The best of the Illawarra community shone through in so many wonderful stories during 2025. Take a look back at the stories that made us a smile (or maybe shed a tear or two) – and see if you can guess what was our most popular read.
20. A proud old builder revisits first home built in Koonawarra estate 60 years ago
by Michele Tydd
Neil Kirkwood in front of the first home built in the Koonawarra housing estate. Photo: Michele Tydd.
Neil Kirkwood recalls the day in 1965 he turned up to start work on the Koonawarra Housing Commission estate and all he could see was cleared farmland. The first house he helped to build is still standing today.
19. At 96, Val Fell is on a mission to share new aged care reforms that put participants first
by Kellie O’Brien
Val Fell is looking for speaking opportunities to help people understand the new Aged Care Act. Photo: Supplied.
At 96, Val Fell isn’t slowing down — she’s just getting louder. After a stint in hospital saw her experience the challenges facing older people in the region firsthand, she’s more motivated than ever to ensure they understand their rights under the new Aged Care Act — one talk at a time.
18. A walk through time as Symbio turns 50 (sort of)
by Dione David
Symbio Wildlife Park has come a long way in 50 years — and its next chapter is just beginning. Photos: Symbio Wildlife Park.
When a 12-year-old Matt Radnidge first started raking pony yards at Symbio Wildlife Park for $10 a day, he didn’t realise he’d one day be helping lead it into a new era of conservation and purpose.
Today, he’s part of the family that owns and operates the park, and is preparing to celebrate a milestone — albeit belatedly.
17. After 56 years and generations of swimmers, ‘Mrs Mac’ retires from Oak Flats Swimming Club
by Kellie O’Brien
Mrs Mac during the farewell event. Photo: Supplied.
For 56 years, Helen “Mrs Mac” McKay has taught generations of kids how to swim and shape their futures through the Oak Flats Swimming Club. Now, at 86, she’s retiring — leaving behind a legacy that proves a love for the water can change lives.
16. A listening ear for 44 years: Dapto Citos club legend steps away from the bar to embrace retirement
by Keeli Dyson
Judy Graham has been the glue of Dapto Citos Bowling Club for decades. Photo: Supplied.
From behind the bar at Dapto Citizens Bowling Club, Judy Graham has been a beacon for connection and conversation for more than four decades and now she’s called last drinks.
The 62-year-old started some casual work behind the bar at the club when she turned 18.
“I just came in to do some bar training and the rest was history; I never left,” Judy said.
15. End of an era for beloved Kanahooka lolly shop
by Zoe Cartwright
The Licorice Shop owners, Richard and Pamela Cann, will be shutting up shop at Kanahooka – but it’s not the end of their story. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
It’s official – the Licorice Shop at Kanahooka is set to close.
After the council ordered owners Richard and Pamela Cann to make changes they just couldn’t afford, the long-time lolly specialists decided to shut up shop.
Luckily for them, fate intervened.
14. How this Dapto boxing gym punches far above its weight
by Dione David
Crocker’s Boxing Gym in Dapto has been instilling grit and fighting spirit in young people for almost three decades. Photo: Region.
Behind Dapto’s Dandaloo Hotel, in a sturdy tin-roofed structure no bigger than a classroom, generations of young boxers have found something more powerful than a punch.
For 27 years, Crocker’s Boxing Gym has been a place where aspiring fighters, at-risk youth and kids with disabilities come not just to train, but to grow. Run as a nonprofit since 1999 by former Australian middleweight champion Vito Gaudiosi, the gym has quietly built a legacy of transformation.
13. Gracie’s legacy: How a scholarship is empowering young women with disabilities to pursue their dreams
by Kellie O’Brien
Mark, Susan and Sophie Wallis continue to help young women with a disability achieve their dreams through the Gracie Wallis Scholarship. Photo: Sylvia Liber.
Gracie Wallis may have only spent 13 years on this earth, but her legacy is transforming the lives of young women with disabilities. Here’s how her family turned their grief into a powerful scholarship changing futures in the Illawarra.
12. Layers of love: The story behind Zweefers, Fairy Meadow’s beloved cakery
by Dione David
Anne Wolfers and Sue Zweep, the founders of Zweefers, remain firm friends today. Photo: Sue Zweep.
When the announcement came that Zweefers would close its doors after more than 30 years, it wasn’t just the end of a shop — it felt like the end of an era. To understand why its closure hit so hard, you have to go back to the beginning.
Zweefers is an amalgam of the surnames of its founders, Sue Zweep and Anne Wolfers — two women whose passion for elevating the Wollongong food scene led them to create what would one day become Fairy Meadow’s beloved cake shop and patisserie.
11. Last call at old City Diggers Club this Saturday
by Zoe Cartwright
The original Wollongong RSL Club building was opened in October 1935. The City Diggers Club as it looks today was built around the original. Photo: Wollongong RSL.
