Art trail, plant sale + creative dialogues at town hall

Today, Wollongong Botanic Garden is holding its Greenplan Plant Sale – this only happens once a month and plants are a bargain, so be quick. Also happening: VOICES, an interactive sound and light experience in the CBD; Stars of Wollongong - Dance for Cancer; and the Man Walk's Big Walk. On Saturday, Creative Dialogues: Conversations on Creativity, Ecology and the Future comes to the Town Hall. Plus, the Northern Illawarra Art Trail is back and so is award-winning Gunai artist and writer Kirli Saunders with her one-woman show, Yandha Djanbay.

Tomorrow, 20 June, is World Refugee Day, the international day to honour people who have been forced to flee. Look out for an incredible story of love, war, a great escape, and success in Wollongong – to be published on our website on Saturday.

Find more things to do on our What's On page or try today's free Easy Sudoku. We've made a few changes to the Flame's puzzles page for subscribers who support independent local news – there are now daily updates, simply pick your favourite challenge.

Enjoy your weekend reading,

Genevieve Swart, editor

Top stories from the week

Why is Wollongong riding a jazz revival wave?

Illawarra music lovers had never fallen out of love with that beguiling and vibrant lifeforce known as jazz

The Illawarra FlameJeremy Lasek

Protesters’ morale ‘high’ as anti-war rally blocks Bisalloy workers

About 1000 people will have attended a 72-hour pro-Palestinian protest outside of Unanderra business Bisalloy Steel by its close tomorrow, an advocate for Palestinian rights said

The Illawarra FlameMarcus Craft

Women’s history takes centre stage on city walking tour

The She Shapes History walking tours of Wollongong are uncovering the secret history of half the population – at last!

The Illawarra FlameGenevieve Swart

Brigade honours volunteers who go ‘above and beyond’

Three volunteers were awarded life membership and nine people received premier’s citations at Helensburgh Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade’s AGM

The Illawarra FlameGenevieve Swart

Yandha Djanbay (Go Slowly) returns to Wollongong

‘Yandha Djanbay is a Dharawal phrase which means ‘to go slowly’. And for me, it’s the antidote to the bigness of life.′ – Kirli Saunders is back on stage at IPAC this week

The Illawarra FlameTyneesha Williams

New book examines ‘social glue’ to fix Australia’s $5bn a year weed problem

By UOW’s Associate Professor Sonia Graham, co-director of the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space

The Illawarra FlameThe Illawarra Flame

RFS chainsaw trainer awarded

Illawarra/Sutherland Group Captain Will Lee was awarded at a St Florian’s Day ceremony last month

The Illawarra FlameGenevieve Swart

‘Our rail line is archaic’ - frustrated commuters have their say

The NSW Government has been called out for failing train passengers from the Shoalhaven and Kiama at two public meetings called by the trade union movement this week in Bomaderry and Kiama

The Illawarra FlameJeremy Lasek

Saved from closure, The Man Walk takes biggest steps yet

The powerhouse of good for men’s mental health has a big weekend coming up

The Illawarra FlamePatrick Breen

Demolition destiny has arrived for nostalgic community hall

Over many decades, Pioneer Hall has witnessed so many memorable occasions. Now the curtain has fallen

The Illawarra FlameJeremy Lasek

Stringybarks: underrated woodland trees we should encourage

Two Illawarra versions tend to tag-team feeding fauna during the year - and they look great, too

The Illawarra FlameEmma Rooksby

The folly and the ivy? Councillors, lord mayor fenced in

Which side of the white picket fence are you on? In today’s op ed, journalist Jeremy Lasek remembers ‘a simpler time’ back in the 1980s

The Illawarra FlameJeremy Lasek

South Coast Readers & Writers Festival announces full program for July 2026

The South Coast Readers & Writers Festival returns to Thirroul Community Centre and Library from 24–26 July

The Illawarra FlameElizabeth Heffernan

‘Extensive work’ around Mt Ousley Road ahead

Motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions this weekend to allow for extensive work to be carried out around Mount Ousley Road as part of the interchange project

The Illawarra FlameTransport for NSW

‘Every day I think about money’: how can we support uni students who struggle financially?

By Katherine Kent and Kelly Lambert at the University of Wollongong

The Illawarra FlameThe Conversation

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