23/06/2024
Our beautiful Wollongong Harbour taken at sunset.
Here are some random facts about Wollongong that you may not know:
*Wollongong was the first district in Australia to celebrate its centenary
*Wollongong is the only place in Australia to have two lighthouses in close proximity.
*Manufacturing is the biggest component of the Wollongong economy, and we produce much more than the state average as a percentage. Mining is the 2nd largest sector, followed by Education.
*The 3 sectors mentioned above account for 66% of Wollongong's exports, whilst for New South Wales as a state, they account for just 15%.
*The 5 most common ancestries in Wollongong are Australian, English, Irish, Scottish and Italian. I'm sure Macedonian and other Eastern Europeans as well as Greek wouldn't be too far behind.
*2.6% of the Wollongong population is Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander.
*80% of people speak only English at home and the 2nd most common language used at home is Macedonian. Languages used at home that are in decline are Macedonian, Italian, Greek and Mandarin. Arabic and Spanish are on the increase. Italian has declined the most, followed by Macedonian. These declines happened between 2016 and 2021 so that would have changed again by now.
*Wollongong has a population of approximately 224,000 people today and became a city in 1942. There are 313 people per square kilometre and the median age is 39.
*Shellharbour has a population of approximately 76,500 people and was proclaimed a city in 1996. There are 518 people per square kilometre and the average age is 44.
*Kiama is a municipality and has a population of 23,000 with 85 people per square kilometre and the average age is 49.
*Together these areas make up the Illawarra region with a total population of approximately 323,500 people, making it the 10th largest region population wise in Australia.
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