000 people commute daily to jobs in Sydney by road and [[Illawarra railway line|rail]], making it one of the busiest commuter corridors in Australia.<ref name="IBC_ITIP">{{Cite web |title=Illawarra transport infrastructure priorities |url=http://www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/reference/influence_government/1742_Illawarra_Report.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225160951/http://www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au/reference/influence_government/1742_Illawarra_Report.pdf |archive-date=25 February 2009 |access-date=17 January 2009 |publisher=[[Illawarra Business Chamber]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Politics and government==
[[File:Wollongong City Council Admin Building.JPG|thumb|200x200px|Wollongong City Council]]

Two federal [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|divisions]] in the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] are mostly or entirely located in Greater Wollongong: [[Division of Cunningham|Cunningham]] and [[Division of Whitlam|Whitlam]], with a very small portion of [[Division of Gilmore|Gilmore]] being in the far southern suburbs of the city. On the state level, there are four [[Electoral districts of New South Wales|electoral districts]] of the [[New South Wales Legislative Assembly|Legislative Assembly]] that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong: [[Electoral district of Heathcote|Heathcote]], [[Electoral district of Keira|Keira]], [[Electoral district of Shellharbour|Shellharbour]] and [[Electoral district of Wollongong|Wollongong]], with a very small portion of [[Electoral district of Kiama|Kiama]] being in the far southern suburbs of the city.

[[File:WollongongCourtHouse.JPG|thumb|Wollongong Court House|200x200px]]

The city of Wollongong has traditionally voted for the [[centre-left]] [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]] over the [[centre-right]] [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal Party]]. Labor holds both of the two federal seats mostly or entirely located in Wollongong, as well as all four of the state seats that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong. However, the Liberal Party has held the Wollongong-based state seat of Heathcote multiple times (including for 12 consecutive years from the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]]'s [[2011 New South Wales state election|2011]] [[landslide victory]] until Labor's return to power in [[2023 New South Wales state election|2023]], note that [[Redistribution (Australia)|redistribution]] made Heathcote a notional Labor seat as it moved south to included more of Wollongong and less of southern Sydney). However, even in 2011 (when Labor suffered the worst defeat of a sitting New South Wales government in the state's history and the Coalition won the largest [[majority government]] in the state's history), Labor still won every Wollongong-based seat except Heathcote, making the Illawarra the only region in the state where Labor won more seats than the Coalition. The last time the Liberals won a Wollongong-based state seat other than Heathcote was in [[1968 New South Wales state election|1968]], when the Coalition won the seat of Wollongong for one term before Labor regained it in [[1971 New South Wales state election|1971]].

On the local level, there are two Wollongong-based [[Local government in New South Wales|local government areas]] (LGAs): the [[City of Wollongong]] and the [[City of Shellharbour]], with a very small portion of the [[Municipality of Kiama]] being located in the far southern suburbs of the city. The City of Wollongong is represented by a directly elected [[List of mayors and lord mayors of Wollongong|Lord Mayor]] (currently Tania Brown) and 12 councillors (four each per ward): with [[NSW Labor Party|Labor]] having eight seats, [[The Greens NSW|the Greens]] having three and the remaining two seats being held by independents Andrew Anthony and Ryan Morris. The City of Shellharbour has an indirectly elected [[Mayor of Shellharbour|Mayor]] (currently independent [[Chris Homer]]) and eight councillors: four generic independents, three Labor councillors and one councillor from the [[List of local government political parties in Australia|Kellie Marsh Independent Team]].

==Education==
[[File:UOW Smart Infrastructure Facility.jpg|thumb|The [[SMART Infrastructure Facility]], on the [[University of Wollongong]] campus]]

===Tertiary and further education===
There are two campuses of the [[Illawarra Institute of TAFE]]. The Wollongong Campus is the network's largest campus, and it offers a variety of courses.

