The Hollywood film Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes was set to shoot near Yellow Rock in Albion Park, after several days in Helensburgh.
The Helensburgh shoot saw the town inundated by trucks, vans, horses, toilets, coffee vans, and scores of people milling about in front of the old railway tunnel near the train station. The local oval and netball fields were also used to facilitate the enormous film crew and all of their equipment.
Lately the Illawarra has seen a significant increase in big film and television productions taking advantage of the region’s iconic landscapes and locations. Let’s have a look at what has been filmed right here.
Thanks to landscape photographer Brad Chilby for the images in this article.
1. Sea Cliff Bridge
Poker Face – 2022 action thriller
Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky and rapper RZA all play roles in the action thriller Poker Face, directed by Russell Crowe. Sea Cliff Bridge features prominently early on in the recently released trailer.
The big budget thriller also filmed in Otford, near the Otford lookout, as well as in Kiama. The movie will premiere on Stan on 22 November 2022.
Choir – 2019 music video, Guy Sebastian
Part of Guy Sebastian's music video for the song Choir was filmed on rock platforms underneath the Sea Cliff Bridge. The reef at Coalcliff also features.
2. Port Kembla Steelworks
Working Class Man – 1985 music video, Jimmy Barnes
Mediate – 1987 music video, INXS
Two iconic music videos from the 1980s were filmed at the Port Kembla Steelworks. In 1985, Jimmy Barnes recorded his famous Working Class Man music video.
In an interview with GongScene, Jimmy Barnes said: “I do remember filming that video both outside and inside the steelworks, meeting the workers. Even back then they were very supportive of me and Cold Chisel. They were cheering us on, it was really fun!”
In 1987, INXS snuck in and filmed two takes of their music video Mediate near the blast furnace no. 6, before they were escorted from the premises.
3. Abandoned coal mine in Huntley, near Dapto
SAS Australia – 2022 reality TV series
In October 2021 filming started for SAS Australia, using the rugged terrain of the Illawarra, as well as Shoalhaven. The brutal reality TV show for channel Seven also utilised Bombo Quarry, the Sea Cliff Bridge, Seven Mile Beach in Gerringong, and many other locations.
4. Helensburgh Railway Tunnel
Kingdom of the Planet of The Apes – 2022 science fiction film
The multi-million Disney production, directed by Wes Ball, filmed actors on horses in front of two old Helensburgh railway tunnels. Before the "apes", the tunnel was famous for its population of glow worms.
Helensburghers got behind the movie making, offering to lend a hand to Hollywood.
5. Coalcliff Reef / Coalcliff Beach
Dreamworld – 1987 music video, Midnight Oil
Rising Seas – 2022 music video, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil visited Coalcliff twice to rock out on the rock platform.
Coalcliff Beach / view from Bald Hill – 1987 Dreamworld, Midnight Oil
Coalcliff Beach / Coalciff Cokeworks – 2022 Rising Seas, Midnight Oil
6. Kiama
Poker Face – 2022 Action thriller
Several locations in Kiama have piqued the interest of filmmakers, including Bombo Headland Quarry, Bombo’s Boneyard, Kiama’s blowhole and the lighthouse, to name a few.
This year it is the modern villa, Pebble Cove Farm, on the edge of Kiama’s cliff that has been used as the main location for Russell Crowe’s upcoming action thriller Poker Face.
The Pebble Cove Farm, designed by architect Philip Thalis, has incredibly scenic ocean views.
7. Thirroul Beach and surrounds
Last Days Of The Space Age – 2022 TV series
Radha Mitchell plays one of the leads in the Disney dramedy Last Days of the Space Age. The television series used Thirroul Beach to film a few of their final scenes, pretending it’s Perth.
The crew also filmed with vintage surfboards at Sharky’s Beach in Coledale and other locations in the region.
8. Woonona Pool
Worlds Away – 1985 music video, Mark Edwards
The hit single from the '80s never received a follow-up, but the music video makes the pool look incredible.
9. Austinmer
Headland – 2005 TV series
Channel Seven filmed numerous episodes of the drama series on the site of the old Headlands Hotel, now replaced by the modern Headlands Austinmer Beach Hotel. Other locations in the Illawarra included the University of Wollongong.
10. Various
Other music videos filmed in The Illawarra
Port Kembla: 1992 Tumbleweed – Sundial
Bombo Headlands Quarry: 2015 Hockey Dad – Can’t Have Them
