Wollongong, NSW ("The Gong"), is located in the Illawarra district on the coast of the Tasman Sea, 80 km south of Sydney.
With a coastal
environment characterised by rocky cliffs by the sea, Wollongong is an area of great beauty, which is emerging from a mining and industrial past.
Wodi Wodi is the name of the Aboriginal people who live around Wollongong. They are part of the larger group of Dharawal people who are united by a common language.
The name Wollongong comes from the Aboriginal language of
the region, but there are various explanations about what the word means. One suggestion is that the name is onomatopoeic coming from the word, "Wol-lon-yuh" describing the crashing waves and surf of the coast i.e the "sound of the sea". Others say that the Aboriginal word "woolyungah" means five islands. For others see
here.
Archaeological evidence indicates that Aboriginal people have lived in the Illawarra region for at least 20,000 years as part of the original diaspora which left Africa 50,000-55,000 years ago (
see here). However, according to Aboriginal Dreaming stories, Aboriginal people came from
this land and the Earth is their mother. Aboriginal people of the Illawarra call their Dreaming the Alcheringa.
When the Aboriginal people arrived in the Illawarra area more than 20, 000 years ago, Australia was experiencing an Ice Age, with a colder climate. A land bridge also
existed between Tasmania and the
mainland, and this continent was still home to megafauna. Amazingly, the sea level was as much as 100 metres below its present level. New Guinea was also, connected by land to Australia until about 10,000 years ago.
The Wodi Wodi people, like other coastal Aboriginal groups, would make a canoe by cutting a large section of bark out of a tree of approximately 12-14 feet in length. The Wodi Wodi men
then fished with lines or spears from these canoes, as seafood was an integral part of their diet, as was the meat of kangaroo, wallaby and possum.
As a patriarchal society, the treatment of women was often harsh with young girls often being married to old men and polygamy was practised (see
here). Elders were respected, however, and this included females too, who performed an important role in the survival and cultural life of the clan.
In Heathcote National Park, there are various Dharawal sites, including a shield tree west of the Bullawarring Track, adjacent to cave that was once occupied by Aboriginal people, plus a group of charcoal drawings alongside Myuna Creek.
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| Portrait of Illawarra Aboriginal elder "Tullimbah", 1858 |
One of the leaders of the local Illawarra Aboriginal community was Mickey Johnson (1834-1906). In 1896 he was proclaimed "King" in a ceremony at Wollongong Showground.
Illawarra and South Coast Aborigines 1770-1850 Part 1
1770: Captain Cook
It is probable that Captain Cook tried to land the
Endeavour somewhere near Bellambi, a suburb of Wollongong, on April 27, 1770, whilst sailing along the east coast of Australia.
The ship had just passed Mt. Kembla, of which Cook said:
"..... a little way inland, stands a round hill, which looks like the crown of a hat". Later, this landmark was commonly called "Hat Hill". However, on this particular overcast autumn day, the crashing waves were tossing the
Endeavour about so dangerously that ship
continued northward and entered what Cook called Stingray Bay the next day. Soon afterwards, the name of
this harbour was changed to Botany Bay.
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| Replica of the Endeavour |
1796: Bass and Flinders
In March 1796, George Bass and Matthew Flinders were the first Europeans to officially walk in the Illawarra region, when their boat landed in Port Kembla. Aboriginal people took Bass and Flinders to Lake Illawarra and informed them that
various convict escapees, (both men and Women) were already living in the area and growing potatoes and corn.
William Martin, who sailed with Bass and Flinders on the
Tom Thumb, was to have Martin Island, one of the Five Islands off Wollongong, named after him.
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| The ship's surgeon George Bass (1771–1803?) and the navigator Matthew Flinders (1774–1814), an officer of the Royal Navy |
Shipwrecked
In May 1797, a party of shipwrecked sailors were travelling from Cape Howe to Sydney when some of the group were killed by Aboriginal people at Hat Hill (Mount Kembla). Survivors from the group also reported on coal deposits that they had seen in the Bulli area. Coal deposits were also discovered in the area at Coal Cliff and Illawarra.
George Bass was then despatched by Governor Hunter to inspect the coal deposits, and
it was on this voyage that Bass discovered the Kiama Blowhole and the Shoalhaven River. But it would be fifty years before these coal deposits would be exploited.
The botanist Robert Brown (1773-1858)
visited the Illawarra region in 1805 to collect and describe specimens of Australian flora. Brown later returned to Britain, where he became Sir Joseph Bank’s librarian and subsequently, Keeper of the Botanical Department of the British Museum.
1800s
Cedar Cutters and Settlers
Large quantities of Red Cedar were growing in the Illawarra area, which attracted timber cutters to Lake Illawarra, probably as early as 1810. Soon settlers were also attracted to the
grassy pasture lands around the area; however, the craggy and mountainous surrounds made it difficult to get stock to the region, so boats were used for transport from about 1803 to 1858.
The Australian explorer, pioneer and parliamentarian Charles Throsby(1777-1828) established a stockman's hut in the Illawarra area in 1815, near the site corner of what is now Smith Street.
