104-745: The Illawarra Baseball League is a sports league of Wollongong , Kiama and the Shoalhaven . It conducts the sport of baseball as the region's organising body. It has eight active clubs. The I.B.A. is a member of the NSW Country Baseball Association, which falls under the banner of the New South Wales Baseball . This Australian baseball-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wollongong Wollongong ( / ˈ w ʊ l ə n ɡ ɒ ŋ / WUUL -ən-gong ; Dharawal : Woolyungah )
208-407: A State Conservation Area and local scenic protection zoning, and provides the visual backdrop to the city. In the north the escarpment meets the coastline, and north of this the coastal road Lawrence Hargrave Drive hugs the cliff line. The unstable geology of the escarpment resulted in rockfalls, forcing the closure of the road. Subsequently, part of Lawrence Hargrave Drive was replaced in 2005 by
312-466: A broadly similar shape is the coefficient of underdeck tonnage, as used by David MacGregor in comparing tea clippers. This could be calculated from the measurements taken to determine the registered tonnage, so can be applied to more vessels. An extreme clipper has a hull of great fineness, as judged either by the prismatic coefficient, the coefficient of underdeck tonnage, or some other technical assessment of hull shape. This term has been misapplied in
416-417: A clipper being faster than a brig. A clipper is a sailing vessel designed for speed, a priority that takes precedence over cargo-carrying capacity or building or operating costs. It is not restricted to any one rig (while many were fully rigged ships, others were barques, brigs, or schooners), nor was the term restricted to any one hull type. Howard Chapelle lists three basic hull types for clippers. The first
520-505: A concept which is explained by comparing a rectangular cuboid with the underwater shape of a vessel's hull. The more material one has to carve off the cuboid to achieve the hull shape, the sharper the hull. Ideally, a maritime historian would be able to look at either the block coefficient of fineness or the prismatic coefficient of various clippers, but measured drawings or accurate half models may not exist to calculate either of these figures. An alternative measure of sharpness for hulls of
624-714: A distinctly multicultural population. Many migrants were attracted to the area by the job opportunities at the Port Kembla steelworks in the post-war period , and settled in surrounding suburbs such as Cringila , Warrawong and Coniston . By 1966 about 60% of the wage earners at the Australian Iron and Steel steelworks were born overseas coming from over 100 countries. These included British , Irish , Macedonians , Spaniards , Portuguese , Greeks , Italians , Arabs , Russians , Bosnians , Croatians , Serbians , Germans , Turks , Lebanese , Chileans and Brazilians . With
728-507: A fast passage for a tea clipper was getting across the China Sea against the monsoon winds that prevailed when the first tea crop of the season was ready. These difficult sailing conditions (light and/or contrary winds) dictated the design of tea clippers. The US clippers were designed for the strong winds encountered on their route around Cape Horn. Donald McKay's Sovereign of the Seas reported
832-469: A large sail area and a fast hull; by the standards of any other type of sailing ship, a clipper was greatly over-canvassed. The last defining feature of a clipper, in the view of maritime historian David MacGregor, was a captain who had the courage, skill, and determination to get the fastest speed possible out of her. In assessing the hull of a clipper, different maritime historians use different criteria to measure "sharpness", "fine lines" or "fineness",
936-444: A new lookout and walkway upgrade. In June 2007, erosion was caused via storms to the beaches, the worst in 30 years. Despite the decline of traditional manufacturing and blue-collar industries due to the abandonment of protectionist economic policies in the 1980s, many of these industrial installations still exist. The city's economy is, however, on the rebound, thanks to diversification of economic activity including higher education,
1040-475: A ship's cargo capacity and was used to calculate tax and harbour dues. The new 1836 regulations measured depth and breadth with length measured at half midship depth. Extra length above this level was tax-free and became a feature of clippers. Scottish Maid proved swift and reliable and the design was widely copied." The earliest British clipper ships were built for trade within the British Isles ( Scottish Maid
1144-561: A specific sailplan ; clippers may be schooners , brigs , brigantines , etc., as well as full-rigged ships . Clippers were mostly constructed in British and American shipyards , although France, Brazil, the Netherlands, and other nations also produced some. Clippers sailed all over the world, primarily on the trade routes between the United Kingdom and China, in transatlantic trade, and on
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#17329022571941248-482: A stockman's hut in the area in 1815. The first land grants were made in 1816. In 1830, a military barracks was constructed near the harbour. Further settlers arrived and in 1834 a town was planned. On 26 November 1834, the town was first gazetted and George Brown erected the first court house. The main road down the Escarpment through Bulli Pass was built by convict labour in 1835–6, although other passes were built during
1352-470: A tram. Clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel , designed for speed. The term was also retrospectively applied to the Baltimore clipper , which originated in the late 18th century. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th-century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "Clipper" does not refer to
