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.
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 New South Wales government has promised a $6.8 billion upgrade to the South Coast rail line if re-elected next year. The plan includes electrifying the line between Kiama and Bomaderry, so passengers could travel from Sydney to Nowra without changing trains. Extra tracks and passing loops are also planned between Wollongong and Kiama. Planning is expected to start in 2027, with construction completed in the mid to late 2030s. The announcement follows the scrapping of a planned timetable overhaul on the line, which had drawn commuter backlash.
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A business network in Yallah with 14 members says it has generated $282,000 in revenue and 161 direct referrals this year. Members pay an annual fee of $1200. Foundation member Joel Warren, a web design and marketing specialist, says the group gives a return of roughly 18 times the membership cost. Each business category has one seat, and members meet every Wednesday at 8 am at Yallah Woolshed Kitchen. Several categories, including physiotherapists, builders, painters and bookkeepers, are currently open to new members.
The NSW Government has dropped plans for a new South Coast rail timetable after strong opposition from commuters, unions and community groups. Premier Chris Minns said he had not met anyone who supported the change and would rather reverse the policy than go ahead with it. The changes, due to start on 15 November, would have added more regular services but also extra stops for travellers heading to the airport or towards Bondi Junction. Local groups and unions welcomed the decision, while a rail expert said the plan lacked proper consultation with regular users.
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.
Severe thunderstorms are moving across eastern Australia, bringing warnings of damaging winds and heavy rain. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, with flash flooding possible. Wind gusts of up to 113km/h were recorded at Cabramurra in the Snowy Mountains. Queensland is forecast to be hardest hit, after 100mm to 200mm of rain fell in parts of the Wide Bay-Burnett region. Flood warnings are current in several parts of Queensland, including a major warning for the Mary River at Tiaro.
Hannah McPherson, who lives with a cognitive impairment, went skydiving on Saturday, the day after her 22nd birthday. Her father, Greg, said he had been worried about how she would cope, but she was thrilled and wanted to jump again straight away. Hannah had long been fascinated by skydivers after watching them land near her home. Her father said the jump had given her new confidence, and she later insisted on catching the bus home alone.
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.
Kiama Community Radio is hosting Blues in the Night, a fundraising event on Saturday 7 November at Kiama Leagues Club. The station, run by volunteers, is seeking support to fund its equipment, technology and facilities. Headliner Frank Sultana will perform alongside Shane Flew and Matt Ross, and Jr and the Jewel-Tones, which includes Kiama musician Dave Shaw. Doors open at 5 pm. Tickets cost $50, or $40 for station members, plus a booking fee. Every ticket sold supports the station, which has operated since 2020.
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.
Tickets are now on sale for the seventh annual Wollongong Steam Trains weekend, set for 7 and 8 November. For the first time, the Victorian steam locomotive R766 will carry passengers between Wollongong and Scarborough. Single first-class seats cost $55, while groups can book an entire eight-person heritage carriage for $195. Each return trip takes about an hour. Organisers say the trips give passengers a chance to travel as trains once did, slower and with a scenic view of the northern suburbs.
An investigation by Four Corners has found that Little Zak's has the highest share of centres subject to enforcement action among Australia's 26 largest long daycare operators. Regulators recorded almost 600 confirmed breaches at its centres between 2020 and September 2025. Parents at its Shellharbour centre describe serious injuries and concerns about supervision. Little Zak's says its focus is on quality and safety. Federal Early Childhood Education Minister Jess Walsh says new reforms are on track, though some large operators have not been included in a funding crackdown.
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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.
Australian Alexander Volkanovski defended his UFC featherweight title with a second-round TKO of unbeaten Russian Movsar Evloev in Abu Dhabi. The referee stopped the fight with six seconds of the second round left. It was Volkanovski's ninth UFC featherweight title fight win, a record. The 38-year-old, from Windang on the NSW South Coast, said he may keep fighting. In the co-main event, Petr Yan retained the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili on a unanimous decision.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
A whale calf carcass has washed ashore at Malabar Beach in Sydney, the third landing spot for the same animal. Randwick Council workers moved the remains up the sand, roped off the area and closed the beach on Tuesday. Council said strong currents moved the carcass from Lurline Bay and that it will be removed and disposed of on Tuesday 27 October. Earlier, Coogee and Maroubra beaches were shut after the carcass became stuck against rocks at Lurline Bay.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
Mini has unveiled the Lucky 13 Edition, an Australian-exclusive limited-run model based on the John Cooper Works three-door hatch. It honours the 1966 Bathurst 500 victory by Rauno Aaltonen and Bob Holden in a factory-backed Morris Mini Cooper S. The special edition's name comes from Mr Holden drawing number 13 from a hat and adopting it as his lucky number. Design cues include white bonnet stripes, a white roof and circular 13 decals. Just 26 cars will be built for Australia, with arrival expected in the first quarter of 2027. Pricing starts at $71,990 before on-road costs.
