The Illawarra Historical Society was formed on 5th December 1944. The Society aims to promote regional history through its publication of books written by its members on a range of topics. The first of these was published in 1948. These IHS publications are being reproduced here with the permission of the Society. A complete title list is provided on the Society’s website www.illawarramuseum.com.
This digitisation has been a joint project between the Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong City Library and the University of Wollongong Library.
-
History of Austinmer and Robert Marsh Westmacott in Australia
N. S. King
N.S. King, (1964), History of Austinmer and Robert Marsh Westmacott in Australia, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 10p. First read before the Illawarra Historical Society on 2nd March, 1961. Again read before the special meeting of the Illawarra Historical Society at Austinmer on 11th October,1962.
-
Cornelius O'Brien - Pioneer of Bulli
N. S. King
N.S. King (1965), Cornelius O'Brien - Pioneer of Bulli, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 32p. Reprinted 1980.
-
Earliest Illawarra by its explorers & pioneers
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald (1966), Earliest Illawarra by its explorers & pioneers, Illawarra HIstorical Society, Wollongong, 1966, 64p.,
-
Murder at the Hell Hole 1826
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald, (1966), Murder at the Hell Hole 1826, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 14p. A true narrative of a horrid and bloody murder done at the Hell Hole Illawarra, A.D. 1826 and of the trial, sentence and the awful execution of the murderer.
-
The Albert Memorial Hospital, Wollongong, N.S.W., 1864-1908
A. P. Fleming
A.P. Fleming (1967), The Albert Memorial Hospital, Wollongong, N.S.W., 1864-1908, Illawarra HIstoricla Society, Wollongong, 24p. Reprinted 1983.
-
The Story of Austinmer
Norman S. King
Norman S. King, (1967), The Story of Austinmer, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 53p. Published in conjunction with the centenary of Austinmer Public School, 1867-1967.
-
The Old Dapto Smelting Works
J. P. O'Malley
J.P. O'Malley, (1968), The Old Dapto Smelting Works, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 17p. First edition 1950, second edition 1968. The first edition of this booklet, based on an address by the author to the Illaw arra H istorical Society, appeared in 1950 but requiries bringing up-to-date at only a few points. The site of the smelting works is little changed since then. Part of the great pile of slag has been removed, but much still remains. “Lakeview ” , the former general office building, now the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. Fackender, is still in existence, but the manager’s residence in Kanahooka Road, some distance to the west, has been demolished. The level crossings in Princes Highway have disappeared but part of the old railw ay track is still visible in Marshall Street, Dapto, and its earthworks can be seen in many places along the route. Repeated enquiries for Brother O’Malley’s booklet since it has been out of print have determined the society to republish this interesting and valuable record of the first attem industry on any large scale in Illawarra.
-
Brighton Beach, Wollongong
A. P. Fleming
A.P. Fleming (1969), Brighton Beach, Wollongong, Illawarra Historical Society, 1969, 14p. At the eastern junction of Cliff Road and Harbour Street, Wollongong, there is a small public reserve which has been named by the Council of the City of Greater Wollongong “BRIGHTON LAWN PARK.” The reserve was granted for Public Recreation on September 19, 1906, as “BRIGHTON LAWN.” It slopes eastward to the little beach known as “BRIGHTON BEACH” and this latter title today popularly includes the reserve. Directly opposite on the north-western corner of Cliff R o a d / Harbour Street, now occupied by cottages and flats, stood the "BRIGHTON” HOTEL, licensed 1854 as the Black Swan and demolished 1923. The genesis of this paper was the query “did the locality derive its name from the beach or the hotel?” A search in the Sydney newspapers of the 1830/40s period showed BRIGHTON to be applied to Wollongong as early as 1838 whereas the hotel was renamed the Brighton in 1856.
-
Captain Waldron Deceased
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald, (1972), In the Matter of Captain Waldron Deceased, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 31p. This booklet is a revision of a paper read to the Illawarra Historical Society on 2nd May 1968. It is based principally on the depositions taken at the trial by Roger Therry and Despatch No 17 of 26th February 1834 from Sir Richard Bourke to the Rt. Hon. E. G. Stanley, to which the depositions are annexed; contemporary newspaper reports, of which those of the “Monitor” are by far the fullest and most colourful; and the Rev. O. B. Waldron — McCarthy’s article “The Waldrons of Illawarra and their Connections” , in “The Australian Genealogist”, May and August 1950.