1456-523: A very small portion of Kiama being in the far southern suburbs of the city. The city of Wollongong has traditionally voted for the centre-left Labor Party over the centre-right Liberal Party . Labor holds both of the two federal seats mostly or entirely located in Wollongong, as well as all four of the state seats that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong. However, the Liberal Party has held
1560-547: A world-class flat rolled steel producer, operating as a fully integrated steel plant with a production of around 5 million tonnes per year. Other industries to have set up in the massive Port Kembla industrial complex—the largest single concentration of heavy industry in Australia—include a fertiliser plant, an electrolytic copper smelter, a locomotive workshop, a coal export shipping terminal, a grain export shipping terminal and an industrial gases manufacturing plant. In 1936,
1664-676: Is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales , Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language , meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound of the sea'. Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres (53 miles) south of central Sydney . Wollongong had an estimated urban population of 302,739 at June 2018, making it
1768-604: Is a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. The University of Wollongong has around 38,000 students. The area was originally inhabited by the Dharawal Indigenous Australians . The first Europeans to visit the area were the navigators George Bass and Matthew Flinders , who landed at Lake Illawarra in 1796. The first settlers in the region were cedar cutters in the early nineteenth century, followed by graziers in 1812. Charles Throsby established
1872-417: Is also available via satellite. Of the three main commercial networks: The region receives five ABC radio services – ABC Illawarra 97.3FM, Triple J 98.9, and Radio National 1431 AM, ABC Classic FM 95.7 and Newsradio 90.9FM. There are two commercial radio stations i98FM 98.1 and WAVE FM 96.5 – formerly 2WL, and two community radio stations Vox FM 106.9 and Christian broadcaster 94.1 FM. On
1976-512: Is continuing to grow with a population growth of 3.1% for the period 2001 to 2006, although the supply of new residential land is limited by the geography particularly in the northern suburbs. The west Dapto area is a major centre of future growth with plans for 19,000 new dwellings and 50,000 people within 40 years. New residential areas are also being developed further south around the Albion Park , Shell Cove and Kiama areas. Wollongong has
2080-412: Is just below the subtropical isotherm of 22 °C (72 °F). The highest recorded temperature is 44.1 °C on 1 January 2006, and the lowest 0.8 °C on 27 July 1986. Annually, Wollongong receives 107.4 clear days. Rainfall is spread through the months but has a bias to the first half of the year. It is often associated with orographic lift caused by the escarpment and its exposed location on
2184-487: Is noted for its heavy industry , its port activity and the quality of its physical setting, occupying a narrow coastal plain between an almost continuous chain of surf beaches and the cliffline of the rainforest-covered Illawarra escarpment. It has two cathedrals, churches of many denominations and the Nan Tien Temple . Wollongong has a long history of coal mining and industry. The city attracts many tourists each year and
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#17329022571942288-730: Is sometimes called one of the first medium clippers, the Antelope , often called the Antelope of Boston to distinguish her from other ships of the same name. A contemporary ship-design journalist noted that "the design of her model was to combine large stowage capacity with good sailing qualities." Antelope was relatively flat-floored and had only an 8-inch deadrise at half-floor. The medium clipper, though still very fast, could carry more cargo. After 1854, extreme clippers were replaced in American shipbuilding yards by medium clippers. The Flying Cloud
2392-571: Is the network's largest campus, and it offers a variety of courses. Wollongong has one university, the University of Wollongong , which was formerly part of the University of New South Wales . The university was awarded the "Australian University of the Year" in two consecutive years (1999–2000, 2000–2001) by the Good Universities Guide, and is internationally recognised. It has two main campuses:
2496-465: Is the older of the two survivors, and was transported to Australia for conservation. The clipper legacy appears in collectible cards and in the name of a basketball team . Departures of clipper ships, mostly from New York and Boston to San Francisco, were advertised by clipper-ship sailing cards. These cards, slightly larger than today's postcards, were produced by letterpress and wood engraving on coated card stock. Most clipper cards were printed in
2600-699: The Advertiser incorporating Lake Times and Kiama Independent . Wollongong and the Illawarra region are serviced by three commercial television networks – WIN Television , the Seven Network and Southern Cross 10 . The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) also broadcast television services to Wollongong. In addition to these channels, ten new channels broadcasting in are also available in Wollongong and
2704-502: The Champion of the Seas , 13 other cases are known of a ship's sailing over 400 nautical miles (740 km) in 24 hours. With few exceptions, though, all the port-to-port sailing records are held by the American clippers. The 24-hour record of the Champion of the Seas , set in 1854, was not broken until 1984 (by a multihull), or 2001 (by another monohull). The American clippers sailing from
