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© 2025 The Illawarra Flame
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May 2025’s print mag is out now

The Illawarra Flame is hand delivered to 11,000 letterboxes and local businesses from Waterfall to Bulli each month

The Illawarra Flame
7 hours ago
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News

Election bites: Where to find your Democracy Sausage

The trusty democracy sausage is a time-honoured tradition on polling day, allowing voters to enjoy a snag for a local good cause. The term ‘democracy sausage’ was coined around 2010, but community organisations have run cake stalls to capitalise on the election day atmosphere since voting was made compulsory in 1924.

Tyneesha Williams
7 hours ago
video
Energy Transition

Electrify Illawarra busy lobbying for change for all

It’s been a busy month. Electrify Illawarra shared a stall with Renew Illawarra at the Corrimal Rotary GreenFest on April 13. We chatted to locals about how they can reduce their bills and carbon footprint by going all-electric. The BYD Dolphin...

Denise Aubourg
7 hours ago
video
Arts & culture

Behind the Curtain with Cathy Bates in The House of Gloucester

Fans of Coniston’s doughty Phoenix Theatre last year saw Cathy’s Gloucester relieved of his globus oculi (by the Duke of Cornwall, played by Andrew Gorban) in a superb rendition of King Lear

Brian Kelly
7 hours ago
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Partner content

Food Intolerances: What To Watch For

By Dr Amy Harkness of Bulli Medical Practice Is your child experiencing unexplained symptoms after meals? Unlike food allergies that cause immediate reactions, food intolerances can be subtle and difficult to identify, affecting up to 25% of...

Dr Amy Harkness
7 hours ago
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Puzzles

Play WordroW - 1 May 2025

The Illawarra Flame
7 hours ago
video
Media release

Illawarra Folk Festival appoints new director Shane Moon

By honorary publicity officer Nick Hartgerink on behalf of the Illawarra Folk Festival The Illawarra Folk Festival’s newly appointed Festival Director Shane Moon knows the annual event inside-out, having been everything from a performer to a key...

The Illawarra Flame
22 hours ago
video
Science & Nature

Fruiting now: the yummy White Aspen

We are fortunate in the Illawarra region to have so many useful and edible native plants. First Nations Peoples have known of and used these plants for many generations, but we more recent arrivals can be unaware of the good things around. One such...

Emma Rooksby
April 2025
video
News

Author joins calls for a museum celebrating Illawarra’s ‘remarkable’ history

Author Michael Samaras thinks local proposals for a world-class regional museum celebrating the Illawarra’s history are a “great idea”. “I think that would be splendid,” said Michael, who will be in Thirroul to talk about his new book...

Genevieve Swart
April 2025
News
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News

Election bites: Where to find your Democracy Sausage

The trusty democracy sausage is a time-honoured tradition on polling day, allowing voters to enjoy a snag for a local good cause. The term ‘democracy sausage’ was coined around 2010, but community organisations have run cake stalls to capitalise on the election day atmosphere since voting was made compulsory in 1924.

Tyneesha Williams
7 hours ago
video
Opinion

Closer to Home, Louder Than Ever: The Case for Independent News

By Claire Stuchbery, Executive Director of the Local and Independent News Association (LINA) Across the globe we’re seeing an increasing level of polarisation in politics. But is that reflective of what’s going on in our communities? Much of our...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
News

Author joins calls for a museum celebrating Illawarra’s ‘remarkable’ history

Author Michael Samaras thinks local proposals for a world-class regional museum celebrating the Illawarra’s history are a “great idea”. “I think that would be splendid,” said Michael, who will be in Thirroul to talk about his new book...

Genevieve Swart
April 2025
video
News

Yours & Owls greening program brings young crowd to Bushcare

Yours & Owls’ commitment to sustainability was formally acknowledged at Wollongong City Council’s 2024 Environment Volunteer Awards, where the festival organisers received the Rise & Shine Community Group Business Award. This recognition...

Tyneesha Williams
April 2025
video
News

Q&A with Sharon Cousins, One Nation candidate for Whitlam

Ahead of the 2025 Federal Election, the Illawarra Flame is giving all local candidates a chance to share their vision for Australia. Sharon Cousins is the One Nation candidate for Whitlam, the Commonwealth Electoral Division covering Shellharbour...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
News

No other pamphlets permitted in Illawarra Flame magazines

In a small section of Stanwell Park, an unauthorised flyer was delivered along with May’s magazine. This propaganda was inserted into our magazines without our knowledge or consent, and we have no connection with the group responsible. We do not...