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| At the site of Charles Throsby's stockman's hut, Smith & Harbour Streets, Wollongong |
The name Bulli, now a suburb of Wollongong, was mentioned in the Sydney Gazette of 22 April 1815 in a report about a search party looking for lost cedar-getters at a place called “Boyle” thirty-five miles south of Port Jackson.
A notice in the Sydney Gazette dated 28 September 1816 stated that Governor Macquarie
would grant land to "gentlemen and free settlers" in the Illawarra region.
The First Land Grants
Robert Jenkins was granted 1000 acres of land at Wollongong in January 1817. This grant was one of the first five land grants in the Illawarra area and was called "Berkeley Estate", situated at Five Islands and including Flag Staff Hill.
David Allan, 2,200 acres, called "Illawarra". Farm at Red Point (near Port Kembla).
Richard Brooks, 1,300 acres, called "Exmouth" and situated to the south of lands now occupied by the private town of Dapto.
George Johnston, 1,500 acres, called "Macquarie Gift", situated on the northern bank of Macquarie Rivulet and later part of the estate known as Johnston's Meadows.
Andrew Allan, 700 acres, called "Waterloo", and situated on the south bank of the Macquarie Rivulet, opposite the "Macquarie Gift" grant. See
here.
The South Coast Road to Wollongong was
built by convicts with military stockades at various intervals along the route to protect travellers from bushrangers and Aboriginal attacks. Military troops and convicts occupied Five Island Point.
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| Lachlan Macquarie attributed to John Opie (1761-1807) |
In 1822 Governor Macquarie wrote in his diary:
"Wednesday 16 Jany. We set out from Mr. Brown’s at 4 past 8 o’clock to explore the country to the southward and westward; having first seen off our servants and baggage towards the mountain over which the new road from Illawarra to Appin has recently been made by Mr. O’ Brian."
1820s: Convict Stockade
In 1826, a squad of the 40th Regiment under the command of Captain Bishop was sent to the Illawarra region to protect the cedar cutters and deter cattle thievery which was rampant. David Allan's farm, at Red Point, had a stockade with 30 soldiers. In 1829, the regiment and convicts
were relocated to the Boat Harbour [Brighton Beach].
In 1828 the population of the Illawarra was 368.
In 1829 the population of the Illawarra was 792.
1830s
The Father of WollongongIn 1831, John Cunningham built a house near the pebbly beach on an acre of land near the mouth of the Basin and began to repair and then later, built boats.
In 1835, Charles Throsby Smith, the nephew of the aforementioned Charles Throsby, was granted 300 acres of land by Governor Bourke, called "Bustle Hill". However, he had
occupied this land since 1818, when it was promised to him by Governor Macquarie. The town of Wollongong was
laid out on this site in 1834.
Of Charles Throsby Smith it was said:
"He was the first man who either cleared land or produced crop of any kind . . . He cast his lot in this district whilst it was in its wildest condition."
Throsby Smith was also often called, "the father of Wollongong", as he had many important roles in the establishment of the town; such as Crown Lands Commissioner, magistrate and a member of the committee to establish Wollongong Council in 1858.
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| Charles Ihrosby Smith (1798–1876) with his first wife, a daughter of Commissary Broughton, leading part in the development of the young colony. He was closely associated with the growthof Wollongong, his property. Bustle Farm, being situated in what is how the main street of the south coast city. Land (Sydney, NSW : 1911 - 1954), Friday 3 October 1952 |
In 1833 the population of the Illawarra was 2648.
Wheat was being grown successfully in 1833, and in 1834, the Surveyor-General, Thomas L. Mitchell, travelled to Wollongong and laid out a plan of the town.
Soon, land was being cleared in accordance with
this plan and roads and bridges being built in the district with the aid of convict labour. Mitchell's plan also included a harbour and breakwater that extended in a straightline from Wollongong Headland. 300 convicts and a regiment of soldiers were sent to Wollongong to do this work in 1837. The convicts lived at Flagstaff Point.
The "Illawarra Tribe"
here
The military barracks near Brighton Lawn was where floggings were carried out, behind the old Court House (old Police Station), after being tied up on a triangle. Wooden stocks for more minor punishments were located in Market Square.
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| Stocks are restraining devices that were used as a form of corporal punishment and public humiliation |
Lady Jane Franklin - the wife of the Governor of Van Diemen's Land - visited Wollongong in 1839. Lady Franklin noted the "pretty view" and that "The barracks and huts of the prisoners and military are here. We looked into the huts etc. There are about 115 convicts here and about 30 troops of the 80th."
Drinking and household water had to be carted from creeks or Tom Thumb lagoon.
The
Sophia Jane, a steamer, ran a service to Wollongong from Sydney from the early 1830s. The Illawarra Steam Packet Company provided a more regular service from 1839.
