Illawong, New South Wales

Illawong Sydney, New South Wales
Illawong, view of Georges River
Illawong
Coordinates	34°00′02″S 151°02′09″E / 34.00057°S 151.03587°E / -34.00057; 151.03587Coordinates: 34°00′02″S 151°02′09″E / 34.00057°S 151.03587°E / -34.00057; 151.03587
Population	7,330 (2011 census)
Postcode(s)	2234
Location	27 km (17 mi) south-west of Sydney CBD
LGA(s)	Sutherland Shire
State electorate(s)	Miranda
Federal Division(s)	Hughes
Suburbs around Illawong: Alfords Point Lugarno Lugarno Menai Illawong Oatley Bangor Bonnet Bay Como

Illawong is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Illawong is located 27 kilometres south-west of the Sydney Central Business District, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire in the area commonly called Menai. The post code is 2234, which is also assigned to the contiguous suburbs of Menai, Bangor and Alfords Point.

Illawong sits between the southern shore of the Georges River and the northern shore of the Woronora River. Illawong consists mainly of residential homes, a nursing home, a primary school and a small shopping centre.

Illawong is an Aboriginal word meaning between two waters, referring to the Georges and Woronora Rivers. Illawong was originally inhabited by the Tharawal and/or Eora tribes who left remnants of their lives in many middens, rock carvings and cave paintings. The Illawong Nature Reserve also lies "between two waters". In this case, the reserve lies between a system of 2 wetlands, which in combination with the heavily vegetated ridgeland, provide habitat which is particularly suited to the long necked turtle.

Captain John Hunter (1731–1821) was the first European to explore the area. In 1789, Hunter sailed through the Georges and Woronora Rivers. In 1795-6, with Matthew Flinders and George Bass, Hunter explored further up the Georges River and declared the area of Bankstown.

Construction of Old Illawarra Road took place between 1843 and 1845 and was inspected by Major Thomas Mitchell, it being one of the last public works completed by convicts. The construction allowed the new route to be about 32 kilometres shorter towards the South Coast. At the southern end of the district Major Mitchell took the road across the ford at the head of the Woronora River, naming the ford "Pass of Sabugal", possibly due to the resemblance in scenery of the north-eastern frontier of Portugal.