The Illawarra Flame
20 hours ago
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News

Continental Pool swimmers launch petition, telling Council they ‘won’t give up’ campaign for longer winter opening hours

Swimmers who’ve been lobbying Wollongong City Council to extend winter opening hours at North Wollongong’s Continental Pool have vowed never to give up despite Council voting not to proceed at this time. On the eve of Anzac Day, the day the popular...

Jeremy Lasek
April 2025
Arts & Culture
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Arts & culture

Behind the Curtain with Cathy Bates in The House of Gloucester

Fans of Coniston’s doughty Phoenix Theatre last year saw Cathy’s Gloucester relieved of his globus oculi (by the Duke of Cornwall, played by Andrew Gorban) in a superb rendition of King Lear

Brian Kelly
7 hours ago
video
Media release

Illawarra Folk Festival appoints new director Shane Moon

By honorary publicity officer Nick Hartgerink on behalf of the Illawarra Folk Festival The Illawarra Folk Festival’s newly appointed Festival Director Shane Moon knows the annual event inside-out, having been everything from a performer to a key...

The Illawarra Flame
22 hours ago
video
Arts & culture

AFTRS graduates channel grief into tender film about loss, love and friendship

The film tells the story of 11-year-old Mallee and his best friend, Alby – who, like Ruby and Layla, are navigating the loss of a parent. Nothing And The Sun is a tender story of friendship and perseverance.

Tyneesha Williams
April 2025
video
Arts & culture

Tap Cats book makes leap to stage

Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast will open at the end of this month. Performance dates are: Saturday, April 26 at 7:30pm, a twilight performance on Sunday, April 27 (4pm), and evening performances on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5, (both 7:30)...

Lauren Mitsak
April 2025
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Arts & culture

Q&A with South Coast Readers & Writers Festival author Pip Williams

The South Coast Readers & Writers Festival returns to Thirroul over the weekend of 5-6 July with a vibrant lineup of literary talent, from rising stars to international bestsellers. With a program ranging from soul-stirring poetry readings...

Elizabeth Heffernan
April 2025
video
Arts & culture

Wit, charm and heart: novelist Kerry Greenwood, creator of Phryne Fisher, was a true original

Also appearing in this scene are many of the Phryne Fisher fans who helped bring the movie to the screen when producers Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox asked for help. The initial crowdfunding target of A$250,000 was reached within 48 hours. A day later...

The Conversation
April 2025
Energy Transition
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Energy Transition

Electrify Illawarra busy lobbying for change for all

It’s been a busy month. Electrify Illawarra shared a stall with Renew Illawarra at the Corrimal Rotary GreenFest on April 13. We chatted to locals about how they can reduce their bills and carbon footprint by going all-electric. The BYD Dolphin...

Denise Aubourg
7 hours ago
video
Energy Transition

kWhrs: Watt is that?

This month I am looking at the way we measure fuel efficiency in our car. I am old enough to remember “Miles per Gallon”. Then we went metric and someone turned it upside-down “Litres per 100km”. Now with EVs, we have kW and kW-hours. So how...

Peter Aubourg
April 2025
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News

Hot tip: Cut costs with the thermal battery already in your home

In April, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced a ‘bill busting’ election promise – to roll out a $2.3 billion program to cut home battery costs by 30 per cent and bring down power bills by up to $1100 a year for those...

Genevieve Swart
April 2025
video
Energy Transition

Electrify 2515 Pilot welcomes apartment dwellers

By Electrify 2515’s Elsa Evers Catherine is an 84-year old retiree who lives in Thirroul with her husband, Reg. They are the first apartment owners to take part in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot and recently had a new induction cooktop...

Elsa Evers
April 2025
Clubs & Community
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History

The Helensburgh Historical Society Has Not Forgotten

Anzac Day will be held in the Charles Harper Park on Friday 25 April 2025 Helensburgh’s RSL Sub-branch has never forgotten and they have held Remembrance Services just-about -every year since WWI. The Helensburgh Historical Society produced two...