Wollongong has one university, the [[University of Wollongong]], which was formerly part of the [[University of New South Wales]]. The university was awarded the "Australian University of the Year" in two consecutive years (1999–2000, 2000–2001) by the Good Universities Guide, and is internationally recognised.<ref name="UoW_awards">{{Cite web|title=Awards and Achievements|url=http://www.uow.edu.au/about/awards/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217073543/http://www.uow.edu.au/about/awards/index.html|archive-date=17 December 2008|access-date=2 January 2009|publisher=[[University of Wollongong]]|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It has two main campuses: the primary campus on Northfields Avenue, and the Innovation Campus on Squires Way. The university's Sydney Business School also has a secondary campus in [[Sydney]].

===Schools===
Wollongong has a number of primary and high schools, including public, denominational and independent.

==Media==
Wollongong has one daily newspaper, ''[[The Illawarra Mercury]]'', published and issued Monday to Saturday by [[Australian Community Media]] (ACM). Additionally, ACM publishes several free community newspapers, including the ''[[Wollongong Advertiser|Advertiser incorporating Lake Times]]'' and ''[[The Kiama Independent and Illawarra and Shoalhaven Advertiser|Kiama Independent]]''.<ref>[https://www.acmadcentre.com.au/brands/ ACM Ad Centre]</ref>

Wollongong and the Illawarra region are serviced by three commercial television networks – [[WIN Television]], the [[Seven Network]] and [[Network 10]]. The [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] (ABC) and the [[Special Broadcasting Service]] (SBS) also broadcast television services to Wollongong. In addition to these channels, ten new channels broadcasting in are also available in Wollongong and the greater Illawarra region. These channels include [[ABC HD (Australian TV channel)|ABC HD]], [[ABC Kids (Australia)|ABC Kids]], [[ABC Family (Australian TV channel)|ABC Family]], [[ABC Entertains]], [[ABC News (Australian TV channel)|ABC News]], [[7HD]], [[7two]], [[7mate]], [[7flix]], [[7Bravo]], [[9HD]], [[9Go! (Australian TV channel)|9Go!]], [[9Gem (Australian TV channel)|9Gem]], [[9Life]], [[10 HD]], [[10 Drama]], [[10 Comedy]]. [[Nickelodeon (Australian TV channel)|Nickelodeon]], [[SBS (Australian TV channel)|SBS HD]], [[SBS Viceland]], [[SBS World Movies]], [[SBS Food]], [[National Indigenous Television|NITV]] and [[SBS WorldWatch]]. In some areas it is also possible to pick up Sydney channels. Subscription Television service [[Foxtel]] (formerly [[Austar]]) is also available via satellite.

Of the three main commercial networks:
*[[WIN Television]] airs a half-hour local ''[[WIN News]]'' each weeknight at 5:30pm, produced and broadcast from the network's headquarters in the city.
*[[Network 10]] (formerly [[10 (Southern Cross Austereo)|Southern Cross 10]]) airs short news & weather updates of ''[[10 News]]'' throughout the day from [[Hobart]].
*The [[Seven Network]] airs short local news and weather updates of ''[[Seven News]]'' throughout the day, produced and broadcast from its [[Canberra]] studios.

The region receives five ABC radio services – [[ABC Illawarra]] 97.3FM, [[Triple J]] 98.9, and [[Radio National]] 1431 AM, [[ABC Classic FM]] 95.7 and [[ABC NewsRadio|Newsradio]] 90.9FM. There are two commercial radio stations [[i98FM]] 98.1 and [[96.5 Wave FM|WAVE FM]] 96.5 – formerly 2WL, and two [[community radio]] stations [[Vox FM]] 106.9 and Christian broadcaster 94.1 FM.<ref name=SA_FMSyd>{{Cite web| publisher=Scanner Australia | title=All Current Sydney FM Stations | url = http://www.scanneraustralia.com/nswfrequencies/fmradiosydney.html | access-date =31 August 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080719054144/http://www.scanneraustralia.com/nswfrequencies/fmradiosydney.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 19 July 2008}}</ref>

On the 17th of November 2021 the board game ''[[Monopoly (game)|Monopoly]]'' launched a 'Wollongong' Edition.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Wollongong Monopoly Game Launch - Where to Buy |url=https://wollongongcbd.com.au/monopoly-wollongong/ |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=wollongongcbd.com.au |language=en}}</ref> It showcases a number of Wollongong attractions including: [[Nan Tien Temple]], [[Mount Keira]], and the [[Sea Cliff Bridge]].<ref name=":0" />

==Transport==
===Road===
{{Main|Princes Motorway}}
[[File:Sea Cliff Bridge, Wollongong, NSW.jpg|alt=|thumb|219x219px|The [[Sea Cliff Bridge]] on [[Lawrence Hargrave Drive]] bypasses a dangerous section of the [[Illawarra Escarpment]].]]

