The Illawarra Region

The Illawarra region is on the south side of Sydney and extends to the Shoalhaven region. Wollongong, Shell Harbour and Kiama are three of the major cities. The whole area is basically a narrow plain, bounded by the Pacific Ocean on one side and Mountainous escarpments on the inland side. In the middle is Lake Illawarra that was formed due to sedimentation of a bay. It is more like a coastal lagoon than a lake, as it is no more than 2/3 metres in depth. It was first named Tom Thumb’s Lagoon by early explorers.

The city of Wollongong is said to be the fourth largest urban area in Australia. In spite of this distinction, the area is extremely hilly, limiting any agricultural development much more than is the case in those regions that have large, flat areas such as the Hunter. However it takes more than a few hills to prevent settlement and those areas like Stanwell Park and Coalcliff have many homes perched on the side of steep hills. In fact, although Stanwell Park is actually considered a suburb of Wollongong it is really a coastal village with its own strip of beach set in a small valley at the northernmost point of the Illawarra region.

The main industries for the Illawarra region are steel-making, farming and coal mining with Port Kembla a major industrial centre. However, commerce is now beginning to make itself felt, with industry slightly on the decline. The area is well served by motorways such as the Southern Freeway, railways and the Illawarra Regional Airport at Albion Park. The region is administered by four councils; Shoalhaven City Council, Kiama Council, Shellharbour City Council and Wollongong City Council.

Sport is well represented in the region, with many famous names in football such as Bob Fulton and Mick Cronin coming from the area. There are many sporting clubs and group with a number of group also associated with the University of Wollongong. With this much sport if you are looking for a massage therapist in Wollongong you are set to find one.