Wollongong's Illawarra Indigenous Business Expo has grown to 67 stalls since its 2023 debut. Nearly 600 people attended the fourth expo at Novotel. Organiser Maiquilla Brown, who runs the event through her Bimbala Collective business, said many visitors were non-Indigenous allies. Exhibitors included weavers, tradespeople, a plant nursery and a dairy launching in Western Sydney. Wollongong's Lord Mayor, Tania Brown, said the council started the expo with 30 businesses and now has over 65.
A covert recording of a prison meeting between Beau Lamarre-Condon and a friend has been played to the New South Wales supreme court. Lamarre-Condon, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter. He is accused of fatally shooting Jesse Baird and Luke Davies with his police service weapon at Baird's Paddington home in February 2024. In the recording, Lamarre-Condon allegedly says he fully takes accountability for drawing his friend into the matter. The trial before Justice Natalie Adams continues.
NSW Police are asking the public for help finding Ewan Meades, a 16-year-old boy last seen on a northbound train at Woonona at about 11:15 am on Thursday, 22 October. He was reported missing on Friday, and Wollongong Police have begun inquiries. Police and his family are concerned for his welfare, as he lives with autism. Ewan may be using the rail network to travel. Anyone with information about where he is should contact Wollongong Police.
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Seven filmmakers from the Illawarra region have made the finals of the SmartFone Flick Fest, the world's largest smartphone film festival. Three of the 13 films picked for the main gala finals at the Sydney Opera House come from the region. The festival, now in its 12th year, was founded to make filmmaking accessible to anyone with a phone. Its director, Angela Blake, said the region has a lot of talent. The festival runs from Saturday, 31 October to Sunday, 1 November at the Opera House and White Bay Power Station.
The Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog has been named October's frog of the month. It is found along eastern Australia and is very common within its range. Growing up to 2.5 centimetres, the frog makes a sharp, loud call for its size. It is usually found around ponds or swamps with plenty of reeds or sedge. A photographer spotted a male basking on a Lomandra bush beside the duck pond at the University of Wollongong, and in spring has counted up to 20 frogs in that single bush.
Dr Alison Haynes, a writer and conservation biologist, is introducing a new nature series for the Illawarra Flame. She moved to the Illawarra from Sydney in search of space and a garden. Rediscovering her interest in biology led her to a conservation biology degree, then a PhD studying how urban mosses survive city stresses. Her work has included field surveys of lizards, small mammals and bandicoots, and a four-week research trip to Antarctica in 2020. She plans to write about urban moss, city nature and community walks.
Eight Christmas markets across the Illawarra region are running from early November to late December. Events include the Wollongong Makers Market at UOW's Innovation Campus on 7 and 8 November, and a Port Kembla market at Red Point Arts Precinct on 14 November. Shoppers can find handmade jewellery, ceramics, gourmet treats and local crafts. Several markets offer live music, face painting and photos with Santa. The Kiama Seaside Markets on 20 December feature more than 150 stalls beside the Kiama Lighthouse.
Kiama council is progressing plans for a two-year trial of a special entertainment precinct, which could start by early next year. The precinct aims to boost live music, hospitality and the night-time economy through more flexible sound limits, longer trading hours and less red tape. Some critics say the proposal lacks ambition and want higher sound limits for longer periods. Councillors voted to progress the draft as originally recommended, with a month-long public exhibition still to come. Wollongong council is also investigating whether a similar precinct would suit its city centre.
A local history writer has long sought the architect of Rondanella, an unusual house at Kanahooka on the shores of Mullet Creek. Land title searches by researchers Wendy and Terry Nunan showed Charles Ormond Smith owned the property by 1914. The property passed to William James Johnson by mortgage in 1916 and was sold to Major Richard Pudsey Dawson in 1936. The writer suspects the Howard Smith family's architect, Verton Howard Bruce Smith, may have been involved, but says the link remains unproven.
Wollongong Pet Connection has named Tommy and Brock as its pets of the week, both seeking forever homes. Tommy is a two-year-old cat who is wary of people and needs a patient family to let him progress at his own pace. Brock is a five-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier cross who loves human company, long walks and time with other dogs. He has some fear of being confined in garages or rooms with closed doors. Interested adopters can apply through the Wollongong City Council website, and a council officer will arrange a meet and greet.
Blacktown pilot Aglaya Papadokokolakis flew the first commercial aircraft out of Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday. She said the milestone was a career highlight, launching operations in her home region. Her father is also a pilot, and she encouraged young women to pursue aviation despite its male-dominated reputation. The airport opened after about eight years of construction and is set to run around the clock. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially opened it at a Sunday morning ceremony, and its first international flight arrived on Monday.
As part of Small Business Month in October, three New England and North Coast businesses are being highlighted. Steve Shaw runs GH Innovations in Thrumster, helping local firms attract customers through online search and sales improvement. Di Wade runs Rawspice Boutique in South West Rocks, offering independent fashion and lifestyle products. Meagan Hudson and Rory Taylor run Beardy Downs in Emmaville, making small-batch tallow and beeswax products through BD Collection.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Ramp has been officially named Patyegarang, after a Cammeraygal woman who helped bridge colonial and Indigenous communities. The name was chosen through a collaborative process with local Aboriginal community members. Transport for NSW has also unveiled new bronze signage and a cyclist counter board, which shows live usage statistics. The ramp's opening in January has led to a 30% increase in cycleway usage, averaging 1,600 daily riders over the past six months.