2808-518: The Alfred Holt -designed and owned SS Agamemnon made her first voyage to China. Holt had persuaded the Board of Trade to allow higher steam pressures in British merchant vessels. Running at 60 psi instead of the previously permitted 25 psi, and using an efficient compound engine , Agamemnon had the fuel efficiency to steam at 10 knots to China and back, with coaling stops at Mauritius on
2912-682: The Chesapeake Bay before the American Revolution , and reached their zenith between 1795 and 1815. They were small, rarely exceeding 200 tons OM . Their hulls were sharp ended and displayed much deadrise. They were rigged as schooners, brigs, or brigantines. In the War of 1812 , some were lightly armed, sailing under letters of marque and reprisal , when the type – exemplified by Chasseur , launched at Fells Point, Baltimore in 1814 – became known for her incredible speed;
3016-518: The Greenhouse Park . At the 2016 census , the suburb of Wollongong had a population of 18,442. The CBD is a major commercial hub containing many department stores and specialty shops, offices, and entertainment venues. It is centred on the Crown Street Mall and Wollongong Central , and approximates the area bounded by Market, Corrimal, and Burelli streets and the railway line . Surrounding
3120-662: The Illawarra Escarpment to the west. The coastal plain is widest in the south and narrowest in the north, with the city centre located about midway. South of the city centre but within the urban area is Lake Illawarra, a large lagoon. Although Wollongong sits on the immediate coast, it lies on the same longitude as Greater Western Sydney . The escarpment ranges between 150 and 750 m (490 and 2,460 ft) above sea level, with locally famous mountains such as Mount Keira (464 m (1,522 ft)), Mount Kembla (534 m (1,752 ft)), Broker's Nose (440 m (1,440 ft)) and Mount Murray (768 m (2,520 ft)) to
3224-589: The Mount Kembla mine when an explosion killed 94 men and boys, the youngest aged 14, the oldest 69. Two other men died attempting to rescue survivors. Survivors were treated at the "A. M. (Albert Memorial) Hospital", which opened in 1864 and closed when the Wollongong Hospital opened in 1907 on Garden Hill. In 1916 the Wollongong High School was opened. Heavy industry was attracted to the region by
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3328-578: The Register of the National Estate . In 1886 the first town hall was erected. The Illawarra Railway to Wollongong was completed in 1887, and now continues as far south as the town of Bomaderry on the Shoalhaven River . The navigator George Bass first documented the Illawarra coal deposits in 1797. There have been many coalmines in the district. Australia's worst coal mining disaster occurred in 1902, at
3432-554: The Sea Cliff Bridge just off the coast, crossing the submerged rock shelf. The bridge carries both vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The Illawarra railway line must go through several tunnels to reach the Sydney metropolitan area. The Southern Freeway and Princes Highway provide alternative inland routes, descending the escarpment further south at Bulli Pass or at Mount Ousley , entering just north of Wollongong's city centre. To
3536-474: The University of Wollongong and exits at its southern fringe. A second freeway, Memorial Drive (formerly the Northern Distributor), continues northward from the university to connect Wollongong's northern suburbs, Bulli Pass and the scenic Lawrence Hargrave Drive . If one continues up Bulli Pass one will either merge onto The M1 towards Sutherland and Sydney or B69 towards Campbelltown and
3640-540: The fine arts , tourism, residential construction and eco-friendly electricity generation ; however, the city's economy still relies primarily on heavy industry, and will continue to in the near future. Various meanings are given for the Aboriginal word ' Wollongong' including 'seas of the South', ' great feast of fish' , 'hard ground near water', 'song of the sea' ' sound of the waves' 'many snakes' and ' five islands'. In 2024,
3744-501: The "Aberdeen" clipper bow in the late 1830s; the first was Scottish Maid launched in 1839. Scottish Maid , 150 tons OM, was the first British clipper ship. " Scottish Maid was intended for the Aberdeen-London trade, where speed was crucial to compete with steamships. The Hall brothers tested various hulls in a water tank and found the clipper design most effective. The design was influenced by tonnage regulations. Tonnage measured
3848-508: The 17th of November 2021 the board game Monopoly launched a 'Wollongong' Edition. It showcases a number of Wollongong attractions including: Nan Tien Temple , Mount Keira , and the Sea Cliff Bridge . The main road connecting Wollongong is the M1 Princes Motorway (formerly the F6). The motorway, part of National Route 1, descends the escarpment via Mount Ousley Road to enter the city near
3952-478: The 1850s and 1860s, and represented the first pronounced use of color in American advertising art. Perhaps 3,500 cards survive. With their rarity and importance as artifacts of nautical, Western, and printing history, clipper cards are valued by both private collectors and institutions. The Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association take their name from the type of ship. After
4056-474: The 19th century as well, such as O'Briens Road and Rixons Pass. By 1856 Wollongong had a population of 864. In 1858, a court house was built. In 1861, a horse-drawn tramway from Mount Keira to the harbour was completed. In 1862 a telegraph line was opened between Wollongong and Bellambi . In 1865 the first gas supply in Wollongong was provided from a gas plant in Corrimal Street. In 1868 the extensions to
