Wollongong City Libraries are partnering with the Illawarra Mercury to celebrate their 170 year anniversary with a photographic exhibition at Wollongong Library. The exhibition captures the region’s history, people and moments that shaped our community.
You can see the 170 Years of the Illawarra Mercury exhibition on display from 2 December 2025
until 28 February 2026 at Wollongong Library level 1.
A launch of the exhibition will be held on Wednesday 3 December at 3pm with speakers
from the Illawarra Mercury and Wollongong Library. Bookings here.
To view images and their captions, go to the slideshow belowor
To see more images from the Wollongong City Libraries’ Illawarra Images collection or to order high resolution copies of images, go to: Illawarra Images
Old Mercury building around c.1900.
P15754 Thomas Garrett established the South Coast’s first newspaper, the Illawarra Mercury in 1855.
P33405 Peter Garrett at Wollongong University – urging students to become tomorrow’s environmental activists. Peter Garrett’s great grandfather was Thomas Garrett, one of the founders of the Illawarra Mercury.
P37682 – Illawarra Mercury day staff at Mercury building corner of Auburn and Ellen Streets Wollongong, 19 December 1964.
P37683 -Illawarra Mercury night staff at Mercury building corner of Auburn and Ellen Streets Wollongong, 19 December 1964.
P47433 – 9 October 1967 -Mr Norm Rangley presses the button to begin operation of new press at the Illawarra Mercury.
P49612 – 13 July 1968 – Pupils of Thirroul Public School being shown metal plate by Brian Foy at The Illawarra Mercury
June-1971 Second form students from Bulli High school touring the Mercury where Mr W Yates demonstrated a linotype machine to the students. Image: Mercury Archive SPECIALX 00062924
1990- Illawarra Mercury Senior Sales Rep – Rhonda Cristini from the advertising sales department. MERC, NEWS, MERCURY ARCHIVE PHOTOS Copy Pic taken 20/08/2025 of . Picture by Robert Peet
The Mercury’s magnificent seven (from left) Scott Radburn, Dean Simpson, Lexie Williams, Mike Gandon, Roberta Lynch, Steve Royall and Steve Dempsey. c.1980 Image: Mercury archive.
Corrimal’s Alan Fitzgerald, Australian senior belt champion 1936-37, lifted by teammates. Image: Mercury Archive
1939 – Robert Menzies walks past the angry crowd in Wollongong to meet with Port Kembla’s striking waterside workers regarding the dispute about loading of pig-iron onto the steamer Dalfram.
Image from the Fairfax Archives. Photo: Norman Brown
1954 – More than 120,000 people lined Wollongong’s main streets to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth during her visit on February 11, 1954.
P34624 -1965- Berkeley Migrant Hostel.
P34690 – 1965 Rube Hargarve discussing unemployment and equal pay for women.
P39445 – 1966 – Bystanders gathered at the Coledale Beach with the 8ft white pointer shark that mauled 13-year-old Raymond Short on Sunday at Coledale beach.
P43960 -1966 -Janne Reed, Ros Harrison, Ponchita Hawkes and Kathy Gordon who infiltrated the Port Kembla Steelworks in April 1973 to protest for the right for women to work in the steel industry.
1968 – Port Kembla Rugby League Captain Bernie Nevin with some of the 100 plus under eight-year-olds at the Sun Rugby League Clinic at the Wollongong Showground.
1968 – Fire captain Les Hepper with six-year-old Craig McCaffey and other pupils from Thirroul Public School on a fire station visit on July 6, 1968.
April 1968 – Wollongong Sea Stars take the plunge at the beginning of their Winter Swimming Season. The Sea Stars were a group of Women who enjoyed winter swimming and they met every Monday Moring at the Wollongong Continental Baths.
1969 – Wollongong Hospital’s 73 student nurses received their graduation certificates at Wollongong Town Hall on December 5, 1969.
P21308 -1972 -Detectives investigating death of Maria Danzo at Towradgi beach.
