Illawarra Mercury

The Illawarra Mercury extends from Helensburgh in the north to Kiama in the south and has been around since 1855. To put that in perspective, that’s 70 years before the establishment of the Port Kembla Steelworks, for which the Wollongong region is now synonymous. Its longevity is a sign of commitment, of relevance, of value, and an indication of how the Illawarra Mercury has been able to adapt to changes across more than a century and a half and maintain the loyalty of generations of readers. In those early days founder Thomas Garrett and his father John were committed to community advocacy as much as providing a conduit for news and information. More than 160 years later, the Mercury continues to lead community campaigns, the continued downgrading of the health system among the most prominent. There is no doubt that newspaper journalism is at its most effective when fighting for its community. Our specialist reporters covering health, education, politics, local government, transport, property, sport, entertainment and other areas are now trained in not only writing stories but presenting audio and video options, aided by our highly skilled photographers, to satisfy a growing demand from online consumers. Touted as a city of transformation and innovation, Wollongong and surrounds continue to grow with its mix of affordable living and coastal lifestyle, and as the base to a number of large national and multinational companies (in the fields of IT and financial services, advanced manufacturing, trade and logistics and innovative defense technologies) and educational institutions including University of Wollongong. The city is expected to be home to around half a million people by 2050.