4160-622: The Baltimore clipper. Vessels of the Baltimore clipper type continued to be built for the slave trade, being useful for escaping enforcement of the British and American legislation prohibiting the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Some of these Baltimore clippers were captured when working as slavers, condemned by the appropriate court, and sold to owners who then used them as opium clippers – moving from one illegal international trade to another. Ann McKim , built in Baltimore in 1833 by
4264-472: The CBD lies a mixture of parks, reserves, light commercial property, houses and multi-story residential units. Multi-story housing is evident particularly on Smith's Hill, north-east of the CBD, reflecting the popularity of combining inner-city living, coastal views and a beachside lifestyle. To the east of the city lies Flagstaff Point, a rocky headland with eroded low cliffs topped by a grassy hill. The northern side of
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4368-632: The China tea trade and known as "tea clippers". Then in 1845 Rainbow , 757 tons OM, the first extreme clipper, was launched in New York. These American clippers were larger vessels designed to sacrifice cargo capacity for speed. They had a bow lengthened above the water, a drawing out and sharpening of the forward body, and the greatest breadth further aft. Extreme clippers were built in the period 1845 to 1855. In 1851, shipbuilders in Medford, Massachusetts, built what
4472-499: The China tea trade, starting with Falcon in 1859, and continuing until 1870. The earlier ships were made from wood, though some were made from iron, just as some British clippers had been made from iron prior to 1859. In 1863, the first tea clippers of composite construction were brought out, combining the best of both worlds. Composite clippers had the strength of an iron hull framework but with wooden planking that, with properly insulated fastenings, could use copper sheathing without
4576-680: The East Coast to the California goldfields were working in a booming market. Freight rates were high everywhere in the first years of the 1850s. This started to fade in late 1853. The ports of California and Australia reported that they were overstocked with goods that had been shipped earlier in the year. This gave an accelerating fall in freight rates that was halted, however, by the start of the Crimean War in March 1854, as many ships were now being chartered by
4680-769: The French and British governments. The end of the Crimean War in April 1856 released all this capacity back on the world shipping markets – the result being a severe slump. The next year had the Panic of 1857 , with effects on both sides of the Atlantic. The United States was just starting to recover from this in 1861 when the American Civil War started, causing significant disruption to trade in both Union and Confederate states. As
4784-609: The Greens having three and the remaining two seats being held by independents Andrew Anthony and Ryan Morris. The City of Shellharbour has an indirectly elected Mayor (currently independent Chris Homer ) and eight councillors: four generic independents, three Labor councillors and one councillor from the Kellie Marsh Independent Team . There are two campuses of the Illawarra Institute of TAFE . The Wollongong Campus
4888-492: The Kennard & Williamson shipyard, is considered by some to be the original clipper ship. (Maritime historians Howard I. Chapelle and David MacGregor decry the concept of the "first" clipper, preferring a more evolutionary, multiple-step development of the type. ) She measured 494 tons OM , and was built on the enlarged lines of a Baltimore clipper, with sharply raked stem , counter stern , and square rig. Although Ann McKim
4992-582: The New York-to-San Francisco route around Cape Horn during the California gold rush . Dutch clippers were built beginning in the 1850s for the tea trade and passenger service to Java . The boom years of the clipper era began in 1843 in response to a growing demand for faster delivery of tea from China and continued with the demand for swift passage to gold fields in California and Australia beginning in 1848 and 1851, respectively. The era ended with
5096-718: The Southern Highlands has since been replaced with a coach service. Wollongong railway station is the city's main train station, and serves Wollongong's CBD. Freight services connect Sydney markets with Port Kembla and the Manildra Group factory at Bomaderry . The Southern Highlands line is used primarily for freight, providing an important bypass for Sydney's congested rail network. Route services in Wollongong are provided by Premier Illawarra and Dion's Bus Service who also provide school/charter services together with some other companies. Wollongong railway station serves as
5200-480: The Tasman Sea, which makes it more prone to moist easterlies. A significant flood event occurred on 18 August 1998 when Wollongong recorded 316 mm of rainfall (the nearby suburb of Mt Ousley recorded in excess of 445 mm), mostly falling in a 3-hour period. Wollongong also experiences thunderstorms during the warmer months bringing lightning , heavy rain and occasionally hail . July and August are known as
5304-542: The Wollongong-based state seat of Heathcote multiple times (including for 12 consecutive years from the Coalition 's 2011 landslide victory until Labor's return to power in 2023 , note that redistribution made Heathcote a notional Labor seat as it moved south to included more of Wollongong and less of southern Sydney). However, even in 2011 (when Labor suffered the worst defeat of a sitting New South Wales government in
