Lord Mayor's column: Celebrating the power of art and culture

The airy room of the Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation is one of Wollongong’s special spaces.

The art-filled walls are always a delight to look at, and the smell of paint hangs delicately in the air. It’s a lovely space, and a creative place that has its own distinct energy.

On Wednesday, 21 October, it was a hive of creative activity and conversations as Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC visited the Warrawong space as part of her Vice Regal Program. Cr Linda Campbell and I were privileged to be invited to participate in the visit.

During her visit, the Governor was shown paintings underway and spoke with representatives of Coomaditchie including Aunty Lorraine Brown who shared with her what this centre means to the community.

Young people shared with the Governor how the centre helped them as they navigated the justice system, kept them in school and that the creative process and artworks provided a focus for them moving forward.

Creativity was also the theme of a selection of the stalls at the Illawarra Indigenous Business Expo that was on today, Friday 23 October, at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach.

I just love this event, which was established and delivered by Council in 2023 before strategically transitioning to community-led management in 2025.

There is always such a buzz in the room at the Expo and as you walk around and have conversations with the various stallholders it’s abundantly clear the passion and enthusiasm of the First Nations businesses.

We have such a wealth of Indigenous talent, innovation and diversity in our city and along the coast, and the promotional and networking opportunities that the Expo offers delivers economic, social and cultural benefits to the whole the region.

Council supports and facilitates a wide range of business networking opportunities and initiatives throughout the year. This award-winning event, however, is one of my favourites. (It collected the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People’s Recognition Award  at the 2026 National Awards for Local Government). It has such a positive impact within our community and has only gone from strength to strength over the years.

I can’t wait to see what next year offers!