Illawarra
/ˌɪləˈwɒrə/noun
A coastal region of New South Wales, Australia, centered around Wollongong.
Did you know?Illawarra is generally connected with Dharawal language and Aboriginal place-naming, but historical spellings and competing interpretations make a single definitive translation impossible.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European period
Dharawal
Uncertain; forms related to Illawarra are proposed
“An Indigenous place-name associated with the coastal region; the original form and meaning are disputed.”
1796
English
Elourera
“An early European rendering of the region’s Aboriginal name, recorded during exploration.”
Early 19th Century
English
Allowrie / Illawarra
“Variant colonial spellings used for the district and its Aboriginal name.”
1830s
English
Illawarra
“The spelling increasingly standardized in colonial maps and records.”
Modern English
English
Illawarra
“The established name of the coastal region, also used in names such as the Illawarra escarpment and Illawarra railway line.”
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