The Illawarra Flame

Youth vote will be crucial in the upcoming election: Maddy Yerbury

As speculation continues about exactly when Australia will go to the polls in the 2025 federal election, young voters are uniting to demand their concerns are heard as the political parties and would be politicians pitch for our votes. One such...

10 hours ago

Puzzles

Quick Crossword, 17 Jan 2025

Local award-winning short film to screen at Flickerfest

Locally made short film ‘Over’ has been selected to screen at at the Academy® Qualifying Flickerfest Short Film Festival 17 - 26 January 2025, held at Bondi Beach, Sydney. ‘Over’ stars young actor James Carey, whose character takes a stand...

Tyneesha Williams

UOW fire expert says destructive LA fires reinforce we now face a Global Fire Crisis and Australia could be next

While recent rains in the Illawarra may have reduced any immediate bushfire risk this summer, experts from the University of Wollongong (UOW) say the devastating wildfires in California demonstrate there is no cause for complacency, especially as...

Energy Transition

Y2K + 25 = the year we went all-electric

Is it seriously 2025? Just to confirm my age, it’s blowing my mind that we are a quarter of a century into the millennium when Y2K feels like yesterday. The good news is, 2515 residents are sprinting towards the future by hosting Australia’s...

Elsa Evers

23 hours ago

Opinion

Lord Mayor’s Column: Now is the time to be fire ready

By Wollongong Lord Mayor Councillor Tania Brown It’s hard seeing the images and footage of the horrendous fires sweeping across California right now and to comprehend the huge scale of the event they’re experiencing. As a community, our hearts...

Act now: Join Stanwell Park Arts Theatre’s singers and shows

SPAT’s Christmas panto Santa’s Secret, written by our very own Sage McAteer was a fitting close to our 50th anniversary celebrations. In the five sold-out performances, Santa and his helpers time travelled back to several of the previous pantos...

Lauren Mitsak

Exclusive

Former Kiama mayor reenergises vision for iconic escarpment walk to rival anything in the world

“Our vision is to create a spectacular, iconic walking track which would rival any other in Australia.” It’s now more than 50 years since former Kiama mayor and prominent community volunteer Neville Fredericks first heard of the vision for...

News

Youth vote will be crucial in the upcoming election: Maddy Yerbury

10 hours ago

Sub-branch receives grant to restore war memorial in Thirroul

By Will Lee, president of Austinmer Thirroul RSL Sub-Branch Since 2021, $18,000 has been spent on a Conservation Report and subsequent restoration work to the Thirroul World War 1 Memorial in Woodward Memorial Park. The preservation work completed...

10 hours ago

Opinion

Lord Mayor’s Column: Now is the time to be fire ready

UOW fire expert says destructive LA fires reinforce we now face a Global Fire Crisis and Australia could be next

Exclusive

Former Kiama mayor reenergises vision for iconic escarpment walk to rival anything in the world

Fire Safety and Property: What every Illawarra buyer should know

By local planning and design expert Andy Sharp Each summer, the picturesque suburbs of the Illawarra, including my own postcode 2515, face the heightened reality of bushfire risk, a challenge shared by many communities along the escarpment. This...

WIN News legends reunite and share memories of a special time in local television history

Four decades ago, they were Wollongong and the Illawarra’s top A-listers. Over the summer break, former WIN-TV (Channel 4) news anchors, Michael McRae and Susie Elelman reunited at a television reunion with former colleagues. In the late 70s and...

Arts & Culture

Local award-winning short film to screen at Flickerfest

Tyneesha Williams

Act now: Join Stanwell Park Arts Theatre’s singers and shows

Lauren Mitsak

Art on the Edge at Clifton

Caroline Baum

What’s On at the Writers Centre in 2025

The South Coast Writers Centre has a fantastic calendar of events lined up for the start of 2025. On 21 and 22 January, join authors Pat Simmons and Liv Lorkin at Coledale Hall for the SCWC School Holiday Program. Pat will be reading from her books...