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#17329022571945408-565: The ageing clipper fleet became unseaworthy. Before the early 18th century, the East India Company paid for its tea mainly in silver. When the Chinese emperor chose to embargo European-manufactured commodities and demand payment for all Chinese goods in silver, the price rose, restricting trade. The East India Company began to produce opium in India, something desired by the Chinese as much as tea
5512-769: The busiest commuter corridors in Australia. Two federal divisions in the House of Representatives are mostly or entirely located in Greater Wollongong: Cunningham and Whitlam , with a very small portion of Gilmore being in the far southern suburbs of the city. On the state level, there are four electoral districts of the Legislative Assembly that are mostly or entirely located in Wollongong: Heathcote , Keira , Shellharbour and Wollongong , with
5616-472: The city an undulating character. The coastal strip is traversed by several short but flood-prone and fast-flowing streams and creeks such as Fairy Creek (Para Creek), Cabbage Tree Creek, Allans Creek, Nostaw Ravine, Jimbob Creek, Mullet Creek and Macquarie Rivulet . The coastline consists of many beaches characterised by fine pale gold-coloured sands; however, these beaches are sometimes interrupted by prominent and rocky headlands, such as Tego Rock, jutting into
5720-675: The city. The newer Wollongong Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1936 atop the Flagstaff Hill and is still used in the early 21st century. Belmore Basin houses the commercial fishing fleet and Fisherman's Co-op, while the main harbour shelters private vessels. The main beaches of central Wollongong are North Wollongong (or simply North [gong]) Beach, extending from the harbour up to the Fairy lagoon and Puckeys Estate Reserve , and Wollongong City Beach, extending south from Flagstaff Point and into Coniston Beach. The Wollongong metropolitan area includes
5824-465: The clippers was public and fierce, with their times recorded in the newspapers. The last China clippers had peak speeds over 16 knots (30 km/h), but their average speeds over a whole voyage were substantially less. The joint winner of the Great Tea Race of 1866 logged about 15,800 nautical miles on a 99-day trip. This gives an average speed slightly over 6.6 knots (12.2 km/h). The key to
5928-532: The deep draft enabled the Baltimore clipper to sail close to the wind . Clippers, running the British blockade of Baltimore, came to be recognized for speed rather than cargo space. The type existed as early as 1780. A 1789 drawing of HMS Berbice (1780) – purchased by the Royal Navy in 1780 in the West Indies ;– represents the earliest draught of what became known as
6032-415: The depressed years, apparently little affected by the economic downturn. The long-distance route to China was not realistically challenged by steamships in the early part of the 1860s. No true steamer (as opposed to an auxiliary steamship) had the fuel efficiency to carry sufficient cargo to make a profitable voyage. The auxiliary steamships struggled to make any profit. The situation changed in 1866 when
6136-447: The earlier boom years, only four clipper ships were built; a few were built in the 1860s. British clipper ships continued to be built after 1859. From 1859, a new design was developed for British clipper ships that was nothing like the American clippers; these ships continued to be called extreme clippers. The new design had a sleek, graceful appearance, less sheer, less freeboard, lower bulwarks, and smaller breadth. They were built for
6240-452: The eastern seaboard of the USA. At first, these fast sailing vessels were referred to as "Virginia-built" or "pilot-boat model", with the name "Baltimore-built" appearing during the War of 1812 . In the final days of the slave trade ( circa 1835–1850) – just as the type was dying out – the term, Baltimore clipper , became common. The common retrospective application of
6344-421: The economic situation deteriorated in 1853, American shipowners either did not order new vessels, or specified an ordinary clipper or a medium clipper instead of an extreme clipper. No extreme clipper was launched in an American shipyard after the end of 1854 and only a few medium clippers after 1860. By contrast, British trade recovered well at the end of the 1850s. Tea clippers had continued to be launched during
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#17329022571946448-547: The end of the White Australia policy these were followed by Indo-Chinese refugees in the 1970s, Indians , Filipinos , Chinese , Japanese , Malaysians , Singaporeans , Koreans , Vietnamese , Cambodians , and Pacific Islanders in the 1980s and 1990s. The University of Wollongong continues to attract students and staff from all over the world, with around 5,000 overseas student enrolments and countless overseas professors working there. Around 20,000 people commute daily to jobs in Sydney by road and rail , making it one of
6552-443: The greater Illawarra region. These channels include ABC HD , ABC Kids , ABC TV Plus , ABC Me , ABC News , 7HD , 7two , 7mate , 7flix , 7Bravo , 9HD , 9Go! , 9Gem , 9Life , 10 HD , 10 Bold , 10 Peach . Nickelodeon , SBS HD , SBS Viceland , SBS World Movies , SBS Food , NITV and SBS WorldWatch . In some areas it is also possible to pick up Sydney channels. Subscription Television service Foxtel (formerly Austar )
6656-418: The harbour were opened by Lady Belmore and named Belmore Basin. Patrick Lahiff established a coke works at Wollongong Harbour in the 1870s. He erected two beehive coke ovens between the north eastern end of the basin and Pulpit Rock. The ovens were demolished in 1892. The remains of the coke ovens were uncovered and recovered and are now preserved beneath the hill, with a plaque explaining their history. In 1871
