The first people of the Illawarra
Archaeological evidence dates Aboriginal life in the region back at least 20,000 years, well before European settlers arrived. The Tharawal and Wadi Wadi peoples held the country around Lake Illawarra as traditional custodians. The lake lies in the middle of the Illawarra, and it is shallow: it formed as sediment collected at the entrance to a bay.
The region is a grassy coastal plain, wider in the south and narrower in the north, with the Tasman Sea on its eastern side and the Illawarra escarpment on its western edge. The escarpment is mountainous and almost impassable, and it forms the eastern edge of the Southern Highlands plateau. North of Wollongong the plain shrinks to a thin strip between the sea and the escarpment.
The name Illawarra
"Illawarra" comes from the Aboriginal Tharawal word "allowrie", which is also recorded as "elouera" or "eloura". A. W. Reed offers translations such as "pleasant place near the sea" and "high place near the sea". The element "illa" is also recorded as meaning "white clay", and the ending "warra", sometimes written "wurra", is "mountain" in the local indigenous language.
For a time around 1806 the region went by the name "Five Islands", a reference to the five islands lying off Red Point. In 1817 Governor Macquarie wrote of a stretch of coast known generally as the "Five Islands", but called "Illawarra" by the natives.
In 1815, some traditional custodians led European settlers and their herds down the escarpment into the Illawarra.
European exploration and settlement
European exploration of the Illawarra is first recorded in 1796, by Matthew Flinders and George Bass. Flinders noted that the place was called "Allowrie" by the natives. Little of the region was charted until 1815.
The drought that struck Sydney in 1815 sent settlers looking for new grazing land. In 1815, some traditional custodians led European settlers and their herds down the escarpment into the Illawarra.
Coal, steel and dairy
Farming, coal mining and steel making have traditionally been the main industries of the Illawarra. Coal mining has been a key part of the region's economy for over 200 years. For over 140 years the southern part of the region has supplied crushed-stone construction aggregate and ballast for railway tracks.
The area around Port Kembla and Wollongong was once known mainly for industrial jobs. Commerce has grown since the 1990s, overtaking industry in many areas. Australia's largest steel-works, run by BlueScope, operates at Port Kembla.
Illawarra cattle were originally bred in the region and are now Australia's third largest breed in population. The cattle are big and dark red, sometimes with white patches, and their milk is high in butter fat and protein. The breed suits the Australian climate. A co-operative dairy factory in the region took in milk and cream from local farmers.
Timeline
| at least 20,000 years ago | Archaeological evidence dates Aboriginal life in the Illawarra to at least this time. |
|---|---|
| 1796 | Matthew Flinders and George Bass make the first recorded European exploration of the Illawarra. |
| around 1806 | The region is called the Five Islands, after five islands off Red Point. |
| 1815 | A drought in Sydney sends settlers seeking new grazing lands. |
| 1817 | Governor Macquarie records the coast as the Five Islands, called Illawarra by the natives. |
| the 1990s | Commerce grows in Wollongong, overtaking industry in many areas. |
Living in Illawarra
The Illawarra takes in the two cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama. The district reaches the Royal National Park's southern hills in the north and the Shoalhaven River in the south. Wollongong runs north to Helensburgh and south to Windang, and west to Maddens Plains and Cordeaux. The region has districts including a north-central one centred on Lake Illawarra and a western one defined by the escarpment. The western district leads toward the Southern Highlands in the southwest.
The region has a coastal plain, the escarpment behind it and the lake at its centre. The grassy coastal strip lies within the Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland biome. Where the land rises and rainfall exceeds 1300mm, the wet sclerophyll forests generally grow tall, compact eucalyptus 30m to 60m high, with moist shrubs, tree ferns and a few vines beneath. The region also holds the Illawarra-Shoalhaven subtropical rainforest.
Questions people ask
- Where is the Illawarra?
- It sits in the south-east of New South Wales, between Sydney to the north and the South Coast region to the south. It takes in Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama.
- What does the name Illawarra mean?
- It comes from the Aboriginal Tharawal word "allowrie", which is also recorded as "elouera" or "eloura". A. W. Reed gives translations that include "pleasant place near the sea" and "high place near the sea".
- Which places are in the Illawarra?
- The region takes in the cities of Wollongong and Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama. The district reaches the Royal National Park's southern hills in the north and the Shoalhaven River in the south.
- What is the history of the Illawarra?
- Aboriginal people lived in the region for at least 20,000 years before European settlers arrived. European exploration is first recorded in 1796, and in 1815 traditional custodians helped European settlers bring their cattle down the escarpment into the region.
- What is the Illawarra known for?
- Farming, coal mining and steel making have traditionally been the region's main industries, and Australia's largest steel-works operates at Port Kembla. Illawarra cattle were originally bred in the region.