Jenny Donohoe
April 2025
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Clubs & Community

Where to mark ANZAC Day in 2025

City of Wollongong March Crown Street, Wollongong and various locations - from 10am, find road closure information and more here

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Clubs & Community

Scouts stand together

By Paul Rustomji of 1st Austinmer Scouts Austinmer Scout Group held its once-a-year group-wide meeting on Monday, 10 March. It is always an opportunity for all our age groups to get together and see what has happened over the past 12 months...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Clubs & Community

Sammy’s stellar swing

By Matt McCoy & Nina Sampson Helensburgh Public School is beaming with pride as one of our own, Sammy, a Year 5 student, has achieved an extraordinary milestone by making it to the Primary NSW State Cricket Team. This remarkable achievement...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Clubs & Community

Helensburgh Lions set for Movie Night Scramble

With Autumn upon us, we have some special events coming, so mark your calendars. 19/4/2025 – First up is the Easter scramble and movie night organised by Mattias Samuelsson and his wonderful team at Ray White Real Estate on Easter Saturday...

Fran Peppernell
April 2025
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Clubs & Community

Time to join your local Community Fire Unit

Jenny and Andrew Newland, an IT consultant and a geologist respectively, have long served the community in their efforts to be fire prepared. Now in their early 70s in retirement, they continue to enable local community action and knowledge with the...

Janice Creenaune
April 2025
video
Partner content

Celebrate Buddha’s Birthday with art, light and culture at Nan Tien Temple

Nan Tien Temple invites everyone to enjoy a spectacular four-day celebration of Buddha’s Birthday – a vibrant, multicultural festival blending art, mindfulness, and community spirit. From April 18 to 21, the temple will share inspiring program...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
Food & Travel
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Food & Travel

Thirroul Co-op volunteers share their passion

By Mark Fetterplace On a blustery but beautiful summer’s day, the Flame Tree Food Co-op had a morning tea get-together of their wonderful volunteers on the grass behind the Thirroul Surf Lifesaving Club. There was a fantastic community spirit...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Food & Travel

Pagan loaves, Christian bread, a secular treat: a brief history of hot cross buns

In some ancient cultures, bread was more than just food. It was a symbol of faith. Ancient Greeks baked small round loaves marked with crosses to honour their gods. According to some historians, these marks could represent the four seasons or four...

The Conversation
April 2025
video
Food & Travel

Here’s who topped the rankings in this year’s scorecard for sustainable chocolate – and which confectionery giant refused to participate

The Gender award went to Mars Wrigley – which produces Mars, Snickers, Twix and Malteasers – recognising the company for work supporting gender equality

The Conversation
April 2025
video
Food & Travel

Around the world in Wollongong: 11 foodie favourites to visit this Harmony Week

This diversity of culture has contributed a rich variety to local cuisine and the Illawarra is home to specialist supermarkets to purchase ingredients for home cooking.

Susan Luscombe
March 2025
What's On
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02
May - 27 June
Events

FREE 8 week Veterans Yoga Program

FREE
02
May
Events

Buckaroo Leatherworks Factory Seconds Sale

Buckaroo
03
May
Events

Bulli Corner Quilters’ Mammoth Quilt Sale

Bulli
03
May - 4 May
Events

Illawarra Grevillea Park Botanic Gardens Open Days

Illawarra
Health & Wellness
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Partner content

Food Intolerances: What To Watch For

By Dr Amy Harkness of Bulli Medical Practice Is your child experiencing unexplained symptoms after meals? Unlike food allergies that cause immediate reactions, food intolerances can be subtle and difficult to identify, affecting up to 25% of...

Dr Amy Harkness
7 hours ago
video
Health & Wellness

Bridging the Divide: How to Navigate Tough Conversations with Confidence

The second in a two-part series by local clinical psychologist Dr Esther Davis We all know that tricky conversations – about differences of opinion or even who forgot to take the bins out – can quickly go off the rails. With the federal election...

Dr Esther Davis
April 2025
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Opinion

Where have all the preschools gone?

When my first child was two and a half, I embarked on the daunting process of finding childcare for her two days a week. I was immediately overwhelmed with our fragmented childcare system, and that feeling remains today after two years and my second...

Andy Lawrence
April 2025
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Partner content

Immunisations for Seniors: Why Vaccinations Are Vital

By Dr Julie Blaze of Bulli Medical Practice Is your immune system working as well as it used to? As we age, our body’s defence system naturally weakens, leaving us more vulnerable to infectious diseases and making vaccines less effective. This...

Dr Julie Blaze
April 2025
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Health & Wellness

Bridging the Divide: Why Difficult Conversations Go Wrong And How to Fix Them

Whether we’re talking about reality TV meltdowns, political clashes, or that never-ending debate in your group chat, tricky conversations tend to get stuck at the wrong level. The Harvard Negotiation Project’s framework for difficult conversations...