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The Sophia Jane, the First Steamer to Arrive in Sydney from England. The quaint little vessel of 256 tons and 50-horse-power arrived in Port Jackson in May, 1831 — a month after the first issue of 'The Sydney Herald' was published. For some time after her arrival in Australia the Sophia Jane traded between Sydney and Newcastle. Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 22 April 1931 |
Bustle Hall was located on top of Smith's Hill, around
the location of 32-34 Church Street Wollongong.
The first Anglican clergyman (the Rev. F. Wilkinson) came to Wollongong in 1834. In 1836, Father John Rigney conducted mass in a wooden chapel with seating for 250 Catholics of Wollongong and a Presbyterian minister (Rev. J. Tait) was appointed to the Illawarra in 1837.
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| Extracts from the 'Sydney Herald' of October 23 and 26, 1837. |
In 1839 the first steamship service between Wollongong and Sydney began.
1840s
In 1841 the population of Wollongong was 841.
The road from Sydney to Wollongong began in 1843, going via Georges River.
The first coal mine in the Illawarra was opened at Mt Keira by Mr James Schoobert in 1849, initially working the Wongawilli or No3 seam and later, the Balgownie or No2 seam. More mines were steadily
opened: Thomas Hale’s Wonoona mine 1857, Taylor and Walker’s Russell Vale mine 1861, Bulli mine 1861, and the Mount Pleasant mine at Balgownie 1862.
Some of these coal mines built jetties so that the coal could be loaded onto ships and sent to other places within Australia or to other countries. The coal was carried by horse to the jetties in the early days.
1850s: A Town Develops
Travellers and settlers to Wollongong may have walked there or journeyed by horse via Liverpool, Campbelltown and Appin along rough tracks before reaching the dangerous Illawarra escarpment. Others, could come by steamer as there were two steamers running
almost daily between Sydney and Wollongong.
In 1852 a road was built from Appin through Broughton's Pass down Mount Keira to Wollongong, on which carriages could drive for the first time.
The Illawarra Mercury was established by Thomas Garrett and W. F. Cahill in 1855.
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| Market Square and Roman Catholic Church Wollongong c.1850 painting [RAHS Photograph Collection] Part of a panorama of Wollongong by John Rae |
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The two storied structure in this old photo is the Queen's Hotel, which was built in the early 1850s and operated as a boarding house. The building had lacework railings and French doors on the top floor which opened onto the front verandah. In 1855 Robert Haworth purchased the building and in 1862 was converted into a hotel. Star (Sydney, NSW : 1909 - 1910), Saturday 27 November 1909
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1860s
The horse-tramline from Mt Keira to Wollongong harbour was completed in 1861. In 1888, the Government Railway constructed a rail line between Sydney and Wollongong.
The overhead telegraph line from Sydney to Wollongong was completed near the end of 1862. A telegraph station was then set up temporarily at a cottage in Market Street, which belonged to Robert Haworth, who also owned the Queens Hotel. The telegraph revolutionised long-distance communication.
Wollongong's first government post office was built in 1864, in Market Street. However, it was decided that the post and telegraph departments would amalgamate in 1870 and that both facilities would be located in the same building.
One of the most important operations of the post office was timekeeping. Each day, a telegraph signal was sent from Sydney to the post office and a metal disc located on the roof over the centre of the front facade was lowered in response. The lowering of the disc was observed from Flagstaff Hill and the one o'clock cannon would be fired. The post office building was sold off in the year 2000.
In 1868, a cricket team composed of Aboriginal Australians toured England. The Aboriginal team played at Wollongong, N.S.W, in April and November 1867: Aboriginal Cricketers v. Illawarra. The team was formed with the assistance of Tom Wills—captain of the Victoria cricket team and founder of
Australian rules football.
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| THE ABORIGINAL CRICKETERS. Some of the team: Two penny, Peter and Harry Rose. Some Recollections. Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Wednesday 26 February 1908. Read more here |
1880s
Horses, controlled by young boys (wheelers), were used in the pit to pull the coal trucks, until the Act of 1880, which meant parents of school-aged children (6 to 14 years of age)
must send their children to school for a period of no less than seventy days every half-year.
And There Was Light
The Wollongong Gas Company supplied the first gas to Wollongong in 1883. The first public lamp was lighted August 24 of that year, at the corner of Keira and Smith-Streets, at the top of Hospital Hill.
In 1887 the rail line from Sydney to Wollongong was completed. The original Wollongong railway station (Platform 2)
was constructed in 1887.
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| Wollongong Basin, pit ponies pulling coal, before 1880. NSW State Archives |
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| Photograph from the Pringle album of men on beach with boiler. Jetty at right. Caption reads "Southern Coal Co. Jetty." Circa 1887-1896. University of Wollongong |
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| Wollongong Exchange Hall lower right. Mount Keira in background. Caption reads "Crown (the main) Street, Wollongong 1888, N.S.W." University of Wollongong |
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Photograph from the Pringle album of ships in harbour. Lighthouse at left. Rail line at right. Caption reads "Wollongong Harbour." Circa 1887-1896. University of Wollongong
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Mt Kembla Coal and Oil Company Mine Manager's House circa 1880s. James Henry Ronaldson FGS MIME (1858–5 August 1935) was a 19th/20th century Scottish geologist and mining engineer. He is mainly remembered for his best-selling book "Coal". "Mr Rolandsons House". University of Wollongong
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| Men working on brick and stonework for mine entrance, circa 1887-1896. Caption reads "Entrance for pit." Coal mines and mining New South Wales -- Illawarra Southern Coal Company of New South Wales Limited. University of Wollongong |
The Bulli Mine Explosion of 1887 brought tragedy
to the region when 81 men and boys died.