Elizabeth Heffernan

Elon Musk, Gauguin and are we Australia fair? The 10 best podcasts of 2024

I’ve only heard this happen once before, when American oral historian Studs Terkel interviewed survivors of Hiroshima to open his acclaimed documentary Born To Live

The Conversation

See the Australian Folk Band of the Year at January’s local festival

By Illawarra Folk Festival honorary publicity officer Nick Hartgerink The 38th Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showground gets underway on January 17, and organisers received a timely boost when one of the festival’s headline acts, Austral, was...

Energy Transition

Y2K + 25 = the year we went all-electric

Elsa Evers

23 hours ago

Speaking to power

The University of Wollongong’s Ty Christopher has a cost-cutting clean energy message he says we should be “screaming from the rooftops”. It’s been lost as election-bound politicians debate our electricity mix decades into the future and the...

From volunteer to pilot manager: John Buchelin shares an electrifying journey

John Buchelin started out as an Electrify 2515 volunteer, letterboxing flyers on local streets with his daughter after soccer practice. Two years on, he’s the operations manager for the new community pilot, a partnership by non-profit Rewiring...

City celebrates rise of Green Gravity in Wollongong

Elon Musk’s Tesla home batteries beware – there’s a new, cheaper and more sustainable way of storing rooftop solar on the rise, and it’s made in Wollongong. “At Green Gravity, we are an energy storage developer and we’ve developed...

Clubs & Community

How the Girl Guides celebrated Christmas

Helensburgh Girl Guide Adara Rook, aged 8, reports on a weekend with the Guides We had to bring a bag with a sleeping bag and a pillow. We cooked a delicious Christmas dinner, set a Christmas table, and had dinner. It was so yummy! We watched...

Meet the choir starter

Elliot Peck hit the right note when he started the new Slapdash community choir last year, with 80 people signing up for six weeks of classes in the Excelsior Hall at Thirroul Library. “I was blown away by how many people turned out to have...

Cheers to Thirroul Probus

By publicity officer Yvonne Bryce Each year our Thirroul Probus club celebrates Christmas with a sit-down dinner followed by dancing at Thirroul Bowling Club. This year 85 members attended and all enjoyed a wonderful night of Christmas cheer and...

Joey Scout reaches peak

By 1st Austinmer Scouts Group Leader Stephen Turner After starting the 1st Austinmer Joey Scout section two years ago, our group was so excited last month to present our very first Joey Scout Challenge Award to William Marshall. The Challenge Award...

History

The Illawarra Guesthouse that Albert Orange built, with high hopes of tourist trade

Locals and tourists to Lake Illawarra would all be familiar with the historic two-storey California Guest House at Reddall Parade. It’s unlike any other building in the street. This impressive edifice was the brainchild of Mr Albert Orange. Albert...

Helensburgh Historical Society welcomes new committee

Helensburgh & District Historical Society held our annual general meeting by Zoom on Thursday, 21 November, when we heard president Jim Powell’s report on 2024 activities. Jim thanked the various members who contributed to a successful year...

Janet Lee

A great Grandparents Day

Helensburgh Public School recently celebrated Grandparents Day with an overwhelming turn-out of grandparents and special people, filling the school grounds with joy and warmth. The sight of so many cherished family members gathered together truly...

Food & Travel

Julia Child’s France, pig slaughter in Portugal and a culinary detective: 5 delicious food writing classics

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article

The Conversation

Food & Travel

Thirroul’s Flame Tree Food Co-op to open at 9am weekdays in 2025

Flame Tree Community Food Co-op is a community owned non-profit food grocer in Thirroul, on Lawence Hargrave Drive close to the train station. Our aim is to source local organic produce, support local growers and producers, offer high quality fresh...

Food & Travel

Top Thai chef returns to Black Duck Bistro

After a year off, Aksarapak Chotikasathira (known to everyone as Kay) has recently made a welcome return to the kitchen at The Black Duck Bistro at Wombarra Bowlo. “I had cancer, and last year I dropped all my work to concentrate on getting...

Cathy Law

Food & Travel

Fresh seafood on the menu this Christmas

Planning a seafood feast this Christmas? Want to do the right thing for sustainable seafood supply, the environment and your health? Here is your guide to making informed choices that support sustainable practices.