Dr Esther Davis
March 2025
video
Opinion

Misinformed consent in the birth room

A friend told me a story recently about an online consent module she completed during her uni degree. It was one of those tests that fails you until you memorise the answers and get one hundred percent. My friend kept failing due to one question. It...

Andy Lawrence
March 2025
Local Business
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Partner content

Home decor for harmony and happiness with CS Interiors

By local interior decorator Claire Cronin-Smith, owner of CS Interiors Communication is at the heart of my work. I believe that understanding my clients and their families is essential to bringing their vision to life. With a degree in...

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Local Business

Family creates streetwear brand: Meet the Helensburgh crew behind Shred Clothing

A Helensburgh-based online enterprise called Shred Clothing is a true family business. “I started Shred with my three boys,” said owner Carla Brittain, who also runs Coal Coast Shutters and Blinds with her husband, Dave. “It started out as...

Genevieve Swart
April 2025
video
Partner content

Poetry & History at the Pub in April

Wednesday 16th Poetry at the Pub launching new books from David Stavanger and Ali Jane Smith. Also appearing will be Joseph Schwarztkopf Jr, Nicole Smede and special guest, Hasib Hourani. If you’ve been to one of our poetry events at Ryan’s...

Collins Booksellers Thirroul
April 2025
video
Local Business

Networking and training boosts careers, thanks to Junior Chambers International’s Illawarra chapter

Want to give your career a boost? Melannie Thomas, president the Illawarra chapter of Junior Chambers International (JCI), recommends joining her local group of young leaders.

Genevieve Swart
March 2025
video
Local Business

New leaders volunteer at local business chambers

In the north and the south, new leaders are emerging at Wollongong’s volunteer-run local business chambers.

Genevieve Swart
March 2025
video
Partner content

Viking Skip Bin Recycling: Where does the waste go?

Viking Skip Bin Recycling processes and crushes concrete, bricks and tiles, which can then be resold to homeowners or the construction industry. It’s one of just three companies in the Illawarra to provide this service, says Glen Steggles, owner...

Lesley Roulston
March 2025
video
Local Business

Illawarra Flame honoured: Walkley Foundation announces grants for solutions journalism

Yesterday the Walkley Foundation announced that The Illawarra Flame has been honoured with a grant from the new Walkley Solutions Journalism Fund. Eleven new Australian journalism projects will share in just over $180,000 of funding support. The...

The Illawarra Flame
March 2025
Science & Nature
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Science & Nature

Fruiting now: the yummy White Aspen

We are fortunate in the Illawarra region to have so many useful and edible native plants. First Nations Peoples have known of and used these plants for many generations, but we more recent arrivals can be unaware of the good things around. One such...

Emma Rooksby
April 2025
video
Science & Nature

Beetling About with parasite moths

With Australian Museum entomologist Dr Chris Reid Sometimes I see and photograph things that look vaguely odd, but I forget about them. Here’s one of those things. I photographed this small moth (about 5mm long) on our curtains a year ago. It was...

Chris Reid
April 2025
video
Science & Nature

Want to grow something special?

By John Elton of Illawarra Grevillea Park With housing blocks getting smaller so too are gardens. A need to maximise space means that owners have to be judicious and often creative about plant choice. But they still want something that is special or...

John Elton
April 2025
video
Science & Nature

Tree of the Month: Black She-oak

Wollongong area has two genera of species belonging to the Casuarinaceae family. There are three species of Allocasuarina and two of Casuarina, and they tend to grow in different soil types and conditions. The Allocasuarina littoralis grows along...

Kieran Tapsell
April 2025
Motoring & Property
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Partner content

Whatever the election result, first home buyers will be the winners

Ian is a regular advertiser in the Illawarra Flame

Ian Pepper
April 2025
video
Motoring & Property

Diary of an EV Driver: Charging Away Simplified

Part 12 in Peter Aubourg’s column, Diary of an EV Driver It turns out that it is quite a social affair at the charging stations, with people sharing their experiences, and generally helping each other. On the subject of planning the trip, another...

Peter Aubourg
March 2025
video
Partner content

Why Didn’t the RBA Cut Interest Rates?

Local real estate agent and finance professional Ian Pepper looks at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s decision to keep interest rates on hold at 4.1 per cent after the board’s April 1 meeting. Inflation is Back in Target – So What’s the Problem?...