1890sFlagstaff Hill Fort The first evidence of fortifications, built against an enemy at Wollongong, was contained in a letter by Colonel Barney in 1839. In the 1850s, concerted efforts were made to
construct defences in the region due to fears of Russian expansion. Muzzle-loading artillery pieces were sent to Wollongong by the military authorities.
In 1879, there were renewed fears of Russian threat and a 68 pounder cannon was delivered to the Wollongong Harbour defences.
The former military fort at Flagstaff Point, Wollongong,
was built between 1890-1891. The fort, which was dug-out of the hill, was intended to supersede a battery of 68 pounders to provide a deterrent to a possible Russian attack upon Wollongong Harbour.
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Wollongong Courthouse was officially opened on Tuesday 3 November 1885. Photo Wollongong Court House Dated: pre-June 1891. NSW State Archives
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| Crowning of King Mickey Johnson, Aboriginal King at Wollongong, New South Wales, January 30, 1896. National Library of Australia |
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| Photograph from the Pringle album of man on horse driving seven horse team pulling cart. Caption reads "A horse team in the Mountain Road." Circa 1887-1896, Coal mines and miningNew South Wales -- IllawarraSouthern Coal Company of New South Wales Limited. University of Wollongong |
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| Black and white photograph of manager and members of the Kembla Heights Workmen's Club in 1896. University of Wollongong |
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| Photograph from the Pringle album of horses pulling coach on road near Clifton? Caption reads "Coach Road from Wollongong to Sydney". Circa 1887-1896. University of Wollongong |
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| Three men with horses standing in front of house with striped bullnosed veranda. Caption reads "Horses H.A.P. 1888 Wollongong, N.S.W." University of Wollongong |
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| Wollongong, NSW, circa 1890-1900, University of Wollongong |
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31 Smith Street, Wollongong, NSW circa 1880-1900
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| Meeting of Jervis Bay and IllawarraTribe, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Saturday 18 April 1896 |
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Lake Illawarra Aborigines, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Saturday 23 September 1899
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Family in horse and cart outside cottage. To Annie with love from Lily and Harvey, 1899
Photographer: Sigfrid Flodin, Wollongong, NSW [Crown St, Wollongong, 1886-1900] GSV
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| Highland gathering at Wollongong, NSW. Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 14 October 1899 |
1900s
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Wollongong, NSW, circa 1900, Powerhouse Museum Collection
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The Esplanade, Wollongong, NSW. Powerhouse Museum Collection, n.d.
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In 1901 the population of Wollongong was 17, 182.
The Lost Sherbrooke SettlementThrosby's Track, also known as the Old Mountain Road, was the the path that the early settlers travelled with their stock to get to Wollongong. Brancing west from the main road at the top of Bulli Pass was the village of Sherbrooke, initially known as Bulli Mountain. This
small village only existed
for about 30 years, until it was resumed in 1903 for the Cataract Dam. More
information  |
| Picking apples at Sherbrooke, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 11 March 1903 |
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| The village of Sherbrooke existed for only around 30 years, before it was resumed for the construction of Cataract Dam |
In 1902, an explosion at the Mount Kembla Mine resulted in the death of 96 men and boys.
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| Miner's marching at the head of a victim's funeral procession, circa 1902. Coal mine accidents New South Wales -- IllawarraMount Kembla Colliery (N.S.W.) University of Wollongong |
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Crown Street, Wollongong, NSW, 1900-1910. State Libray of NSW
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| "King Mickey." (Photo. by S. Cocks, Kiama.) King Mickey Johnston, head of the South Coast aboriginal tribe between Wollongong and Nowra, died at the Minnamurra River camp last week, the cause of death being pneumonia. Mickey, who was 72 years of age, was invested with the insignia of office at the Wollongong Show some eleven years ago by the late Mr. Archibald Campbell (the then Parliamentary representative for Wollongong), since when he has continually worn the crescent-shaped inscribed brass plate presented to him on thatoccasion. King Mickey knew and was known by almost everybody throughout the length and breadth of the South Coast, and was well liked.Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| South Coast Aboriginal Shearers, 1903 |
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| WOLLONGONG HOTEL, WOLLONGONG, N.S.W. - very early 1900s, Aussie Mobs |
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| Wollongong's business quarter, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| A trip to the lakes from Wollongong, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| The Jetty, Wollongong, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| Th general store, Wollongong, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| Timber yards, Wollongong, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 21 November 1906 |
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| Opening of Wollongong Hospital, NSW, Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 31 July 1907 |
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| Wollongong's Municipal Jubilee, NSW. .Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 1 December 1909 |
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| Wollongong's Municipal Jubilee. Ladies' swimming carnival. .Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912), Wednesday 1 December 1909 |
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| Simpson family, Auburn Street, Wollongong, NSW. The Simpson family came from Scotland in 1911 (Andrew Snr & Jnr), followed by the rest of the family (including two daughters) in 1912. Andrew Snr. worked for the AIS at Port Kembla and was involved in starting the first ambulance service in Wollongong. Family later lived at the first Ambulance Station in Church Street. The house at 66 Auburn Street was still there in September 1986 - Auburn Street, Wollongong, NSW Photographed by -probably Andrew Simpson Jnr L to R: Mary (grandmother), her son Bill, daughter Mary (mother), husbandAndrew. Simpson Family. State Library of NSW |
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| Wollongong Life Saving Club, NSW, Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Wednesday 14 May 1913 |
Wollongong High School was establsihed in 1916. Before this, education of the young people of the area was provided by the Wollongong District School located in a few rooms of the Smith Street Primary School. Most students only finished primary school in those days, as most of the jobs were in the mining and farming industry, which did not require advanced education.