The main road connecting Wollongong is the [[Princes Motorway|M1 Princes Motorway]] (formerly the F6). The motorway, part of National Route 1, descends the escarpment via Mount Ousley Road to enter the city near the [[University of Wollongong]] and exits at its southern fringe. A second freeway, Memorial Drive (formerly the Northern Distributor), continues northward from the university to connect Wollongong's northern suburbs, [[Bulli Pass]] and the scenic [[Lawrence Hargrave Drive]]. If one continues up [[Bulli Pass]] one will either merge onto The [[Princes Motorway|M1]] towards [[Sutherland]] and [[Sydney]]  or [[Appin Road|B69]] towards [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]] and the rest of [[Western Sydney]]. The [[Illawarra Highway]] connects Wollongong's southern suburbs to the [[Southern Highlands (New South Wales)|Southern Highlands]] via [[Macquarie Pass]].

=== Rail ===
[[File:Wollongong Station.jpg|thumb|Wollongong railway station]]
{{Main|Illawarra railway line}}

{{rws|Wollongong}} is served by the [[Illawarra railway line]]. Passenger rail services on this line connect the centres of [[Nowra, New South Wales|Nowra]] and [[Kiama, New South Wales|Kiama]] to the south and Sydney to the north. A branch line connects suburbs between the CBD and [[Port Kembla, New South Wales|Port Kembla]]. A passenger rail service connecting [[Unanderra-Moss Vale railway line|Wollongong to the Southern Highlands]] has since been replaced with a coach service. [[Wollongong railway station]] is the city's main train station, and serves Wollongong's CBD.

Freight services connect Sydney markets with Port Kembla and the [[Manildra Group]] factory at [[Bomaderry]]. The Southern Highlands line is used primarily for freight, providing an important bypass for Sydney's congested rail network.

===Bus===
Route services in Wollongong are provided by [[Premier Transport Group#Premier Illawarra|Premier Illawarra]] and [[Dion's Bus Service]] who also provide school/charter services together with some other companies. Wollongong railway station serves as the network's hub. A Bus Interchange is also located near Wollongong University. Services connect Wollongong suburbs to [[Shellharbour City Centre]], [[Port Kembla, New South Wales|Port Kembla]], [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]] in [[Western Sydney]] and the [[Royal National Park]] as well as the [[Southern Highlands (New South Wales)|Southern Highlands]] . There is also a Free Shuttle Bus service that connects the CBD, university and the suburbs of North Wollongong, Fairy Meadow and Gwynneville which acts as a tram.<ref>{{Cite web |title={{!}} transportnsw.info |url=https://transportnsw.info/routes/details/illawarra-buses-network/55a/6755A |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=transportnsw.info}}</ref>

===Air===
{{Main|Shellharbour Airport}}
[[File:Shellharbour Airport 03.jpg|thumb|[[Shellharbour Airport]] terminal]]

Wollongong is serviced by [[Shellharbour Airport]], also known as ''Illawarra Regional Airport'' and ''Wollongong Airport.'' The Airport is located in [[Albion Park Rail, New South Wales|Albion Park Rail]], 18&nbsp;km south of Wollongong CBD in the [[Shellharbour City]] LGA.

Regular Public Transport (RPT) air services to Melbourne (Essendon) and Brisbane airports were recommenced by [[Fly Corporate]] in 2018, following the cancellation of previous services offered by JetGo and QantasLink. Fly Corporate operates 34 seat SAAB 340B turboprop aircraft.

There are multiple air charter businesses including NSW Air, EliteJet and Touchdown Helicopters. The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) is also based at the airport. 

The nearest international airport is [[Sydney Airport]] which is located 74 km south of the city.

