Wollongong and Shellharbour city councils have today launched the 'Illawarra 200' calendar of events to mark 200 years since the first land grants issued in the region during the early colonies period of Australia's history.
The bicentenary is based on the 1815 arrival of Charles Throsby who, with the assistance of Aboriginal guides and his stockman, drove a mob of cattle over the escarpment at Bulli to establish a stockyard at what was then known as Five Islands.
In 1816, Governor Lachlan Macquarie gave instructions for Surveyor-General John Oxley and Deputy Surveyor James Meehan to locate grants for those persons promised land in the Illawarra.
Under the theme of “Shared Values, Shared Future”, the events starting with the Reconciliation Week on May 27-June 3 this year will continue until December 2016 and include talks, movies, tours, art awards, night markets and other festivities including New Year’s Eve and Australia Day.
Events will acknowledge the Aboriginal history and culture of the Illawarra during 2015 and will be expanded to include a range of cultural stories from the area in 2016.
The Bicentenary Committee is supporting the development of a broad program of events and activities that acknowledge the 2015-2016 Bicentenary of Wollongong in a manner which is inclusive and recognises the multiple cultural stories that make up the unique heritage of our region.
The list of events and activities that are part of the official Illawarra 200 program are available here.