WWI
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A photo montage of descendants of the late Benjamin Rixon of Illawarra who served in the First World War. Benjamin Rixon was the son of convicts James Rixon, who arrived in New South Wales in 1798 and Amelia Goodwin, who arrived in 1800. He was one of two surviving triplets, the first white triplets to be born in Australia and who were featured on the front page of the Sydney Gazette on Saturday January 19, 1806. Almost all the men depicted are great-grandsons of Rixon. The production of the photo montage was initiated in 1918 by Margaret Lucinda Salisbury of Woonona, Wollongong, NSW, a granddaughter of Benjamin Rixon. Australian War Memorial. More info
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Sverre Mathisen. Date of Birth: 11.2.1890. Date of Enlistment: 25.2.1918. Trade or Calling: Seaman
Born in or near what Town: Tonsberg Norway. Address prior to Enlistment: Fig Tree near Wollongong
Rank, Number, Battalion, Distinctions: Pte tpr 50346 14th Light Horse. Casualties and where: RTA 16.1.19. Name & Address of Next of Kin: Roph Mathisen Sanitary Bakery |
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Remembrance march in Crown Street, Wollongong, N.S.W. Circa 1917. The men leading the march could be Oddfellows, identified by the vests they are wearing
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| The School of Arts, in Crown Street, Wollongong, NSW. Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Wednesday 23 January 1918 |
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| Harp Hotel, Wollongong, 1918 / John Campbell. The Harp Hotel Wollongong was run by William Woods and his wife Margaret Jane Kenna from 1913 to 1919. They were assisted by some of their twelve children, their eldest son, Thomas James (known as Dick), was registered as the proprietor of the hotel. In the painting the girl with dark hair on the veranda is thought to be their daughter, Agnes, or one of her sisters. State Library of NSW |
ILLAWARRA MEMORIES. An article about notable Aboriginal people,
here |
| Port Kembla, NSW, 1919 Bridge and Factories [RAHS Photograph Collection] |
1920s |
| Steam train on curve at Stanwell Park, NSW, Donna Newton |
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| Wollongong, NSW, circa 1893-1932, University of Wollongong |
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| Smith Street School. Wollongong - View from Kembla Street, about 1920. (Gas lamps disappeared from the streets in 1921). With permission, from a photograph donated to the Illawarra Historical Society by Mrs J. Neeson, 29.7.1966. University of Wollongong |
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| THE OLD ILLAWARRA FIG TREE This is the largest and oldest tree in the Illawarra District. To calculate its age is impossible, because in the earliest days of the pioneers it was then said to be centuries old. It was saved from destruction by the Australian blacks, who threatened death to the convicts if they destroyed it. The aboriginals valued it as a land-mark which divided the boundary lines 'between the camps of the native tribes, and if any member of either crossed that dividing line a fight amongst the tribes ensued. The fig tree is entirely without blossom, but bears fruit in the Springtime, and clustering round its barrel (remarkable for its immensity) beautiful vines twine themselves in a wild state, particularly one known as the black mulberry vine or black grape. The same class of fig tree grows in Queensland. Sunday Times (Sydney, NSW : 1895 - 1930), Sunday 29 January 1922 |
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| Sublime Point Lookout Wollongong circa 1925 [RAHS Photograph Collection] |
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| Farmhouse at Wollongong, N.S.W. - circa 1925 |
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| Anzac Day ceremony, Wollongong, N.S.W, Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 6 May 1925 |
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| Clifton Wollongong NSW, 1926 [RAHS Photograph Collection] |
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| "Queen Rosie the last surviving Aborigine from the Illawarra tribe", New South Wales, 1 November 1927 [picture]. SLNSW. More information and here |
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| Port Kembla-Wollongong-Sydney 'Bus Service South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Friday 23 December 1927 |
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| Sydney Mail (NSW : 1912 - 1938), Wednesday 17 October 1928 |
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Old Custom House, afterwards Court House, Wollongong, NSW, 1929 [RAHS Photograph Collection]
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1930s
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| Wollongong Rock Baths, NSW, 1934 [RAHS Photograph Collection] |
