Contents

City of Shellharbour

City of Shellharbour New South Wales
Location in the Illawarra
Coordinates	34°35′S 150°52′E / 34.583°S 150.867°E / -34.583; 150.867
Population	76,271 (2021 census)[1] 72,240 (2018 est.)[2]
• Density	518.9/km2 (1,344/sq mi)
Established	1859
Area	147 km2 (56.8 sq mi)
Mayor	Chris Homer
Council seat	Shellharbour City Centre[3]
Region	Illawarra
State electorate(s)	Shellharbour Kiama
Federal division(s)	Whitlam Gilmore
Website	City of Shellharbour
LGAs around City of Shellharbour: Wingecarribee Wollongong Tasman Sea Wingecarribee City of Shellharbour Tasman Sea Wingecarribee Kiama Tasman Sea

The City of Shellharbour is a local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The city is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Sydney and covers the southern suburbs of the Wollongong urban area centred on Shellharbour and it had an estimated population of 68,460 at the 2016 census.

The area is bordered by the City of Wollongong to the north, with the boundary being the Lake Illawarra entrance (and the suburb of Lake Illawarra) and Macquarie Rivulet (Albion Park Rail). The Municipality of Kiama is to the south of the City of Shellharbour.

The mayor of the Shellharbour City Council is Cr. Chris Homer.^[4]

History[edit]

Indigenous occupation of the area, particularly of Bass Point, can be traced back to 17,000 BCE.^{[citation needed]}

The area was discovered by Europeans Bass and Flinders in 1796.^[5] Free settlers began arriving between 1817 and 1831 and the township was founded in 1851. The Shellharbour (Municipal) Council was constituted on 4 June 1859, and was gazetted as a City in 1996. In May 2009, Shellharbour City Council celebrated its sesquicentenary.^[6]

A2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the City of Shellharbour merge with the City of Wollongong to form a new council with an area of 831 square kilometres (321 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 276,000.^[7] On 13 February 2017, the New South Wales Government decided not to forcibly amalgamate Shellharbour Council with Wollongong Council.

Heritage listings[edit]

The City of Shellharbour has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Albion Park, Tullimbar Road: Toongla^[8]
• Albion Park Rail, Princes Highway: Albion Park railway station^[9]
• Dunmore, Illawarra railway: Dunmore railway station^[10]
• Shell Cove, Boollwarroo Parade: Bass Point Reserve^[11]

Suburbs[edit]

The City of Shellharbour contains the following suburbs and localities:

Council[edit]

Current composition and election method[edit]

As of 2023, Shellharbour City Council is composed of eight councillors elected proportionally in four wards.. Under the Local Government (Shellharbour and Wollongong Elections) Act, 2011 (NSW), councillors are elected to hold office until September 2024. Since 2021, the mayor has been directly-elected.

The current council, elected in 2021, is:

Election results[edit]

2021[edit]

2021 New South Wales local elections: Shellharbour^[12]

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor		21,199	61.8	+12.5	4	1
	Kellie Marsh Independents		8,746	25.5		1
	Independent		5,583	16.3		2
	Local Voice		3,454	10.1		1
	Community Voice		3,416	10.0		0
Formal votes			34,282	94.9
Informal votes			1,845	5.1
Informal votes			36,127	100.0
Registered voters / turnout			55,825	64.71

Attractions[edit]

Shellharbour City has many attractions for family entertainment and recreation. In Albion Park Rail there is a Light Rail Museum and steam trains, Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum, and Albion Oval; a local sports ground. Shellharbour Village, the beach and playground are also popular attractions. Excellent fishing at Lake Illawarra and superb surfing at Warilla beach. A cycleway goes from Oak Flats to Barrack Point. The Macquarie Valley (Shellharbour) provides scenic views and also includes the Macquarie Pass National Park.

There are various beaches in Shellharbour such as the Blacks Beach, Shellharbour North Beach, Shellharbour South Beach, Warilla Central Beach, Warilla North Beach, and Warilla South Beach which are some of the major crowd pullers.^[13]

See also[edit]

• Local government areas of New South Wales

References[edit]

^ "Toongla". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00556. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.

^ "Albion Park Railway Station Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01072. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.

^ "Shellharbour Railway Station Group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01245. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.

^ "Bass Point Reserve". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H01896. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence.

External links[edit]

• Local tourist information