An Illawarra musician says the local music industry is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, with many artists forced to juggle multiple jobs as global competition and structural challenges reshape the sector. Speaking on the University of Wollongong Alumni Stories: From Here On project, UOW alum Dominique Macquire, who performs as Hatsia, told hosts Millie Black and Sophie Wright only a small proportion of artists were able to work in music full-time. “The days where artists are just doing music full-time are rare; a small percentage are in that state,” Macquire said. “Many artists now have multiple artistic jobs, like songwriting…
Author: Millie Black
Two journalists, Wollongong central station, an unresolved murder, and a cacophony of street secrets where only the well-worn carpets of Piccadilly Centre know the answer. On 29 January 1966, Wilhemena Kruger was brutally left disfigured and bound in the Piccadilly Centre underground carpark. What remained in the morning was a violent tableau of an innocent woman mutilated without a trace of her killer. It is a story that still lingers in the cold corridors of Piccadilly Centre and has become a case collecting dust in the filing cabinet of the Wollongong police station. On a buzzing, sunny day, we set…
The works of Indigenous artists and authors have been showcased at Wollongong Art Gallery this week in the hope to better connect the community to culture and recognise the brutality of Australia’s history. The Indigenous exhibition included the book launch for ‘Dreaming Inside’, inviting audiences to hear the stories of Indigenous juvenile incarceration in Australia. Indigenous rights activist and author Thomas Mayo said that despite the heartbreak of Australia’s history, there is still hope for moving forward. “Hope is a stream of energy that can be exchanged and shared,” Mr Mayo said. “There’s so many opportunities to help your friends,…
Research has found that Australian women are seeking more guidance from the internet than medical professionals when exploring contraceptive options and the potential risks. UOW pre-medicine student Summer Leonard said there ws no study module that covers the affects of contraception on women, and it was often left to personal experience and research. “It is such an important issue that affects so many women,” Miss Leonard said. “We need to be educated on how to intervene earlier before it’s too late.” A study conducted by Gynecology and Obstetrics found that women who took oral contraception were more likely to develop…
UOW has provided women’s self-defense classes to empower female students and teach them prevention strategies to support their safety. The National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) 2021 report collected data from 38 universities and found that one in six or 16.1 per cent of students had been sexually harassed, since starting university and that one in 20 or 4.5 per cent had experienced sexual assault. PhD psychologist and martial arts instructor, Sally Lai has taught Krav Maga for 15 years and has fostered a safe group for women to feel empowered and confident so that they can respond to potentially violent…
Illawarra residents are questioning the efficiency and environmental impacts of an estimated $10 billion dollar wind farm project, off Wollongong beaches. Independent candidate for Wollongong Council Suzanne de Vive said solar panels are a faster and more effective solution to power the community, than the offshore wind farms. “Australia is the sunniest continent on earth,” Ms de Vive said. “Why push offshore wind farms when rooftop solar can be deployed faster, at lower costs, and without risking our marine ecosystems? “If Australia’s major highways had solar-covered cycleways, they could generate approximately 25 TWh of electricity annually, enough to power 5…
Refugees and volunteers have found innovative ways of avoiding food waste at the Green Connect Farm in Warrawong. Data from End Food Waste Australia has shown that this year 100,000 tons of bananas will be wasted nationally, enough to fill 4000 semi-trailers. A refugee volunteer at Warrawong’s Green Connect Farm has targeted this issue by using the left-over banana skins in a soup. Her knowledge of the ingredient’s high nutritional value allowed for new strategies to easily minimise food wastage in the community. Farm manager Emily Henderson said Green Connect aims to support people with barriers to employment and…
Marine scientists and Indigenous communities have joined forces to develop regenerative aquaculture to restore oceans along the east and south coast of Australia. A program, Blue Futures, has devised strategies that assist in the process of restoring the earth’s increasing greenhouse gases and carbon emissions stored in the ocean. UOW head coordinator Michelle Voyer said that they are in the developmental phase of gathering strategies which allow organisms such as seaweed to store carbon whilst also regenerating self-sufficiently. “We have seen a significant decline of kelp on the south coast of Tasmania, so we are looking at how we can…