6760-417: The high freight rates often paid to a fast sailing ship were not available (in a fluctuating market). The term "clipper" applied to vessels between these two categories. They often made passages as fast as extreme clippers, but had less difficulty in making a living when freight rates were lower. The first ships to which the term "clipper" seems to have been applied were the Baltimore clippers, developed in
6864-432: The highest speed ever achieved by a sailing ship of the era, 22 knots (41 km/h), made while running her easting down to Australia in 1854. (John Griffiths' first clipper, the Rainbow , had a top speed of 14 knots.) Eleven other instances are reported of a ship's logging 18 knots (33 km/h) or over. Ten of these were recorded by American clippers. Besides the breath-taking 465-nautical-mile (861 km) day's run of
6968-490: The late 1860s until the early 1870s, the clipper trade increasingly focused on the Britain to Australia and New Zealand route, carrying goods and immigrants, services that had begun earlier with the Australian Gold Rush of the 1850s. British-built clipper ships and many American-built, British-owned ships were used. Even in the 1880s, sailing ships were still the main carriers of cargo between Britain, and Australia and New Zealand . This trade eventually became unprofitable, and
7072-420: The local level, there are two Wollongong-based local government areas (LGAs): the City of Wollongong and the City of Shellharbour , with a very small portion of the Municipality of Kiama being located in the far southern suburbs of the city. The City of Wollongong is represented by a directly elected Lord Mayor (currently Tania Brown) and 12 councillors (four each per ward): with Labor having eight seats,
7176-476: The many clipper ships built during the mid-19th century, only two are known to survive. The only intact survivor is Cutty Sark , which was preserved as a museum ship in 1954 at Greenwich for public display. The other known survivor is City of Adelaide ; unlike Cutty Sark , she was reduced to a hulk over the years. She eventually sank at her moorings in 1991, but was raised the following year, and remained on dry land for years. Adelaide (or S.V. Carrick )
7280-420: The network's hub. A Bus Interchange is also located near Wollongong University. Services connect Wollongong suburbs to Shellharbour City Centre , Port Kembla , Campbelltown in Western Sydney and the Royal National Park as well as the Southern Highlands . There is also a Free Shuttle Bus service that connects the CBD, university and the suburbs of North Wollongong, Fairy Meadow and Gwynneville which acts as
7384-448: The new Wollongong Lighthouse was finished on Flagstaff Point. In 1942 Wollongong was proclaimed a City. In 1947 City of Greater Wollongong was formed. In 1954 the population of Wollongong was 90,852. In 1956 new Wollongong City Council Chambers were opened. In 1961 the Wollongong University College was established. In 1963, the Wollongong Teachers College was established. In 1965 the Westfield shopping centre at Figtree opened. In 1985,
7488-492: The old council building at the present art gallery site. The Crown Gateway Shopping Centre was completed. Wollongong Mall was opened. In 1988, the current council administration building was completed, as well as the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre ( IPAC ), across the road on Burelli Street. IPAC was officially opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1988. A sculpture recognizing Lawrence Hargrave
7592-458: The old lighthouse was completed. Nevertheless, in 1881 a British clipper , Queen of Nations , ran ashore off the mouth of Towradgi Creek. Her cargo included 24,000 bottles of Hennessy Cognac . Local police and NSW Customs recovered at least 5,000 bottles, but others were looted by members of the public. The surviving part of the Queen of Nations wreck is only about 70 metres (230 ft) from
7696-502: The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The etymological origin of the word clipper is uncertain, but is believed to be derived from the English language verb "to clip", which at the time meant "to run or fly swiftly". The first application of the term "clipper", in a nautical sense, is likewise uncertain. The type known as the Baltimore clipper originated at the end of the 18th century on
7800-499: The outward and return legs – crucially carrying sufficient cargo to make a profit. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened, giving steamships a route about 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) shorter than that taken by sailing ships round the Cape of Good Hope. Despite initial conservatism by tea merchants, by 1871, tea clippers found strong competition from steamers in
7904-409: The past, without reference to hull shape. As commercial vessels, these are totally reliant on speed to generate a profit for their owners, as their sharpness limits their cargo-carrying capacity. A medium clipper has a cargo-carrying hull that has some sharpness. In the right conditions and with a capable captain, some of these achieved notable quick passages. They were also able to pay their way when
8008-439: The point was excavated by convict labour to form Belmore Basin. This was later extended with the northern breakwater to create Wollongong Harbour. The area is the site of a historic colonial fort , several restored cannons and two lighthouses, a feature peculiar to the east coast of Australia. The older Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse located at the harbour entrance was made of wrought iron plates in 1871 and has become an icon of
8112-473: The population of Wollongong reached 181,612 people. In 2004 the Wollongong City Gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary. In 2005 Qantas established a daily air service from Wollongong to Melbourne that lasted till 2008. In 2006/2007, the library was renovated, including new facilities, as part of the tenth anniversary of the library's current site. Also at this time the beachfront was renovated with