===Port===
{{main|Port Kembla harbour}}
Wollongong is served by [[Port Kembla harbour]], which is a major export location for coal mined in the southern and western regions of New South Wales. As part of the state government's plan to divert ships containing automobiles, the port has received significant upgrades and infrastructure including a new Maritime Office and many jobs have been created as the need for port logistics grows.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Port Kembla {{!}} NSW Ports|url=https://www.nswports.com.au/port-kembla|access-date=2020-11-03|website=www.nswports.com.au}}</ref> [[Patrick Corporation]] holds a contract for integrated port services in the harbour and transports goods by road or rail through its parent company [[Pacific National]].

The port has a range of berths for loading coal, grain,<ref>{{Cite web|title=OUR PORTS|url=http://www.quattroports.com.au/our-ports.html|access-date=2020-12-15|website=Quattro Ports|language=en}}</ref> shipping containers and other goods. As of 2020, a gas export terminal is also under development.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-17|title=NSW fast-tracks Port Kembla gas terminal|url=https://www.energymagazine.com.au/nsw-fast-tracks-port-kembla-gas-terminal/|access-date=2020-12-15|website=Energy Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>
 
[[File:Ptkembla.jpg|thumb|center|500px|Port Kembla Harbour, taken from Breakwater Battery]]

Port Kembla was identified by the [[Department of Defence (Australia)|Australian Defence Department]] in 2023 as the most likely location to homeport the future Australian nuclear-powered submarines, probably active no earlier than the 2030s.<ref name=abc20230313>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-14/nuclear-submarine-aukus-how-cost-impact-military-capability/102089496 Nuclear submarine deal will deeply impact the Australian Defence Force. Has the government got it right?], ABC News, 13 March 2023, retrieved 22 March 2023.</ref>

==Culture==

===Arts===
[[File:Gleniffer Brae Manor House Wollongong.JPG|alt=|thumb|Gleniffer Brae Manor House, home to the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music|left]]

Wollongong maintains an active arts scene. In the area of music the city is home to various music and jazz ensembles. The [[Wollongong Conservatorium of Music]] provides musical tuition for instruments and voice in classical, jazz and contemporary styles. It is one of the largest regional conservatoriums in Australia and located in the historic Gleniffer Brae Manor House, part of the [[Wollongong Botanic Gardens]].

The local professional theatre company, [http://www.merrigong.com.au/ Merrigong Theatre Company], is located at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Merrigong also manages the city's key civic and community venue, the Wollongong Town Hall, and presents a diverse range of events in the heart of the city. Other local theatre groups include The Arcadians, The Phoenix Theatre and Wollongong Workshop Theatre.

[[Yours and Owls]] festival is Wollongong's biggest annual [[music festival]] which attracts tens of thousands of people and international performers. The first edition was in 2014.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |last1=Moskovitch |first1=Greg |date=23 July 2014 |title=Yours & Owls 4th Birthday Party Lineup Announced |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/yours-owls-4th-birthday-party-lineup-announced/ |access-date=4 March 2025 |publisher=Music Feeds}}</ref> In 2025, it hosted 30,000 people.<ref name=":02">{{Cite news |last=McLaren |first=Nick |date=3 March 2025 |title=Pill-testing trial at Wollongong's Yours and Owls Festival 'really positive' |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-03/pill-testing-trial-wollongong-yours-and-owl-festival/105002284 |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]}}</ref>

The popular 1990s stoner rock band [[Tumbleweed (band)|Tumbleweed]] were formed and based in Wollongong, as are [[Surf music|surf rock]] duo [[Hockey Dad]].

The annual Wollongong Eisteddfod showcases local talent in music, theatre and dance.

[[File:Wollongong Art Gallery August 2020.jpg|thumb|Wollongong Art Gallery]]

The Wollongong Art Gallery houses a significant collection of the art of the Illawarra, contemporary Australian, Aboriginal and Asian art. Wollongong also hosts Wonderwalls, an annual street art festival featuring local and internationally acclaimed street artists.

