Wollongong

This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. For the local government area, see City of Wollongong.

Wollongong
New South Wales
Wollongong and surrounds
Court House
Crown Street
Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse
Heritage Hotel
Wollongong Harbour, Cove Beach
Wollongong is located in New South Wales
Wollongong
Wollongong
Coordinates34°25′38″S 150°53′38″E / 34.427243°S 150.893915°E / -34.427243; 150.893915
Population280,153 (UCL 2021)[1][2]
Postcode(s)2500
Elevation5 m (16 ft)
Area572.2 km2 (220.9 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10)
 • Summer (DST)AEDT (UTC+11)
Location
LGA(s)
RegionIllawarra
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)Cunningham
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
21.8 °C
71 °F		 13.3 °C
56 °F		 1,320.9 mm
52 in
Localities around Wollongong:
Gwynneville North Wollongong Pacific Ocean
Mangerton Wollongong Pacific Ocean
Mount Saint Thomas Coniston Pacific Ocean

Wollongong (/ˈwʊlənɡɒŋ/ 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'.[3] Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres (53 miles) south of central Sydney.[4] 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 and the tenth-largest city in Australia by population.[5] The city's current Lord Mayor is Tania Brown who was elected in 2024.[6]


The Wollongong area extends from 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 to Nowra.[7]

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[8] and is a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. The University of Wollongong has around 38,000 students.[9]

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wollongong (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 10 December 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wollongong (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021. Edit this at Wikidata
  3. ^ Croucher, John S. (2020). A Concise History of New South Wales. Woodslane Press. ISBN 978-1-92-586839-5. 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'.
  4. ^ Distance from Hyde Park in Sydney city center to Wollongong railway station in Wollongong city center – Google Maps
  5. ^ "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2016–17". ABS. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Local Government Elections 2024: Wollongong - Mayoral Results". NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Basin gif". Dept of Primary Industries. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Illawarra Facts & Figures". Tourism NSW. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
  9. ^ "Key Statistics". University of Wollongong. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2009.