Nestled on the coast of New South Wales, roughly 80km south of Sydney, is the city of Wollongong. And just as that previous sentence implies, Wollongong is constantly living under the shadow of Australia's largest city.

Otherwise, the location is perfect. Wollongong is in the centre of a region called the Illawarra¹, and it boasts picturesque cliffs and mountains to the west, with beautiful beaches and oceans to the east. The east coast of Australia boasts some of the best beaches in the world, and also some of the greatest surf. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages Wollongong has is that it's one of the least dangerous places you could hope to find in Australia; but don't be fooled - Australia is, after all, one of the most dangerous places in the world. It's just that the most immediate dangers in Wollongong aren't necessarily from fauna and flora.

'Wollongong' is an Aboriginal word by origin, although there is some debate as to what it actually means. Various interpretations have been offered, ranging from onomatopoeia for the sound of waves, to an utterance of fear in reaction to the landing of white men. The most plausible explanations seem to be either that it is derived from Wollonguyuh², which means 'place near the five islands' (The 'five islands' being a chain of tiny, inhospitable islands that run parallel to the coast, roughly one kilometre from the beach), or that it comes from Wollunguh, meaning 'a place where a marriage took place between the offspring of two great kings'. According to the latter etymology, the word also refers to a great feast of fish at the wedding.

Wollongong is one of many Australian names that have the distinction of strange pronunciation. The correct way to pronounce it is 'wool on gong', however most people now say 'woollen gong'. For the purposes of simplicity, the residents and many other people refer to the city as 'the Gong'.

The symbol for Wollongong - and indeed the Illawarra - is the Illawarra flame tree. This completely inoffensive plant life is a tree unique to the region, and is distinct by the flame-red leaves that grow on it - another example of the amazingly diverse plant-life in Australia.

Wollongong's population is approximately 200,000, although that figure is only correct at night. During the day, nearly half of Wollongong's population commutes to Sydney for their employment, so effectively, the Gong's sleeping population is 200,000, and the living daytime population is more like 110,000.

Steel City

Like its sister city in the UK, Newcastle, Wollongong is called a 'steel city', due to the large steel industry that helps the region thrive. The vital difference is that Wollongong still has a steel industry, while Newcastle's was sold off and closed down (giving way to newer and more exciting industries that Wollongong has yet to discover). The steel works are located at a suburb known as Port Kembla, and it is at this vital port that the steel for - among other things - the Empire State Building and the Sydney Harbour Bridge was produced.

Food

There is almost everything to suit your tastes in Wollongong. There are a range of restaurants, cafés, takeaways and pubs, all offering a huge variety. Some of the pubs serve excellent counter-lunches, and some restaurants are excellent just for their location - the food not exactly secondary, so much as overshadowed. Be discerning in your culinary choices, but not refined. Some may find that they get a far better meal at the local pub, but there are some excellent restaurants to be found.

Sport

In 2001, Wollongong came extremely close to being the best sporting region in the whole country. The local basketball team, the Wollongong Hawks, defeated Townsville to take the championship in a thrilling series. Local soccer team, the Wollongong Wolves, took the premiership a few months later. All was set for the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league club to make it a hat-trick, but they came unstuck in the quarter finals.

In 2002, Wollongong showed that maybe they were just a bit lucky. The dragons made it to the finals series, but didn't make it through to the premiership match. Again.

The St George Illawarra Dragons is only a recent development. Wollongong's local rugby league team was the Illawarra Steelers, however they signed a merger in 1998 with the St George Dragons after the National Rugby League board decided to reform the league and reduce the number of teams. The new St George Illawarra Dragons played their first match in 1999, and made it to the Grand Final that same year. Not a bad start, eh? Pity they lost - to the Melbourne Storm, of all teams (a great team, but Melbourne is in a part of Australia that prefers the distinctive Aussie Rules Football over rugby league) - in a match with a controversial ending.

Wollongong has also nurtured some of the greatest rugby league players the country has seen. Some notables are Gary Jack, retired; Steve 'Blocker' Roach, retired; Rod Wishart, now a rugby union player; and Paul 'Mary' McGregor, retired, but back in action.

Another Wollongong-bred sports personality is speedway star Les Hewitt. One time top rider for the Coventry Bees and Australia, he returned to Wollongong with his English bride at the end of his career. He reportedly started a retail clothing company, which one of his sons now operates.

English soccer team Bradford City signed a player named Paul Reid from the Wollongong Wolves in the summer of 2002. He made Bradford City's starting eleven for the first time in October 2002, and scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Norwich City.

Former motor cycle racing champion Wayne Gardner also hails from Wollongong. The humble speedster has been in so many accidents, though, that he now races touring cars instead.

