City of Wollongong flag

The City of Wollongong adopted its own official flag in March 1982 as a result of a competition which attracted nearly 300 entries. 1982 marked the Golden Jubilee of the city and the local radio station 2WL joined with the Bank of New South Wales to sponsor the competition with the first prize of $1,000 being awarded to local resident, Mr John Mulhall.

Mr Mulhall's entry featured a gold diagonal strip dividing the design into halves. The flag featured the Crest of the City of Wollongong in the upper hoist and the belt of Orion in the fly of the flag.

The flag represents the City of Wollongong, located between the ocean and the rugged hillside. With the blue in the top section representing the sky and that of the lower sections the water in which the constellation of Orion is reflected. The gold strip depicts the wave pattern on its lower edge and on its upper edge, the hills silhouetted against the sky. The Belt of Orion was incorporated into this design to symbolise the submarine HMAS Orion whose crew were awarded the freedom of the City in the early 1980s. The constellation of Orion has been used a s a navigational aid by ships since the early days and it is easily seen in the night sky over Wollongong.

The use of the City's crest, which also incorporates some features of the Coat of Arms of the State of New South Wales, has been adapted to feature the stars of the Southern Cross placed on a red cross.