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.
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.
A list of events across the Illawarra this week includes art exhibitions at Clifton and Port Kembla, a grandparents magic show at Kiama Library, and an Indigenous business expo in Wollongong. Families can attend ParkFest in Albion Park Rail, which features a silent disco and free barbecue. The Jamberoo Car Show and Family Day is on Sunday, though it has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Cyclists will begin the Great Southeastern Loop from Bellambi on Sunday, and the Reclaim the Night rally takes place in Wollongong on Thursday evening.
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A public art project called Two Kings at King George V Park in Port Kembla tells the story of the suburb's history. The work consists of eight terrazzo plinths with tiles showing photographs and text. It features King George V and King Mickey of the Illawarra, a prominent Aboriginal man. Other plinths cover the Aboriginal history of the landscape, the Southside Festival, local groups and the area's industrial past. The park was greened from 2009 by community members and volunteers, and it now includes a community-built skate park.
Hundreds of locals have attended the community-led Illawarra Nature Festival at Port Kembla's Servo, celebrating the region's natural environment through expert talks, workshops, music and art. The launch included a multi-sensory exhibition on Illawarra lowland grassy woodlands, combining visual art, log rubbings, projected video and soundscapes. Artists say the work aims to show how the woodland has been fragmented and to encourage people to help reconnect the remaining pockets. Program coordinator Alison Mellor said the turnout had been really special.
Police seized 22 illegal e-bikes during a blitz across Wollongong, Shellharbour and Cronulla on Friday. The operation, run with Transport for NSW, targeted bikes that exceeded legal speed and power limits. Earlier, an officer was injured at Shell Cove when police allege an e-bike rider struck him while trying to stop the bike and then fled. An 18-year-old man has been charged with multiple offences and will appear before Port Kembla Local Court on October 28. Police warned riders to check NSW requirements before buying an e-bike, saying non-compliant bikes may be seized and destroyed.
A new six-episode documentary podcast about Port Kembla, NSW's third largest port, is being launched at The Servo on Sunday, November 1. Radio journalist Jennifer Macey created the series as part of her PhD geography research at the University of Wollongong. Episodes cover water, coal, steel, grain and cars, moving from Indigenous Dreaming stories to the present day. Macey recorded on location, including interviews with migrants and workers. The podcast will be free to listen to on Spotify and other platforms.
A police officer has suffered a serious leg injury after allegedly being struck by an e-bike rider in Shell Cove. The incident happened on Friday 16 October during a NSW Police and Transport for NSW operation targeting illegal and modified e-bikes. Police say an 18-year-old man was arrested and charged over the alleged incident and will appear before Port Kembla Local Court on 28 October. During the wider operation across southern Sydney and the Illawarra, 22 e-bikes were seized and nine penalty notices issued.
Six Halloween events are planned across the Illawarra, from Gerringong to Woonona, on 30 and 31 October. Shellharbour hosts a free family Halloween Spooktacular on 30 October at the Civic Centre. Port Kembla Fearfest, held on 31 October on Wentworth Street, features live performances, armoured combat demonstrations and a horror maze. Science Space runs its Spookfest on 30 October, while the Illawarra Light Railway Museum and Woonona Bulli RSL Club host events on 31 October. The Co-Op Gerringong also hosts a one-night Halloween party that evening with live music.
An American team has arrived at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society in Shellharbour to reassemble John Travolta's former Boeing 707 jet. The plane was taken apart and shipped from the United States, but mechanical issues had prevented it from being flown to Australia. The five-man team will spend six weeks on the aircraft, reattaching wings, wheels and possibly engines. The jet will not be airworthy but will be brought to a point where it can be driven around the tarmac. A date for its official unveiling has not yet been announced.
Construction has finished on the Warrawong Community Health Centre, built on the former Port Kembla Hospital grounds in the Illawarra. Once it opens in the coming weeks, residents will be able to reach antenatal care, child health checks, sexual health testing, mental health counselling and drug and alcohol support in one place. The building includes landscaped spaces, an outdoor play area for children and local artwork chosen from submissions by regional creatives and students. NSW Health Minister Ryan Park described the milestone as important for community-based care, while local members of parliament highlighted the wider investment in regional facilities.
Nine events are taking place in the Illawarra region this week, including a stage production by local playwright Stephen Goldrick, an art show at Scarborough Public School, and a Spartan Race at WIN Stadium. Other highlights include a women's health forum, a cultural festival in Kiama, a quilt and craft exhibition in Dapto, a comedy night, and an environmental festival in Port Kembla. The events cater to a range of interests, from theatre and art to sports and community celebrations.
Wollongong City Council has not taken a formal position on a potential AUKUS nuclear submarine base in Port Kembla. Greens councillor Deidre Stuart raised concerns at a council meeting, questioning whether the council had any input or awareness of plans for the base. Council staff responded that they were not aware of any specific documentation or plans from the Commonwealth Government regarding Port Kembla as a potential site. Labor councillors criticised Stuart's questions, with some suggesting they were politically motivated.
Thousands of patrons attended the Yours and Owls Festival in Wollongong, despite a thunderstorm on the first day. Organisers paused the event as attendees sought shelter in nearby venues. The festival's second day featured a new pub-crawl format, which proved popular with crowds navigating the city's central business district. Interstate visitors also attended the event, with one Brisbane resident calling it a bucket-list experience.
