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Illawarra
200
In 2016 Southern Stars celebrates our local heritage with a special
segment, Illawarra 200, created in conjunction with the Wollongong
City Council. Ignite includes a special segment which celebrates
the Illawarra, its history and its people.
The Illawarra is a diverse region with people from various
backgrounds, different passions, interests and identities. The item
Illawarra 200 begins with a symbolic performance by our inaugural
Aboriginal Dance Ensemble involving over 100 Aboriginal students
from 24 schools.
These students perform a contemporary dance recreating the
journey of the first Indigenous peoples over sea to the Illawarra
and how they came to live in this beautiful environment. The item
continues to unfold to show the traditional custodians, the Wadi-
Wadi People of the Five Islands Dreaming, welcoming the first
European settlers.
Throughout the following 200 years people from all walks of
life have come to live in harmony in the Wollongong region
and this is celebrated in the item ‘We’re All in This Together.’
This item is a tribute to the Illawarra. The Illawarra 200 logo is
represented colourfully on the floor of the arena symbolising and
representing the
people who make
up Wollongong,
its surrounds
and its cultures.
The highlight
of our Illawarra
200 segment
includes the entire
cast joining our
Aboriginal Dance
Ensemble and Mass
Drama performers
to celebrate that
I am, you are, we are Australian.
The Illawarra 200 logo
In 1815 some of the Illawarra’s traditional custodians led some white
settlers and their cattle down the escarpment. The settlers began
to farm the area – a place rich in red cedar trees, farmland and coal.
This marked a new chapter in the story of our area, and it’s this new
direction that we’re commemorating 200 years on.
The trek down the escarpment by white settlers and traditional
custodians is represented in the Illawarra 200 logo by the white
dots. The colourful ribbons that form the lines of our escarpment
represent the ongoing settlement of the Illawarra by people from
across the globe. The logo also celebrates our local flora, with
Illawarra Flame Tree blossoms placed in the pattern of the Southern
Cross. The number of flowers symbolises the first five land grants
handed out in 1816 and the iconic Five Islands off our coast.
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Wollongong City Council
Congratulates the
organisers and participants
of Southern Stars 2016!
ignite