[[List of The X Factor finalists (Australia season 7)#Cyrus Villanueva|Cyrus Villanueva]], winner of [[The X Factor (Australia season 7)|the seventh season of ''The X Factor Australia'']], was born and raised in Wollongong.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3397803/illawarra-cheer-squad-backing-cyrus/|title=Illawarra cheer squad backing Cyrus|publisher=Illawarra Mercury|first=Desirée|last=Savage|date=2 October 2015|access-date=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124204336/http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/3397803/illawarra-cheer-squad-backing-cyrus/|archive-date=24 November 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Entertainment and nightlife===
[[File:Hotel Illawarra 20180421.jpg|thumb|Hotel Illawarra]]

Entertainment venues include the [[Crown Street, Wollongong|Crown Street Mall]], many restaurants and cafes, the town cinemas and the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre. Adjacent to [[WIN Stadium]], the home ground of the NRL team [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]], is the [[WIN Entertainment Centre]] (WEC), a multipurpose venue which hosts concerts and sporting events (including Southern Stars, basketball and motocross stunt shows).

The WIN Entertainment Centre has hosted world-renowned performers including [[Lady Gaga]], [[Ed Sheeran]], [[Guy Sebastian]], [[Anastacia]], [[John Farnham]], [[Keith Urban]], [[Tina Arena]], [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], [[Jimmy Barnes]], [[Bryan Adams]], [[John Mayer]], [[Delta Goodrem]], [[the Veronicas]], [[Alanis Morissette]], [[the Script]], [[X Ambassadors]], [[Cher]], [[Cyndi Lauper]], [[Billy Ocean]], [[Kelly Clarkson]], [[Jack Johnson (musician)|Jack Johnson]], [[Disney on Ice]], and [[the Wiggles]].

Even though the WEC is the biggest venue in Wollongong, many popular singers have performed in other venues in the Wollongong area such as Anita's Theatre in [[Thirroul]] and Waves in [[Towradgi, New South Wales|Towradgi]]. Famous artists that have performed in Wollongong include [[Charli XCX]], [[Tones and I]], [[Troye Sivan]], [[Keith Urban]], [[The Goo Goo Dolls]], [[Tame Impala]], [[Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners]], [[Guns N' Roses]], [[Boney M.]], [[Vance Joy]], [[Alicia Keys]], [[Kip Moore]], [[Lime Cordiale]], [[Belinda Carlisle]], [[Jayda G]], [[Isabel LaRosa]], [[Sheppard (band)|Sheppard]], [[Denzel Curry]], [[Rita Ora]], [[Tyga]], [[Cyril (DJ)|Cyril]], [[Fontaines D.C.]], [[Pnau]], [[Vengaboys]], [[the Veronicas]], [[Leon Bridges]], [[Declan McKenna]], [[Ty Dolla Sign]], [[Missy Higgins]], and [[Elton John]]. There are numerous city nightclubs, pubs and registered clubs. The 80-capacity [[Rad Bar]] in Crown Street was considered one of the most iconic live music venues in the Illawarra until it closed in 2019.<ref name="Newstead170419">{{Cite web |last=Newstead |first=Al |date=17 April 2019 |title=Hockey Dad remember Rad Bar, the Wollongong institution that's coming to an end |url=https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/news/hockey-dad-remember-wollongong-rad-bar-live-music-venue-closure/11024316 |access-date=14 October 2024 |website=[[Triple J]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref><ref name="Savage170419">{{Cite news |last=Savage |first=Desiree |date=17 April 2019 |title=Wollongong's Rad Bar announces official closing date |url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/6056384/wollongongs-rad-bar-calls-last-drinks-with-closing-date-now-set/ |access-date=17 March 2025 |work=Illawarra Mercury}}</ref> Most suburbs also have their own hotels, each with individual character.

===Recreation===
[[File:Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse (8562842041).jpg|thumb|[[Ocean pools in Australia|Ocean baths]] on the coastline|left]]

Wollongong has 17 seasonally-patrolled local beaches: Stanwell Park, Coalcliff, Scarborough/Wombarra, Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul, Sandon Point, Bulli, Woonona, Bellambi, Corrimal, Towradgi, Fairy Meadow, North Wollongong, Wollongong City, Port Kembla and Windang. Surfing, rock fishing, swimming, skimboarding are common activities. The [[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.
 