After almost 100 years, it’s time to say goodbye to veterans club City Diggers Wollongong. Here’s why the RSL is backing the demolition.
10. The role of nature in the naming of early Illawarra towns, starting with a fig tree
by Joe Davis
The fig tree, Dapto Road, Illawarra, 1910. Photo: State Library of NSW. PXE 711/586.
What’s in a name? Historian Joe Davis has an answer for many place names in the Illawarra – and it’s a mouthful!
9. ‘Why Would You Bother?’ Wollongong’s bold campaign roasts itself — and wins the internet
by Kellie O’Brien
One of the scenes from the Why Would You Bother campaign. Photo: Supplied.
Wollongong has embraced its trademark self-deprecating humour in a cheeky new tourism campaign that opens with a stunning shot of Wollongong North Beach and an apologetic phone call: “Sorry to drag you to Wollongong. I’m still stuck here”.
In true Aussie style, it then boldly poses the question: Why would you bother?
Despite this self roast, locals are loving it.
8. Warilla nan’s fight for paediatric unit at new Shellharbour Hospital
by Zoe Cartwright
Carol Markulic wants Shellharbour kids to have access to the same level of hospital treatment kids in Wollongong have. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Warilla great-grandmother Coral Markulic is on a one-woman crusade for a children’s ward to be included as part of the new Shellharbour Hospital.
She’s door-knocked local businesses, written to politicians, picketed and hosted a free barbecue to rally the community behind a petition for the service.
7. Move over, Cockatoo Island — Illawarra’s bold new museum proposal sets sights on Port Kembla
by Dione David
Franca Facci (pictured in Port Kembla) says the Museum of People, Country and Industry will create a rich program where stories are told, ideas are nurtured and connections are forged. Photo: Jeremy Lasek.
If Illawarra woman Franca Facci gets her way, the region will have the foundations of a new museum by 2028 — one where its stories come alive.
The Museum of People, Country and Industry would reimagine how local stories are told, taking a participatory approach in curating a program that “empowers the people of the Illawarra to not only be the authors, but also the tellers of their own stories”.
It’s about celebrating who we are, how we got here, and where we’re going next, ultimately to revitalise the Illawarra’s social landscape.
6. The shifting sands of time changes the shape of Illawarra beaches
by Joe Davis
Fred Wild’s fabulous photo of his mum climbing up a giant sand dune in preparation for some sand-sledding at Primbee during the 1970s. Photo: Shellharbour History in Photos.
Do you remember the days when massive sand dunes surrounded the region’s beaches? Joe Davis revisits the days when kids and adults alike took to the sand slopes with homemade sleds.
5. How a boy from the ‘Gong came to head up the NRL
by Zoe Cartwright
Before he was a big name in sports, Peter V’Landys was a student at the University of Wollongong. Photo: NRL.
A migrant kid in Wollongong to head honcho of Australia’s two biggest sports – Peter V’Landys has come a long way over the course of his career.
The NRL and horse racing boss credits his parents’ hard work and his time at the University of Wollongong with setting him up for success.
4. Why Dapto was more important than Thirroul (and likely forever will be)
by Joe Davis
Back in the 1800s the place to be in Wollongong was Dapto – Joe Davis thinks there’s a good chance that what was old will become new again. Photo: Joe Davis.
Dapto and Brownsville were the beating heart of commerce and tourism for Wollongong in the 1800s – here’s why.
3. The grand old dame of Wollongong retail marks half a century
by Dione David
Crown Central was a $15 million project. Photo: From the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society, P05358.
In 1975, Wollongong’s retail scene hit a new era with the launch of Crown Central — now the Crown Building — a landmark multi-level shopping and office precinct at Crown and Keira streets.
With its iconic emblem nodding to the city’s proud steelmaking roots and a diverse mix of tenants all under one roof, the $15 million project by Abbey Capital Property Group set a new benchmark for convenience and style.
2. ‘The NDIS was made for people like me’: Dapto mum calls for a fair go
by Zoe Cartwright
Carol Roberts was born deaf and cannot speak – but she wants the NDIS to hear her cry for help. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Dapto mum and grandmother Carol Roberts loves to socialise.
Whether she’s teaching and learning new languages to her colleagues at work, catching up with friends for a coffee or taking a holiday cruise, Carol loves to connect with others.
There’s just one challenge. Carol is profoundly deaf. She was born unable to hear, and as a result is also unable to speak.
1. The Fairy Meadow residence once home to two famous Illawarra families
by Joe Davis
The historic Warenda in North Wollongong, once the home of Illawarra’s Dion family. Photo: Supplied.
It was once home to Illawarra’s well-known Dion family, but Warenda was originally built for someone else. Historian Joe Davis shares the story behind the beautiful brick home.