What's On

Illawarra Folk Festival 2025

January

Events

Toy Swap at Corrimal Library

January

Events

Conscious Dance for Women

January

Events

Aquathon 2025

Health & Wellness

Health & Wellness

Dive in! Why ocean swimming will do you good

By Dr Trevor Kemper of Equilibrium Healthcare Plato once said, “The sea cures all ailments of man,” a sentiment echoed by thinkers like Hippocrates and Aristotle, who recommended time by the ocean for healing and pain relief. For centuries...

Dr Trevor Kemper

Partner content

Latest sun exposure and protection guideline

By Dr Luke Harvey, Bulli Medical Practice A new guideline published in February 2024 aims to update advice about sun exposure and protection for Australia’s diverse population. The guideline was endorsed by leading experts in skin cancer including...

Danika Hall

Health & Wellness

Adolescent mental health – how parents can help

By Dr Nikita Robins, Bulli Medical Practice Adolescents are increasingly struggling with poor mental health. The two most frequently cited issues thought to have had a negative impact on youth mental health are: 1) the global pandemic and lockdowns...

Dr Nikita Robins

Parenting

Cancelled plans and an oddly placed bandaid: The perils of dating your spouse in early parenthood

The task of trying to connect with your spouse in early parenthood takes dedication, patience and a great big dollop of humour. At a time when attempting to drink a glass of water feels like an olympic sport, it can feel utterly impossible to direct...

Andy Lawrence

Parenting

Do we even like each other anymore? Dating my husband and fighting for our spark in early parenthood

A little over a year ago, my husband and I were attempting to reconnect after wading through an ocean of mutual resentment, imagined slights and increasingly exasperating circular arguments after the birth of our second baby. So much of our life had...

Andy Lawrence

Health & Wellness

Unlocking potential with Entelechy Living

During my conversation with Anna Carson, founder of Woonona’s health and wellness hub Entelechy Living I have to ask her how to pronounce certain words. Ayurveda is one. Entelechy is another. And as the name of her business, that one’s probably...

Local Business

Gerringong entrepreneurs launch therapeutic tea range to support gut health

For Gerringong-based entrepreneurs Zhenya Gerson and Jacqueline Clark, gut health isn’t just a trend – it’s a way of life. After transforming the PROPPR, their sleek bathroom foot stool, into an award-winning wellness essential, the duo is...

Kasey Simpson

Collins Booksellers Thirroul

New year, new books

Our wishes to all for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025. January is perfect to redeem those gift vouchers received in 2024 so allow yourself time to browse and make it an enjoyable morning or afternoon in the bookshop. As always, our shelves are...

Team HELNO ready the rally car

John Hine from Helensburgh Car Services will join the Shitbox Rally, driving from Perth to Dawin to raise funds for Cancer Council in June 2025. Joined by his co-driver and sister-in-law Nicole Howe, team HELNO are preparing their rally car and...

Tyneesha Williams

ITeC Academy to host new free Business Connections Club

Networking events are making a comeback as local business people show they value the chance to connect with others. On Thursday, November 14, the revival of the Northern Illawarra Chamber of Commerce (NICC) had a promising start, with Wollongong...

Q&A with the Glow Girls founder

First Helensburgh local Sammy Mahler changed her own life, now she’s changing others’. “After many years in fashion, where I honed my skills in creativity and communication, I realised my true calling lay in supporting young people,” Sammy...

Partner content

Horizon Bank Celebrated 60 years of Service to the Illawarra & South Coast!

By the team at Horizon Bank This November, Horizon Bank proudly marked their 60th Anniversary, commemorating six decades of dedicated service as a customer-owned financial institution in the Illawarra and South Coast. It all began in 1964 when...

Collins Booksellers Thirroul

Collins hosts last author talks of 2024

Invitation to young & old to join our Xmas Fundraising Project raising money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. How does it work? We’ll give you a plain paper carry bag to take home and decorate using your medium of choice: pencils, ink...