[[File:2023-04-01 Wollongong Botanic Garden 8.jpg|thumb|[[Wollongong Botanic Garden]]]]

Wollongong has many parks. In the city centre is [[MacCabe Park]], featuring a playground, the local youth centre, a war memorial, community hall, a sculpture called "Nike" and a brick amphitheatre. Lang Park, adjacent to the city beach, has a number of shelters built in the 1950s. These were subject for demolition but were saved by a community vote. Stuart Park, to the coastal north of the city but south of Fairy Lagoon and [[Puckeys Estate Reserve]], is well known as a landing spot for skydivers as well as a place for outdoor recreation and social gatherings. Stuart Park is also distinctive for its [[Norfolk Island]] Pines, planted during the North Wollongong tourism boom in the 1920s. J.&nbsp;J.&nbsp;Kelly Park to the south is used by circuses, as well as a protected area of creek leading to the [[Greenhouse Park]] north of the Port Kembla Steelworks, containing a revegetated area of once waste and a lookout, as well as the small remnants of Tom Thumb Lagoon, which once stretched north to Swan Street. Beaton Park in [[Gwynneville, New South Wales|Gwynneville]] is home to Tennis Wollongong and the Leisure Centre with an athletics complex, indoor heated swimming pool, gymnasium and multipurpose sports hall.

== Sport ==
Wollongong is home to two professional sports teams, the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] of the [[National Rugby League]] and the [[Illawarra Hawks]] of the [[National Basketball League (Australia)|National Basketball League]].

=== Rugby league ===
[[File:WIN STADIUM, Wollongong.jpg|alt=|thumb|WIN stadium, one of two home grounds used by the [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]].]]

The most popular sport in Wollongong is [[rugby league]]. The [[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] rugby league club represents the city in the [[National Rugby League|National Rugby League (NRL)]] competition. The club was formed in a merger between the [[St. George Dragons]] and the [[Illawarra Steelers]] in 1999, and they play half their home games at [[WIN Stadium]] in Downtown Wollongong. They won the [[2010 NRL Grand Final]] against the Sydney Roosters.

Prior to the merger the Illawarra Steelers had represented the area in the [[New South Wales Rugby League premiership]] and NRL between 1982 and 1998. The [[Illawarra Steelers]] continue to represent the Illawarra region in all four [[NSWRL]] Junior Representative Competitions: the [[SG Ball Cup]], [[Harold Matthews Cup]], [[Tarsha Gale Cup]], and the [[Lisa Fiaola Cup]].

Rugby League has been played in Wollongong since 1911, and the area has produced at least 41 international players.<ref name="SGID_IH">{{Cite web| publisher=[[St. George Illawarra Dragons]] | title=Illawarra History | url = http://www.dragons.com.au/default.aspx?s=illawarra
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227155243/http://www.dragons.com.au/default.aspx?s=illawarra|archive-date=27 February 2012| access-date =9 November 2010 }}</ref> At the local level league continues to have a strong following with a number of teams playing in the [[Illawarra Rugby League]] and [[Group 7 Rugby League]] competitions. The Illawarra League features 14 senior clubs north of Lake Illawarra, and 5 of Group 7's clubs are located in the Wollongong urban area around the Shellharbour district.

=== Basketball ===
The [[Illawarra Hawks]] basketball team play in the [[National Basketball League (Australia)|National Basketball League]] and are the only NBL club to have competed in every season since the league's inception in 1979. Home games are played at the [[WIN Entertainment Centre]], nicknamed as "The Sandpit" in the NBL due to its close proximity to the beach.<ref name="WH_Venue">{{cite web |title=Venue and Season by Season results |url=http://www.nbl.com.au/hawks/history/season-by-season/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110184550/http://www.nbl.com.au/hawks/history/season-by-season/ |archive-date=10 November 2010 |access-date=7 November 2010 |publisher=Basketball Australia |df=dmy-all}}</ref> This makes the Hawks the only professional sports team to play all home games in the Illawarra. The Hawks won the 2001 NBL Championship.[[File:WIN Entertainment Centre 20180421.jpg|thumb|[[WIN Entertainment Centre]]]]In addition to the NBL side, local community basketball competitions are run by [[Basketball Illawarra]]. Basketball Illawarra's representative side, also called the Illawarra Hawks, compete in the Basketball NSW competition, the [[Waratah League]].