P22595 – 1978 – Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Captain Carol Proctor on Hill 60 at Port Kembla.
P22156 -1978 – Billy cart derby participants, from left to right, Stephen Cox, Andrew Cox, Jeff Cox and Erilyn McFarlane of Primbee.
P22734 – 1978 -Billy cart races in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla, 2 October 1978.
P22621 – 1981-The rescue team was rushed to Brokers Nose after a woman suffered a heart attack while bush walking.
P25701- 1983 – Bob Hawke campaigning at Dapto showground.
P39888 -1987-Wollongong Council outdoor worker Neil Ross inspects the famous Moreton Bay fig tree at Figtree which, after 1000 years, is showing its age.
P23775- 1987 – South Coast Croatia captain and midfielder Mirko Sola holding the cup trophy after beating Cringila 3-1 in the soccer grand final at Memorial Park, Corrimal.
P30606 – 1987 – Paperboy Sergio Cerasani, of Primbee, and the Illawarra Mercury paper cart belonging to the King Street Newsagency, Warrawong.
P26050 -1990- Land Council project officer Mary Davis hands an Illawarra petition to Member for Keira Colin Markham.
P51367 – 1990 – Wollongong City Council Labor Ald Keith Phipps ponders the future of the former council building from the balcony across the road in council’s new headquarters
P24704 – 1990 – The North Beach Parkroyal played host to guests including George Donikian, “Dave” the Clydesdale, Kristinna Lloyd and Karina Ahlburg at the Festival of Wollongong launch
P23826 – 1990 – Balgownie midfielder Matt Horsley in action against Fernhill at Towradgi Park, 27 April 1990.
P31824 – 1991- Troy Sachs of the NSW Wheelchair Basketball Team.
P46207-1993- Wedding couple arriving in a limousine at Cleo’s Restaurant and Convention Centre – 16 Burelli Street. Image published in the Illawarra Mercury Wedding Directory.
P12737-1998- Phil Power and Dicko Thomas took VW for a ride after it was washed down Fairy Creek from Montague Street to the beach at North Wollongong.
P33397-1992-Tumbleweed guitarist Lenny Curley and Illawarra Steelers star Brett Rodwell. The school buddies are carving a name for themselves in their respective careers.
2016- People marching in the reclaim the night rally from the IPAC to the Wollongong Mall. Photo by Adam McLean
P22987-1992-Illawarra Migrant Resource Centre community workers Lilia McKinnon and Rey de los Reyes at the centre’s temporary premises in Rawson Street.
1998 – Lake Illawarra Village resident Kerry Daly as he ponders the damage from the one in three-hundred-year flood.
Photo: Robert Peet
2006-Rev. Miao You. of the Nan Tien Temple bangs the Big Gong. Photo: Ken Robertson
2007 – Wollongong swimmers Bill Seay, Ken Jessop, Stan Crutchley & Bojo Mrnzerski in the rock pool north of the Continental Baths at Wollongong. Photo: Kirk Gilmour
2013 – Port Kembla billy cart derby on Wentworth St, Port Kembla. Photo: Adam McLean
2011-Boys in wet suits brave Wollongong Harbour’s break wall as big seas hit the Illawarra coastline.
2014 -Spectators watch the Port Kembla Copper stack gets demolished , Church Street angle Pics taken on Thursday the 20th of February 2014 . Picture by Greg Totman
2020-Graffiti saying COVID HERE on the dividing barrier of the Bulli Pass bridge connecting Thirroul. 31st of March 2020. Photo: Adam McLean.
2024-Helensburgh train tunnel that is home to glowworms. Photo: Adam McLean
2024 – Reconciliation Walk – Kids from Bellambi Public School put on a didgeridoo performance at a post-walk ceremony at Bellambi Public School. Picture: Anna Warr
2025- April 18, 2025. Photo shows large surf hitting the coast line of Shellharbour. Photo: Adam McLean
