Wollongong

Wollongong New South Wales
City centre and surrounds Court House Crown Street Flagstaff Hill Lighthouse Heritage Hotel Wollongong Harbour, Cove Beach
Wollongong
Coordinates	34°25′38″S 150°53′38″E / 34.427243°S 150.893915°E / -34.427243; 150.893915
Population	280,153 (UCL 2021)[1][2]
Postcode(s)	2500
Elevation	5 m (16 ft)
Area	572.2 km2 (220.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10)
• Summer (DST)	AEDT (UTC+11)
Location	85 km (53 mi) S of Sydney 40 km (25 mi) N of Kiama 73 km (45 mi) E of Bowral 72 km (45 mi) NE of Nowra 244 km (152 mi) ENE of Canberra
LGA(s)	City of Wollongong City of Shellharbour Municipality of Kiama
Region	Illawarra
State electorate(s)	Heathcote Keira Kiama Shellharbour Wollongong
Federal division(s)	Cunningham Gilmore Whitlam
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), colloquially referred to as The Gong, 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 Gordon Bradbery AM who was elected in 2021.^[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]