=== Football ===
[[Wollongong Wolves FC|Wollongong Wolves]] compete in the [[National Premier Leagues NSW]], the second-tier of [[association football|football]] in Australia.  In late 2008, the club folded due to debts incurred over the past season, but was rescued financially by community support,<ref>
[https://archive.today/20120718232212/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/01/2433937.htm Supporters save Wollongong FC – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and as a community-owned [[not-for-profit organisation]] has been successful in competitions.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} A consortium named Great South Football is preparing the Illawarra's [[South Coast A-League bid]]. [[Scott Chipperfield]], a Wollongong native who became a professional football player in Europe, has expressed an interest in being involved in a Wollongong football club playing in the [[A-League]].{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}<!-- [[Tim Cahill]] was mentioned but meaning was ambiguous — if just to mention he also played in Europe it is irrelevant --> It is proposed that a new community-based entity would then take on their Football NSW licence. [[Illawarra Stingrays]] compete  in the [[National Premier Leagues Women's]], the second tier of Women's [[association football|football]] in Australia.

=== Other sports ===
The city does not have a senior cricket team representing it, however there are two strong local competitions; Cricket Illawarra and Cricket South Coast. [[Ireland national cricket team|Ireland]] captain [[Trent Johnston]] grew up in [[Dapto, New South Wales|Dapto]] and played for [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] before leaving for Ireland. [[Australia cricket team|Australian internationals]] and New South Wales players [[Brett Lee|Brett]] and [[Shane Lee (cricketer)|Shane Lee]] were raised in [[Oak Flats]] and played for the local cricket club Oak Flat Rats.

The [[Illawarriors]] are a [[rugby union]] club based in the Illawarra, who contest the [[Shute Shield]] NSW club competition. The club play some of their home games at WIN Stadium. Local rugby union is played in the [[Illawarra Rugby Union]].

The [[Wollongong Lions]] is an [[Australian rules football]] club that competes in the [[AFL South Coast]] competition. The club is based at [[North Dalton Park]].

The first recorded match of water polo in Wollongong 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/132198918?searchTerm=wollongong%20swimming%20club%20water%20polo|title=WOLLONGONG SWIMMING CLUB.|newspaper=Illawarra Mercury|date=26 April 1894 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.illwp.com/about/why-illawarra-water-polo/|title=Why Illawarra Water Polo|website=Illawarra Water Polo}}</ref>

The Illawarra Cycling Club holds road cycle races almost every week of the year. During the summer, velodrome racing is also promoted at the Unanderra Velodrome on the Princes Highway. A recent focus within the club has seen a shift to encompass a stronger emphasis on youth development programs alongside its already strong commitment to competitive under 19's, 23's and adult road racing. The club is represented at a state and national level regularly and has had several riders compete at international levels.

The Gong Scorpions are the local [[Floorball]] team from the Wollongong area. The Club plays socially at the Wollongong University and has recently been re-established in order to compete in the NSW Elite Series.

Baseball has been played in the region with structured competitions conducted since 1938. The Illawarra District Baseball Association was the governing body from this year until 1991 when the Illawarra Baseball League was created.
The Illawarra Junior Baseball League was inaugurated in 1984 to accommodate a growing number of juniors that peaked at around 950 players in 1995.
Eight regional clubs from four Local Government Areas play in the I B L.
A regional club, the Illawarra Flame Baseball Club, fielded teams in four grades in the New South Wales Baseball League Sydney Major League from 1994 to 2007. The first grade team made the Grand Final in their inaugural season. The Club won a total of four premierships while participating.
The IFBC played their inaugural games against the All Kawasaki Baseball Club in August 1994 the games being the first sporting exchange between the Sister Cities, Wollongong and Kawasaki.

The Wollongong Whales compete against [[Bondi Icebergs Club|Bondi Icebergs Winter Swimming Club]], South Maroubra Dolphins Winter Swimming Club, Cronulla Polar Bears Winter Swimming Club, Maroubra Seals Winter Swimming Club, Coolangatta Surf Life Saving Club, Clovelly Eskimos Winter Swimming Club, Bronte Splashers, Coogee Penguins Winter Swimming Club and Cottesloe Crabs in the Winter Swimming Association of Australia Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsaainc.com|title=Winter Smimming Association of Australia|access-date=4 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204161521/http://www.wsaainc.com/|archive-date=4 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other popular sports in the Illawarra include golf, rock climbing, surfing, [[Sport stacking|cup stacking]], triathlon, [[Ultimate (sport)|ultimate frisbee]] and mountain biking.