-
Port of Wollongong
C. W. Gardiner-Garden
C.W. Gardiner-Garden (1975), Port of Wollongong, Illawarra Historical Society, 1975, 54p. Originally published in 1953 . Second edition 1959. Third edition 1975.
-
The First Footers - Bass and Flinders in Illawarra
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald, (1975), The First Footers - Bass and Flinders in Illawarra, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 52p. The bicentenary of the birth on 16 March 1774 of Matthew Flinders was commemorated by the Illawarra Historical Society at its March 1974 meeting, when a paper, of which this booklet is a revision, was read by the author. It dealt specifically with the explorations of Bass and Flinders in Illawarra and its vicinity, a subject which has received little attention from their biographers. (Even the one exception, Professor Ernest Scott, was writing a life of Flinders, so quite reasonably had little to say of Bass without Flinders). This booklet is an attempt to fill the gap. It does not set out to cover their earlier and later careers, which are comparatively well documented, in any detail; nor does it seek to cover fully the story of the Sydney Cove, which would repay more detailed investigation, particularly to clarify the many inconsistencies in the existing accounts.
-
Old Market Square - Historic Heart of Wollongong
A. P. Fleming
A.P. Fleming (1976), Old Market Square - Historic Heart of Wollongong, Illawarra Historical Society, 1968, 20p. Based on a paper presented on 5 October 1967 and originally published in May 1968. Republished 1976.
-
Nineteenth-Century Dapto
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald, (1976), Nineteenth-Century Dapto, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 84p. These notes on the history of Dapto and its neighbourhood were put together over a period of several years from many d ifferent sources, embody the substance of talks given to the lllawarra Historical Society on 5th April and 3rd May 1973 and 4th September 1975.
-
The first five land grantees and their grants in the Illawarra
B. T. Dowd
B.T. Dowd, (1977), The first five land grantees and their grants in the Illawarra, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 15p. First published 1960, republished 1977. A paper originally presented to the Illawarra Historical Society on 1 March 1960. Published later that year and republished in 1977, it describes the first five land grants issued in the Illawarra around 1816.
-
History of Berkeley, New South Wales
Kathleen H. Barwick
Kathleen H. Barwick (1978), History of Berkeley, Illawarra Historical Society, 18p. First edition published 1963. Second edition 1978.
-
The Oldest Road
W. G. McDonald
W.G. McDonald (1979), The Oldest Road, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 40p. An account of the various routes into the Illawarra via the escarpment, specifically the old roads about Bulli.
-
The International Aboriginal Cricketers v. Illawarra - A record of "The Grand Cricket Matches" played at Wollongong, N.S.W., April and November 1867
A. P. Fleming
A. P. Fleming (1982), The International Aboriginal Cricketers v. Illawarra - A record of "The Grand Cricket Matches" played at Wollongong, N.S.W., April and November 1867, Illawarra Historical Society, 16p. 1st edition published 1968. 2nd edition published 1982.
-
Railway History in Illawarra, New South Wales
C. C. Singleton
C.C. Singleton, (1984), Railway History in Illawarra, New South Wales, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 65p. 4th edition. First published in November 1964. Fourth edition, with illustrations and photographs, 1984.
-
The Paulsgrove Diary: Illawarra 1833-34
W. G. McDonald
W.G. Mcdonald (1988), The Paulsgrove Diary: Illawarra 1933-1834, Illawarra Historical Society, 1988, 72p. Introduction and notes by W.G. McDonald. Illustrated by Annette Macarthur-Onslow. Original diary by Edward Smith.
-
The Garden of New South Wales - A History of Illawarra & Shoalhaven
Arthur Cousins
Arthur Cousins, (1994), The Garden of New South Wales - A History of Illawarra & Shoalhaven, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 366p. First published 1948, second edition 1994. First Published by Producers' Co-op. Distributing Society Ltd., Valentine and Quay Streets, Sydney, 1948. Includes an index.
-
Black Diamonds - History of Bulli District, New South Wales
William A. Bayley
William A. Bayley, (2002), Black Diamonds - History of Bulli District, New South Wales, Illawarra Historical Society, Wollongong, 124p. Originally published in 1956. Republished in numerous editions up to 2002, with an index added in 1989.