Corrimal, New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Corrimal Wollongong, New South Wales
Aerial photo of Corrimal to Tarrawanna
Corrimal Location in New South Wales
Population	6,972 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2518
Elevation	25 m (82 ft)
Location	77 km (48 mi) south of Sydney 6 km (4 mi) north of Wollongong
LGA(s)	City of Wollongong
State electorate(s)	Keira Wollongong
Federal Division(s)	Cunningham
Suburbs around Corrimal: Russell Vale Bellambi Corrimal East Corrimal Tarrawanna Fernhill Towradgi

Corrimal is a lively suburb located just north of the city of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia. Its main shopping area, often called the CBD, is found along the Princes Highway and nearby streets. You'll find two main shopping centers here: Lederer Corrimal and Corrimal Park Mall.

A special landmark in Corrimal is an old train engine called "The Green Frog." It's featured on the town's welcome signs because it used to run on a coal line from 1909 to 1967. West of the main area, there's a lawn bowls club and a nice neighborhood next to the bushland.

Near the Corrimal railway station, you can see the tall towers of the Corrimal Cokeworks. This factory operated for over 100 years before closing in 2014. These towers are a well-known sight in the area.

Every year, on the second Sunday in September, Corrimal hosts a big family event called Spring Into Corrimal. This festival includes market stalls, a parade, and fun activities. In 2018, about 70,000 people attended, making it the biggest free family festival in regional New South Wales.

History of Corrimal

The name Corrimal comes from a nearby point on the Illawarra escarpment, a mountain range. This point was once called Mount Corrimal. It was named after an Aboriginal Dreamtime warrior known as Kurimul. The name might also mean "Black Mountain" because the area has a lot of coal.

The first industries in Corrimal were logging and then mining. In 1830, the first land grant was given to James Martin. The name Corrimal was first officially recorded in 1839 when some land was sold there. A road was built in 1834 using convict labor.

In 1883, Thomas Bertram opened the Corrimal colliery, which is a coal mine. The Corrimal railway station opened in 1887. This meant coal could be transported by train instead of by bullock teams. The Corrimal Colliery closed in 1985. Did you know that Streets ice cream was first started here in the 1930s?

Community and Business in Corrimal

Corrimal's community is supported by the Corrimal Chamber of Commerce (CCC). This group of volunteers helps local businesses and citizens. In 2014, the CCC helped make Corrimal the first autism-friendly community in Australia.

Another volunteer group, the Corrimal Region Action Group (CRAG), works to improve Corrimal and its surrounding areas. CRAG helped create the "Corrimal Town Centre Plan 2015-2025" to guide the town's future.

The Story of Streets Ice Cream

Corrimal is famous as the birthplace of ice cream manufacturer Streets. Edwin (Ted) Street started making ice cream in a small churn right after the Great Depression. He made it to sell in his own milk bar.

His ice cream was so popular that other shops wanted to buy it. Soon, Mr. Street was supplying ice cream to many shops in and around the area. He built a factory near the Princes Highway. Many locals still remember the huge neon sign outside the factory. It showed a polar bear licking an ice cream. This was the first moving neon sign in Wollongong! Streets was sold to Unilever in 1960 and is still a well-known brand today.

Education in Corrimal

Corrimal has several schools for young people. There are four primary schools: St Columbkille's (a Roman Catholic school), Corrimal Public School, and Illawarra Adventist School. There is also Corrimal High School for older students and Aspect, a special school for children with autism.

Transport in Corrimal

Getting around Corrimal is easy with its railway station. Corrimal railway station is located on Railway Street and is part of the Illawarra railway line. This line connects the station to the heart of the town and other areas.

Sports in Corrimal

The most popular sport in Corrimal is rugby league. The local team, the Corrimal Cougars, plays in the Illawarra Rugby League competition. They won championships in 1948 and 1974. The Cougars play their home games at Ziems Park.

The Corrimal Cougars Cricket Club and Corrimal Rangers Football Club were both started in 1891. The Corrimal Cougars Rugby League team was established in 1912. In the 1930s, Arthur Ziems donated land next to his butchery for the rugby league field.