8216-594: The primary campus on Northfields Avenue, and the Innovation Campus on Squires Way. The university's Sydney Business School also has a secondary campus in Sydney . Wollongong has a number of primary and high schools, including public, denominational and independent. Wollongong has one daily newspaper, The Illawarra Mercury , published and issued Monday to Saturday by Australian Community Media (ACM). Additionally, ACM publishes several free community newspapers, including
8320-421: The problem of galvanic corrosion . Copper sheathing prevented fouling and teredo worm , but could not be used on iron hulls. The iron framework of composite clippers was less bulky and lighter, so allowing more cargo in a hull of the same external shape. After 1869, with the opening of the Suez Canal that greatly advantaged steam vessels (see Decline below), the tea trade collapsed for clippers. From
8424-481: The railway line was electrified to Wollongong, and in 1993 to Dapto. In 1986 the Wollongong Mall was completed. For a short while, trams (trackless trains) were used in the mall, though this ceased due to dangers involved. The mall was re-opened to traffic after the initial test but re-zoned a pedestrian area after and has remained one since. In 1987 the council chambers and library building were completed, replacing
8528-401: The ready availability of coal. In 1928, Hoskins, later Australian Iron & Steel, started a steelworks at Port Kembla, a few kilometres south of Wollongong. The former Broken Hill Proprietary Company (now BHP after merging with Billiton plc) acquired AI&S in 1935, but has since spun-out their steel division as a separate company, now known as BlueScope . The steelworks has grown to become
8632-495: The rest of Western Sydney . The Illawarra Highway connects Wollongong's southern suburbs to the Southern Highlands via Macquarie Pass . Wollongong is served by the Illawarra railway line . Passenger rail services on this line connect the centres of Nowra and Kiama to the south and Sydney to the north. A branch line connects suburbs between the CBD and Port Kembla . A passenger rail service connecting Wollongong to
8736-481: The sea. In places these headlands have been excavated or extended to create artificial harbours at Wollongong, Port Kembla , Shellharbour and Kiama . Just off the coast south of Wollongong centre, near Port Kembla, lies a group of five islands known collectively as The Five Islands . The islands are a wildlife refuge. Wollongong has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), bordering on humid subtropical ( Cfa ) as its warmest month mean of 21.9 °C (71.4 °F)
8840-528: The shore, in water only 3 to 5 metres (10 to 16 ft) deep. From time to time, a violent storm uncovers part of the wreck. After one such storm in 1991, looting resumed, including of the Cognac. The Commonwealth Government quickly issued an order protecting the wreck under the then Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 . Since 2018 the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 has automatically protected
8944-510: The south the plain reaches its maximum extent around Albion Park where it incorporates a large coastal saltwater lagoon called Lake Illawarra , separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long sandy spit. The coastal strip consists of highly fertile alluvium , which made Wollongong so attractive to agriculturists in the nineteenth century. It contains many hills including the foothills of the escarpment's lower slopes, and while these generally do not exceed one hundred metres in height they give much of
9048-404: The south. It contains strata of coal measures, and the adit entrances to many coal mines have been established along the slopes of the escarpment throughout Wollongong. Suburbia encroaches on the escarpment's lower slopes in some areas, but the majority remains in a relatively natural state forested with dry sclerophyll and pockets of temperate rainforest . The escarpment is largely protected by
9152-559: The state's history and the Coalition won the largest majority government in the state's history), Labor still won every Wollongong-based seat except Heathcote, making the Illawarra the only region in the state where Labor won more seats than the Coalition. The last time the Liberals won a Wollongong-based state seat other than Heathcote was in 1968 , when the Coalition won the seat of Wollongong for one term before Labor regained it in 1971 . On
9256-510: The suburbs, outlying towns and rural localities stretching from Helensburgh in the north to Kiama in the south. According to the 2021 census , it had a population of 305,691 people. It is the third largest city in New South Wales and the tenth largest in Australia. Using 2006 ABS geography, around 89% of the statistical district's population reside in the built-up urban centre extending from Clifton to Shell Cove . Wollongong
9360-480: The tea ports of China. A typical passage time back to London for a steamer was 58 days, while the fastest clippers could occasionally make the trip in less than 100 days; the average was 123 days in the 1867–68 tea season. The freight rate for a steamer in 1871 was roughly double that paid to a sailing vessel. Some clipper owners were severely caught out by this; several extreme clippers had been launched in 1869, including Cutty Sark , Norman Court and Caliph . Of