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| In 1933 Peter, Harry and Theo Tambakis bought the Silver Bell Café from the Sansey (Tsaousis) family. The Café was located on Crown Street, close to the corner of Keira and Crown Streets. In 1923, the cafe was known as the "Silver Bell Sundae Shop" selling morning and afternoon tea, confectionery, ice cream and sundaes. In 1928, it was owned by J.H Adams and the business was re-named the "Silver Bell Café" Read more |
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| Peter, Harry and Theo Tambakis, of the Silver Bell Café, Wollongong, NSW, came from the Greek island of Kythera. This is Theo (Theodore) and his wife on their wedding day. Ό φιλοπρόδος νέος κ. Παναγιώτης Νικ. Ταμβάκης, ή THEODORE 'έξ Άρέων, Κυθήρων, καί ή χαριτωμένη Δνίς Κωνστάντια Μπελέσΐ, ο'ί-τινες έτέλεσαν προ δύο περίπου μηνών έν Κυθήροις τούς γάμους των.Ό κ. Π. Ταμβάκης, όστις έντός δύο έως τριών μηνών -θά έπανέλθηεις Αύστραλίαν, είναι συνδιοκτήτης, μετά ετέρων δύο αδελφών του, τοΰέν WOLLONGONG τής πολιτείας μας ωραίου καταστήματος SILVER BELL CAFE. To Ethnico Vema = Greek National Tribune (Arncliffe, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Wednesday 1 February 1939 |
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| Lithgow Mercury (NSW : 1898 - 1954), Thursday 12 January 1939 |
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| South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Friday 22 September 1939 |
1940s and WWII : Industry and MigrationWollongong was an important part of Australia's wartime defence. Mount Saint Thomas and Hill 60 Park once hosted the military centres of Fort Drummond and the Illowra Battery. Read
here
About 335 men associated with the Illawarra have been identified as dieing in WWII. Read
here |
| South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Friday 19 September 1941 |
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| Surf sheds and beach at North Wollongong, N.S.W. - circa 1940s |
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| The Grand Hotel in Wollongong, N.S.W. - 1940s, Aussie Mobs |
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| Crown Street, Wollongong, N.S.W. - 1940s, Aussie Mobs |
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| Crown Street, Wollongong, N.S.W. - 1940s, Aussie Mobs |
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| Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW : 1856 - 1950), Friday 11 December 1942 |
In 1942 Wollongong was proclaimed a City.
Evelyn Owen, of Wollongong, made Australia's first Tommy gun, the Owen sub-automatic rifle. Read
here |
| Factories in New South Wales have started manufacturing parts for the Owen sub-machine gun. The above picture, the first of work on this weapon, shows barrels being checked. The gun was invented by a former A.I.F. soldier, Mr. E. Owen, of Wollongong. Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 10 January 1942 |
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MRS. A. BUCHANAN carried on with her camouflage net-making in Wollongong Town Hall yesterday while striking southern miners debated whether or not to resume work. Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1931 - 1954), Saturday 13 March 1943 |
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On Saturday, May 6, Madam Fabian Chow, wife of the Economic Adviser to China, visited the South Coast, and spoke at the Victory Loan Rally in Wollongong. But this visit served a dual purpose. Prior to the rally Madam Chow had expressed the keen desire to meet the Port Kembla wharfies, and thank them, on behalf of the Chinesepeople, for the part they played, in 1938, in refusing to load the s.s. "Dalfram" with a cargo of pig iron to Japan. Maritime Worker (Melbourne, Vic. : 1938 - 1954), Saturday 20 May 1944 |
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Thousands of Workers' families at Wollongong and Port Kembla are living in tin shacks, tents and "Happy Valley" camps, while luxury week-end homes belonging to some of Australia's richest monopolists remain unoccupied. Spoonerville, near Port Kembla. These have no gas or sewerage. 'homes/' of galvanised iron. Tribune (Sydney, NSW : 1939 - 1991), Friday 29 March 1946 |
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| Forced to Live in a tent around Wollongong, NSW, Tribune (Sydney, NSW : 1939 - 1991), Friday 29 March 1946 |
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| LOCAL GIRLS LEARN TO FLY, Faye Wilson 'swings the prop' for her sister, Barbara (in 'plane) at Albion Park 'drome. The girls are learning to fly at the Wollongong and South Coast Aviation Service's flying school, Albion Park. Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW : 1856 - 1950), Friday 25 October 1946 |
Coal mining was the backbone of the Wollongong economy, followed by steelmaking, which ramped up in 1949 with the expansion of the Port Kembla Steelworks. A new hot and cold strip mill and a new tinplate plant were to be built upon 100 acres of reclaimed swampland in the area of Tom Thumb Lagoon.