Celebrity Cradle

Naturally, some very famous people were born and/or raised in the greater city of Wollongong, and took the first opportunity to leave. Of particular interest is Corrimal, the northern suburb of Wollongong, which - rumour has it - is where AC/DC played their first gig. Whether this is true or not is open for debate, but it is a sense of pride for locals who want to feel like a part of rock history, however fleeting. Rumour also has it that Queen played a gig at the same venue - this was well before 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and hence Queen were seen as avante-garde homosexuals (though not in so many words) and booed offstage. How things do change.

Also notable is the Streets Ice Cream company, whose humble origins also go back to Corrimal.

Nightlife

In the early- to mid-1990s, a night out in Wollongong was a boon. There were plenty of venues, each with live music four-to-six times a week. In the early 21st Century, there is only one venue that regularly has live entertainment. Almost all the rest of Wollongong's nightlife is owned by the one company. While this may sound like a conflict of interest, there are some advantages: you are assured a great night out, provided that you like over-loud Top 40 music and wading through masses of people like a sardine in a particularly small tin. The disadvantage is that all these nightspots are attracting similar crowds, which tend to be slightly too young and surprisingly pretentious. This level of pretension is difficult to find anywhere else in the country, and twice as difficult to explain.

For the persistent, though, there are many places that may suit their tastes. These range from small cafés hidden away in alleys to pubs (bars) in the outer suburbs. These pubs always have some form of musical entertainment, although they are either karaoke (the popularity of which is increasing steadily) or cover bands. The last alternative is to visit local clubs. There is no such thing as exclusivity where local clubs in Australia are concerned, and all it takes is a signature on a 'temporary membership' to enter. Once inside, you will have the following entertainment options: cover bands, karaoke, live original acts (some of which are very good, international acts, but don't hold your breath), or gambling. As a matter of fact, clubs in New South Wales are always chock-full of 'pokies' (poker machines - an odd title, considering that they are slot machines).

The only other major alternative for a good night out in Wollongong is to not be in Wollongong. There is a rich variety of nightlife in Sydney, and something to suit everyone's taste. This demands the time spent travelling to Sydney, as well as a place to sleep.

Wollongong at the Turn of the Century

At the time of writing (2002), the most recent Lord Mayor, George Harrison³, had just resigned from his post not long after he was kicked out of his own party. Harrison's origins are in business, and some say there were some questionable business practices afoot.

Prior to Harrison, the city's Lord Mayor was a man named David Campbell. Campbell was largely inoffensive, with a 'Get Things Done' image. In fact, he didn't Get a whole lot Done, which is generally the sign of a favourable politician. While it may be true that a great lot of good wasn't done during Campbell's tenure, it is equally true that a great lot of bad wasn't done either. Campbell took care of the city, and the citizens gratefully ignored him.

Campbell's predecessor was a man named Frank Arkell, and a lot can be said of the man. Unfortunately for the Arkell family, what people remember most is not in his favour. It is unarguable that Arkell did very much for the city of Wollongong. He coined the phrase 'Wonderful Wollongong' (which has since fallen into obscurity)⁴, and took every opportunity to promote the city wherever he went. Of particular note was his business card, which had a map of Australia on the back with 'WOLLONGONG' clearly indicated just below a very small blip for Sydney. He would hand these out to people everywhere, no matter where he was in the world. Arkell was murdered in 1999, shortly after his time in office ended.

Wollongong has seen many strange and remarkable things in recent years, at the turn of the 21st Century. The region flooded after torrential rainfall in 1998, causing millions of dollars in damage, and being declared a disaster zone. In 2000, a young man was murdered in a drive-by shooting, the only one in the city's history. This was later revealed to be the consequence of a drug-related vendetta, which the victim's family denounces.

In late 1999, a man murdered his wife and family in the sleepy suburb of West Dapto. This case was noteworthy because of the details revealed in the subsequent court hearing in 2001: the deceased wife had in fact threatened to have the young man murdered because of an extra-marital affair that he failed to end. By his own admission, he claims that he murdered his wife because the deadline was fast approaching.

Many bona-fide millionaires live in the region, but do not live the millionaire lifestyle, preferring to blend in as regular locals.

The Future of the Gong

The situation for Wollongong in 2002/2003 is uncertain. Sydney residents have finally discovered the city of Wollongong for the temperate paradise that it is, and are buying investment properties all around the region, at the time of writing. This is pushing up the price of real estate in the area, making things more difficult for local homebuyers. If the prices continue to rise, perhaps Wollongong will be transformed into a holiday destination. The beaches are among the best in the world, don't forget, and the surf is heralded as excellent. Perhaps Wollongong will be rebuilt into a pseudo-Gold Coast tourist trap. Or perhaps the Sydney-siders that holiday in the Gong will keep the secret to themselves. Then again, it could become a yuppie haven. Equally likely, some more remarkable happenings will strive to keep the Gong a wholly unique and astonishing place to be.