9464-441: The third-largest city in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle and the tenth-largest city in Australia by population . The city's current Lord Mayor is Tania Brown who was elected in 2024. The Wollongong area extends from Helensburgh in the north to Windang and Yallah in the south. Geologically, the city is located in the south-eastern part of the Sydney basin , which extends from Newcastle to Nowra . Wollongong
9568-498: The trade routes between Europe and the East Indies . The last example of these still in reasonable condition is Cutty Sark , preserved in dry dock at Greenwich , United Kingdom. Damaged by fire on 21 May 2007 while undergoing conservation, the ship was permanently elevated 3.0 m above the dry dock floor in 2010 as part of a plan for long-term preservation. Clippers were built for seasonal trades such as tea, where an early cargo
9672-601: The windy months, with westerly gales that can gust at over 100 km/h. These are generally dry foehn winds from the Great Dividing Range , which are common at this time of the year in southeast Australia on the leeward side of the Ranges. The inner city area includes the suburbs of Wollongong and North Wollongong , extending from Fairy Meadow in the north, west to include the Wollongong Hospital , and south to
9776-431: The word "clipper" to this type of vessel has caused confusion. The Oxford English Dictionary's earliest quote (referring to the Baltimore clipper) is from 1824. The dictionary cites Royal Navy officer and novelist Frederick Marryat as using the term in 1830. British newspaper usage of the term can be found as early as 1832 and in shipping advertisements from 1835. A US court case of 1834 has evidence that discusses
9880-459: The wreck and its contents, as they are more than 75 years old. In 1880 steam locomotives were introduced to haul coal from Mount Keira mine to the harbour. Gas street lighting was introduced in 1883. In 1885 a new court house was erected in Market Street. Like many Australian court houses, it was designed in a Classical Revival style considered appropriate for public buildings. It is now listed on
9984-515: The wreck of a coal ship was discovered by accident, off the coast of Wollongong. The ship the SS Nemesis was sailing from Wollongong to Melbourne and it sank nearly 120 years ago. Wollongong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: The city of Wollongong has a distinct geography. It lies on a narrow coastal plain flanked by the Tasman Sea to the east and a steep sandstone precipice known as
10088-431: Was a clipper ship built in 1851 that established the fastest passage between New York and San Francisco within weeks of her launching, then broke her own records three years later, which stood at 89 days 8 hours until 1989. (The other contender for this "blue ribbon" title was the medium clipper Andrew Jackson – an unresolvable argument exists over timing these voyages "from pilot to pilot"). Flying Cloud
10192-518: Was built for the Aberdeen to London trade ). Then followed the vast clipper trade of tea, opium, spices, and other goods from the Far East to Europe, and the ships became known as "tea clippers". From 1839, larger American clipper ships started to be built beginning with Akbar , 650 tons OM, in 1839, and including the 1844-built Houqua , 581 tons OM. These larger vessels were built predominantly for use in
10296-445: Was by the British. This had to be smuggled into China on smaller, fast-sailing ships, called "opium clippers". Some of these were built specifically for the purpose – mostly in India and Britain, such as the 1842-built Ariel , 100 tons OM. Some fruit schooners were bought for this trade, as were some Baltimore clippers. Among the most notable clippers were the China clippers, also called tea clippers, designed to ply
10400-400: Was characterised by the sharp deadrise and ends found in the Baltimore clipper. The second was a hull with a full midsection and modest deadrise, but sharp ends – this was a development of the hull form of transatlantic packets. The third was more experimental, with deadrise and sharpness being balanced against the need to carry a profitable quantity of cargo. A clipper carried
10504-477: Was more valuable, or for passenger routes. One passenger ship survives, the City of Adelaide designed by William Pile of Sunderland . The fast ships were ideally suited to low-volume, high-profit goods, such as tea, opium , spices, people, and mail. The return could be spectacular. The Challenger returned from Shanghai with "the most valuable cargo of tea and silk ever to be laden in one bottom". Competition among
10608-602: Was placed via helicopter on the eastern foothills of Mount Keira . In 1998 the 6000 seat Wollongong Entertainment Centre was opened. In 1999, the Gateway and Crown Central mall buildings were unified as Wollongong Central and a pedestrian walkway/café was built connecting the buildings in an above ground bridge. In 2000, as part of the Sydney Olympics, the Olympic torch was carried through Wollongong as part of its journey. In 2001,
10712-444: Was the first large clipper ship ever constructed, she cannot be said to have founded the clipper ship era, or even that she directly influenced shipbuilders, since no other ship was built like her, but she may have suggested the clipper design in vessels of ship rig. She did, however, influence the building of Rainbow in 1845, the first extreme clipper ship. In Aberdeen , Scotland, shipbuilders Alexander Hall and Sons developed
10816-544: Was the most famous of the clippers built by Donald McKay . She was known for her extremely close race with the Hornet in 1853; for having a woman navigator, Eleanor Creesy , wife of Josiah Perkins Creesy, who skippered the Flying Cloud on two record-setting voyages from New York to San Francisco; and for sailing in the Australia and timber trades. Clipper ships largely ceased being built in American shipyards in 1859 when, unlike
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