Migrants to Australia were attracted to the many manufacturing jobs in the Illawarra region. In 1945, the Federal government announced that there would be an annual population rate of 70,000 immigrants to Australia until the population doubled. The slogan "populate or perish" was used to convince the Australian population to accept this large intake of migrants.
Some of the industries of Illawarra
Australian Iron & Steel (AIS) / Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd (BHP) - Charles Hoskins made an agreement with the State Government in 1927, to build a steelworks at Port Kembla.
Electrolytic Refining and Smelting Co. (ER & S) - began operations at Port Kembla in 1907.
Champion Knitting Mills Pty Ltd in Keira Street. Champion manufactured boys underwear, swim suits and work for the war including air force pullovers and mosquito net tents.
Silknit Pty Ltd: ladies underwear.
John Vicars Ltd was to open a factory in Franklin Avenue, Bulli in 1945 to manufacture textiles.
The Berlei factory, manufacturers of corsets and brassieres, was officially opened on 27 September 1945.
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| Berlei Ltd, Wollongong, dated 9/1945, State Library of NSW |
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| Berlei Ltd, Wollongong, NSW, circa 1945, State Library of NSW |
Crystal Clothing Factory opened in 1848 at Ellen Street Wollongong and became one of the largest manufacturers of shirts.
Pye Industries Ltd, Bellambi – TV and stereo components
Australian Iron and Steel Ltd Tin Mill. See
more
1950s
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| Crown Street, Wollongong, New South Wales, ca. 1950, Frank Hurley. National Library of Australia |
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| Harold Blair AM (13 September 1924 – 21 May 1976) was an Australian Aboriginal tenor, South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Monday 30 April 1951 |
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| Wollongong Jubilee, NSW, South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Monday 2 April 1951 |
Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel
Located in Squires Way, Fairy Meadow, the Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel was built from 1950 to 1951. The buildings numbered 201, Quonset hut (Kitchen/Dining Room), 204, Nissen hut (Laundry Exchange) and 210, Quonset hut (staff residence) are remnants of the hostel completed in 1951.
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Information about the the Balgownie Migrant Workers Hostel, Fairy Meadow, Wollongong, NSW
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| Wollongong, NSW, dated 5-6/6/1953, State Library New South Wales |
On February 11th 1954, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, visited Wollongong on their Australian Royal tour.
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The photo was taken of agroup of people crossing the street near the Black & White Cafe, Crown Street, Wollongong, on October 23 1954. South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Monday 1 November 1954 |
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WOLLONGONG FORWARD BILL HODGES GOES TO GROUND — Hodges is shown being tackled by Austin Lawler and Roy Freebody in Inst Sunday's semi-final between C.B.C. and Wollongong. Others in the photograph are , left to right , M. Grenfell , R. Priest, M. Kite, B. Bowman and W. Bolt. Wollongong won 19 points to 6-.and excel in all departments of the game. South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW : 1900 - 1954), Thursday 9 September 1954, |
In 1958 the population of Wollongong was about 109,000.
1960s  |
| Title: Class E17 locomotive at a level crossing at Corrimal (NSW). Dated: No date NSW State Archives |
WIN Television began transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station.
Article about the "Illawarra Tribe" 1962
here  |
| Beach at Wollongong looking south towards the steel works in Port Kembla, 1966 , National Library of Australia |
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| Wollongong, Crown Street, NSW, 1967. Postcard |
1970s  |
| Wollongong Hospital Nurse Graduates late 1974, NSW, Wayne Hill |
Today Wollongong has a very multicultural and linguistically diverse population, with beautiful beaches and plenty of history to explore.