In the book ''[[Quidditch Through the Ages]]'' by [[J. K. Rowling]], the [[Wollongong Warriors]] are listed as one of Australia's [[Quidditch (real-life sport)|quidditch]] teams. They have a rivalry with the Thundelarra Thunderers, and are the inventors of the Wollongong Shimmy, a high-speed zig-zag move designed to confuse and distract opposing Chasers. Wollongong Warriors were a real club in [[Quadball in Australia|Quidditch Australia]] (now Quadball Australia), a quidditch league.

Wollongong hosted the [[UCI Road World Championships]] in [[2022 UCI Road World Championships|2022]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Wollongong To Host 2022 UCI World Championships|url=http://www.bicyclingaustralia.com.au/news/wollongong-to-host-2022-uci-world-championships|website=Bicycling Australia|date=6 October 2018 |access-date=15 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015042355/http://www.bicyclingaustralia.com.au/news/wollongong-to-host-2022-uci-world-championships|archive-date=15 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Attractions==
[[File:2015-06-28 Wollongong Foreshore Park 15.jpg|thumb|right|Pier at the Wollongong Foreshore Park]]

In addition to numerous swimming, skate spots and surfing beaches, major visitor attractions to Wollongong City include:

{{div col|colwidth=48em}}
* [[Wollongong Botanic Gardens]]
* [[Wollongong to Thirroul Bike Track|Cycling to Sandon Point from North Wollongong]]
* Wollongong Harbour (Belmore Basin), [[Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse]], [[Wollongong Head Lighthouse]] and surrounding foreshores
* Illawarra Light Railway Museum, with light and miniature train rides
* Illawarra Museum
* Wollongong Town Hall
* Wollongong City Library
* [[Wollongong Art Gallery]] 
* Bulli Tops ([[Sublime Point]]), [[Mount Keira]], [[Port Kembla, New South Wales|Port Kembla]] ([[Illowra Battery]]), Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk
* [[Nan Tien Temple]]
* Hill 60 Port Kembla 
* Fisherman's Beach
* Science Centre and Planetarium
* [[WIN Stadium]]
{{div col end}}

==Sister and friendship cities==
Wollongong has [[sister city]] and friendship city arrangements with:<ref>{{Cite web | title = Sister cities | publisher = Wollongong City Council | url = http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/city/sistercities/pages/default.aspx | access-date = 7 November 2010 | date = 26 July 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101017134454/http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/city/sistercities/Pages/default.aspx | archive-date = 17 October 2010 | url-status = live | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/my-community/art-and-culture/sister-cities | title = Art and Culture: Sister Cities | publisher= City of Wollongong | access-date= 6 April 2025}}</ref>

* [[Kawasaki, Kanagawa|Kawasaki]], Japan, formally established 1988.
* [[Ohrid]], North Macedonia, established 1981, formalised in 1999.
* [[Longyan]], China (friendship city), formally established 2001.
* [[Nova Scotia]], Canada, lifeguard exchange program for more than 25 years.
* [[Carrathool, New South Wales]], inter-council friendship agreement since 2008.

==Notable people==
{{Main|List of people from Wollongong}}

==See also==
{{Portal|New South Wales}}

* [[List of Wollongong suburbs]]
* [[Norman Gunston]] and ''[[Aunty Jack Sings Wollongong]]''
* [[HMAS Wollongong|HMAS ''Wollongong'']]
* [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]]
* [[Geelong]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|Wollongong}}
{{Commons category|Wollongong}}
{{EB1911 poster|Wollongong}}
{{Wikivoyage|Wollongong}}
* [http://www.wollongong.nsw.gov.au/ Wollongong City Council]

{{Wollongong suburbs|state = uncollapsed}}
{{Cities of Australia}}
{{Wollongong Sports Teams}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Wollongong| ]]
[[Category:City of Wollongong]]
[[Category:1834 establishments in Australia]]
[[Category:Coastal cities in Australia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1834]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in New South Wales]]