Ian Pepper
April 2025
video
Opinion

Ladies and Gentrification: A tale of two suburbs

The dictionary defines gentrification as “the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, often displacing current inhabitants in the process”. It...

Ben Wollen
March 2025
video
Motoring & Property

Driven: 2025 GWM ORA GT

One of the major issues plaguing EV usage in Australia – that is, the lack of reliable EV-charging infrastructure – is being addressed, with the Federal Government recently announcing that Australian EV charging company EVX Australia will install 250 kerbside chargers

Marcus Craft
February 2025
video
Media release

March Traffic blog: Education precinct changes

News from Transport for NSW Windang Bridge improvement work continues Transport for NSW will continue improvement work on Windang Bridge next month to ensure the bridge remains safe now and into the future. Transport for NSW Regional Director South...

Transport For NSW
March 2025
video
Partner content

Budget 2025 Update – Real Estate Implications

The Budget was presented last night and below are some of the announcements from Labor that will impact our real estate market: First Home Buyers Help to Buy Scheme Expanded The program involves the government providing eligible home buyers with an...

Ian Pepper
March 2025
Sport & Leisure
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Sport & Leisure

A labour of love: Highlands couple used Covid lockdown to rediscover, recreate a stunning ‘lost’ bush trek

Exactly five years ago, as the early months of the Covid pandemic sent the nation into lockdown, the majority of us struggled with a strange new life of isolation, disconnection and uncertainty. Not so for a nature-loving Southern Highlands couple...

Jeremy Lasek
April 2025
video
Sport & Leisure

Helensburgh Tigers tackle 2025 footy season

Helensburgh Tigers rugby league club has started 2025 off with a successful pre-season including some trial games across the grades. At time of writing, the club’s Over 30’s Ladies League Tag side, who played their first comp season in 2024, had...

Marcus Craft
April 2025
video
Review

Is the Wodi Wodi Track upgraded? Yeah Nah

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announced last December that one of my favourite little walks in the Northern Illawarra had re-opened after a multi-million-dollar upgrade. Our local member, Maryanne Stuart, repeated this announcement in her newsletter shortly after. So with great excitement I set off on the Wodi Wodi track from Coalcliff to walk to Stanwell Park station.

Stephen Young
April 2025
video
Sport & Leisure

Local secret turns 70: Join the tennis club at Coledale

Set high on Cliff St, with stunning views of the ocean, St James Park Tennis Club is a well-kept local secret. And that’s the problem. “At one stage, we had upwards of 100 members, the vast majority of them being social,” says Rod Zabell, club...

Genevieve Swart
April 2025
Videos
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Videos

On the road with NINA

Ahead of National Volunteer Week (16 to 22 May 2022), Iris Huizinga joins a Northern Illawarra Neighbour Aid bus trip to the Imperial at Clifton. Visit the NINA office at 18 Walker Street, call 4294 1900 or follow @northernillawarraneighbouraid on...

Iris Huizinga
video
Videos

How John Stubbs put patients at the heart of healthcare

A Thirroul resident and now Member of the Order of Australia, 74-year-old John Stubbs is on a mission to put patients at the centre of healthcare treatment. Watch the interview

Iris Huizinga
video
Videos

Lifesaver teaches refugees to swim

When former Scarborough-Wombarra lifesaver Peter Rafferty volunteered as a driving instructor for refugees in Wollongong, he discovered most of his students couldn’t swim. So he decided to do something about it. Peter, who worked with asylum...

Iris Huizinga
video
Videos

Rise in demand for Need a Feed

“Right now, we can’t meet the demand, we have had to knock people back,“ says Need a Feed CEO and founder Shaz Harrison. ”There was one organisation that wanted 70 food packages, we could only give 25.”

Iris Huizinga
Puzzles
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Puzzles

Play WordroW - 1 May 2025

The Illawarra Flame
7 hours ago
video
Puzzles

Quick Quiz: 30 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Puzzles

Easy Sudoku, 29 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Puzzles

9-Letter Challenge, 28 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Puzzles

Quick Crossword, 25 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Puzzles

Play WordroW - 24 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
video
Puzzles

Quick Quiz: 23 April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025
Digital editions
View all issues
April 2025

May 2025’s print mag is out now

The Illawarra Flame
April 2025

April 2025

The Illawarra Flame
March 2025

Autumn 2025

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