Science & Nature

Tree of the Month: Tree Heath

On Friday, December 13, Kieran’s Banksia Bushcare group took home the 2024 Fostering Community Spirit Award at Wollongong City Council’s volunteer recognition ceremony at the Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow. Read the full story here

Kieran Tapsell

Bird of the Month: Topknot pigeon

The bird of the month for January is the Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus), a unique-looking large pigeon species occurring along the eastern coast of Australia. This species is frequently seen in large flocks feeding on fruiting trees high...

Ewan Auld

The joys of nature watching

Oh what a difference a month can make. In the December edition I wrote about a nest of Tawny Frogmouths, the much-loved, odd-looking nocturnal birds, that appeared across the road. As chicks, these birds are even more hilariously funny looking...

Amanda De George

Dr Rip’s Science of the Surf: What’s that beacon?

Ultimately though, when it comes to beach and rock platform safety, anything helps. You can find NSW ERB locations on the Surf Life Saving website

Motoring & Property

Trumped Again

I was out on a multi-day hike when the US election played out. It was glorious to hear nothing but bird song and cicadas and nothing on the debacle of US politics for 5 days deep in the Aussie bush. The stars at night were crazy bright and immense...

Ben Wollen

Partner content

Rates on hold for Christmas and New Year

At its final meeting of 2024, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained the cash rate at 4.35 per cent, a move that was aligned with expectations as headline inflation continued to ease. Current indicators suggest a potential cash rate...

Ian Pepper

Driven: Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GSR

Hybrid vehicles are currently a great choice as a happy compromise between driving a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) or driving an EV. A hybrid vehicle – i.e. one with a traditional fuel source (petrol or diesel) and electric power...

Marcus Craft

Driven: 2025 Toyota HiLux Rogue 48V

This is the new HiLux Rogue with V-Active Technology, which is a combination of a motor generator, 48-volt battery and DC/DC converter aimed at improving performance and fuel efficiency and reducing noise, vibration and harshness levels, compared to...

Marcus Craft

Driven: 2025 Abarth 500e

Can an EV replicate the hot-hatch thrills of the original ICE (internal combustion engine) version on which it’s based? We drive the 2025 Abarth 500e Turismo to see if it’s as much fun as it’s hyped up to be – and to see if it can serve as...

Diary of an EV Driver: Watt about Horsepower

Like today, back in the 1780s there was a change in the way machines were being powered. Then it was from horse power to steam power, for driving pumps to take water out of mines. Young James Watt had trouble convincing industrialists that his steam...

Peter Aubourg

How to date an architect

No, I don’t mean in a romantic relationship! That’s not to say you shouldn’t date an architect. I mean, many of us make great partners and can show you how to pack a dishwasher like an obsessive-compulsive pro! Jokes aside – how do you find...

Sport & Leisure

Tee time at Boomerang for Sunday Social Golf Club

By Robert ‘Indy’ Jones On December 8th we played 2 Man Ambrose as the fog rolled in, making seeing and believing two very different things. A definite cover-up, the handicapper (Hcp: 32) needs to be audited pairing up with the Nephew (Hcp: 40)...

Sport & Leisure

U14s earn Surf Rescue Certificates

Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC kicked off summer with a strong start, full of achievements and community spirit. Congratulations to our U14s, who have proudly earned their Surf Rescue Certificates (SRC) and are now officially lifesavers. This...

Christine McDonald

Sport & Leisure

Well done, division winners at Scarborough Boardriders

It was the culmination of a huge year for the club in 2024 with our awards presentation at Scarborough Wombarra Bowlo on Saturday, 23 November 2024. The new venue for our presentation worked well, with a grommet-friendly environment. Congratulations...

Ian Pepper

Sport & Leisure

Jonno’s 100km run raised funds for Movember

On November 30, 22-year-old Thirroul lad Jonathan Seager took on the massive challenge to run 100kms from Sydney to Wollongong to raise money and Awareness for Movember. I sat down and had a chat to ‘Jonno’ about his epic journey. How far was it...

Tony Ryan

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...

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

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...

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.”

Puzzles