Wollongong - home of the Koala

Koalas in the Illawarra | History | Encounters 1803-2023 | Tolkien's Koala |  Macquarie Pass, 1 August 2023. The Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, is home to the koala, with the first live specimens brought into Sydney in 1803 coming from Mount Kembla. Despite extensive coastal development in the region since then, the escarpment area which borders it to the west remains the home of koala, despite more than two centuries of ravages due to fire, domestic and introduced feral animals, road kill, disease and habitat destruction. Though rarely seen or heard, the koala remains a little known, though important part of the local environment. This blog is a record of historical and recent sightings. It will hopefully raise awareness of this endangered animal and lead to its ongoing survival in nature. Koala at Mount Keira, Wollongong, August 2016. In August 2023 a koala was photographed in the bush at Macquarie Pass, and in June 2023 footage was published on