Wollongong ( ) is the 3rd largest city in the state of New South Wales, Australia, after Sydney and Newcastle. It is also a Local Government Area administered by the Wollongong City Council. It is located in the Illawarra region of the east coast of Australia, south of Sydney which can be reached through a scenic coastal road and rail route which takes between 90 and 120 minutes and via main roads, taking between 70 and 90 minutes. The Wollongong metropolitan area has a population of 263,535 and is administered by the Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama councils , while the urban area extending from Clifton to Shell Cove has a population of 234,482 .

The name Wollongong is believed to mean "sound of the sea" in the local Aboriginal language, although other explanations have been offered, such as "great feast of fish".

Known affectionately as "the Gong", Wollongong is a city with a long history of mining and industry, having coal mines, steelworks and an industrial port. The city is also a regional centre for the South Coast fishing industry. It has a university, the University of Wollongong, which attracts a great number of international students each year. It has two Regional Cathedrals, and numerous churches of many denominations including the well-known land-mark, the Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, the largest in the Southern hemisphere.