Demolished
A record 800 "historic" houses being demolished every week in Australia. See
here
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| Black and white photograph of First Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Wollongong, demolished. Circa 1937 |
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| The E.S. & A. Bank was located on the corner of Crown and Kembla Streets, Wollongong. Demolished in 1960. University of Wollongong |
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| Copy of photograph by Carl Weber. Annotation on the back: circa 1900-1910 'Webers Home, Harbour Street, W'gong. Upstairs Lillian (L) & Gertrude. Mr & Mrs Weber at door'. Carl Weber n engineer and surveyor by profession in the early days he was associated withthe Gold Commissioner at Braidwood and Hill End, and carried out surveys for goldfield claims. University of Wollongong |
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| Licensed in 1854 as the Black Swan and then became the Brighton Hotel. Demolished 1923. Edward Johnson gave up the hotel in 1880 and it was bought by auction by J.P. Galvan who served two terms as the mayor of Wollongong. When gas was being connected to the town in the 1880's it was reported by the Argus paper in 1883 that the Brighton Hotel was the first to be connected. The hotel remained in the control of the Galvin family for thirty eight years. |
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| Joseph Makin's Royal Hotel, as early as 1864 under licence to John Hukins. Joseph Makin's son, George Frederick Makin, took over the hotel in 1916 and began trading as the Oxford hotel. By 1930 verandas removed. see photo below |
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| The Oxford Tavern, Wollongong, NSW, formerly Joseph Makin's Royal Hotel (above) on Corrimal Street. Demolished 2014. Murder of Mrs. Lucy Frances Barrows |
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| The Fimister's Hotel, later Hotel Wollongong, on the corner of Crown and Kembla Streets circa 1900. It was demolished in the mid-1980's, Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 28 September 1909, by Aussie~mobs |
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| The former Albert Memorial Hospital in Wollongong on Flinders Street, was demolished in the 1960s, University of Wollongong |
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| The Savoy Theatre was on the corner of Church Street and Globe Lane, Wollongong, Construction and Real Estate Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1930 - 1938), Wednesday 22 July 1936 |
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| Demolished in 2014, corner of Kembla and Edward Street, Wollongong, NSW |
Around Wollongong
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| Gun position No. 2 at Illowra Battery, which formed part of the Kembla Fortress defences in World War II |
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| Smiths Hill Fort, Wollongong, NSW (Magnus Manske) is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 |
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| Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse was uilt by the Department of Shipping and Transport in 1936. Coekon |
.jpg/800px-Wollongong_Breakwater_Lighthouse_(8562842041).jpg) |
| Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, also known as Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, is a historic lighthouse situated on the southern breakwater of Wollongong Harbour, in Wollongong, a coastal city south of Sydney, New South Wales, Alex Proimos |
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| Wollongong North Beach Bathers Pavilion, NSW, opened on 12 November 1938 |
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| "File:Mt Keira views 2017 - Wollongong port.jpg" by Orderinchaos is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| The 665 metre long Sea Cliff Bridge ialong the Grand Pacific Drive, Wollongong, NSW, illawarrashowcase |
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| Photograph of St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. In 1836 a wooden chapel with seating for 250 people was built for the Catholics of Wollongong. The first Catholic school was opened in 1838. The pioneer priest Father John Rigney decided to build a larger permanent church in 1839. JohnArmagh |
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| St Michael's Cathedral Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, was designed by Edmund Blacket and built from 1858 to 1859, JohnArmagh |
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| Nan Tien temple is largest Buddhist temple in Southern hemisphere and is located in Wollongong NSW. Tim Gillin |
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| Wollongong Hellenic Club - 57 Princes Hwy, West Wollongong |
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| Wollongong Public School & Headmasters Residence, Church Street Wollongong, NSW |
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| Gleniffer Brae Manor House, home to the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, in the suburb of Keiraville, built from 1937 to 1939 |
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| 87 Crown Street is a heritage-listed shop at 87 Crown Street, Wollongong, It was used as W. McInnes' tailor shop c. 1900 and housed Coad's secondhand jewellery store from c. 1940-1960. Clytemnestra |
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| Tunnels inside Illowra Battery is a former Australian Army coastal-artillery battery located at Hill 60, Port Kembla |
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| Former Allowrie Terrace at 69-71 Church Street, Wollongong, NSW, is a small part of a 300 acre grant to C T Smith in December 1835. Building constructed 1850s |
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| Market Street Congregational Church, Wollongong, NSW, built about 1857. Gareth Edwards |
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| School of Arts Building, 64 Smith Street, Wollongong, NSW |
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| Art Deco shops, Church St, Wollongong, NSW |
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| Art Deco, St Johns Ave, Mount St Thomas, Wollongong, NSW |
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| Bank Chambers building on Crown Street Mall, Wollongong, NSW |
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| 12 Edward Street, Wollongong, NSW, "Hillside" was built about 1880 for William John Wiseman |
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| "Lightcliffe" 65 Smith St, Wollongong, built on part of the grant to Charles Throsby Smith. Land was transferred to Benjamin Marshall when he married Smith’s daughter, Emma in 1850 |
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| 30 Bukari Street, West Wollongong, Keeravale House, Former Roger Therry House, built mid-1800s |
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| "Rose Bank" at 48 Robertson Street Coniston, was built by James Herbert Bennett in 1929 |
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| "Aliumare", 129 Morrison Ave, Wombarra, NSW. The original owner of the house was probably Thomas Wilson Garlick who was a coal and iron ore prospector and miner |
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| Old Wollongong East Post Office, NSW, built from 1890 to 1892 |
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Fortifications on Flagstaff Hill, above the harbour, Wollongong, NSW
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Main entrance, of fortifications on Flagstaff Hill, above the harbour, Wollongong, NSW
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Things To Do and Places To Go
Wollongong Heritage Walk
Wodi Wodi Walking Track
Illawarra Museum
Keira High School History
Illawarra Folk Festival
The Wollongong Museum Trail
Keira High School History
Illawarra Folk Festival
The Illawarra Historical Society
Hotels of Illawarra & Shoalhaven
Balgownie Primary School Museum
Migration Heritage Project
Virtual Museum of The Local Italian Community
Mt Kembla Heritage Centre
The Australian Motorlife Museum
Breakwater Battery Military Museum
HARS Aviation Museum
The Bulli Black Diamond Museum Heritage Centre
Illawarra Light Railway Museum
Article about the "Illawarra Tribe" 1962 here
