19 Wollongong buildings in the frame for heritage listing

Wollongong City Council wants to know if its proposed 19 historical CBD buildings and sites should be listed as part of a draft heritage study.

Some of the items include the archaeological site of Wollongong Gaol in Cliff Road, Kawarra Chambers at 118-124 Crown Street, Wollongong, and Marlborough Court at Market Square.

University of Wollongong honorary senior fellow for history, Dr Glenn Mitchell said the former Burlei building was a prime example of the city's history that need to be saved.

"It is one of the few buildings to have a curved brick wall that faces the street and I want that to be preserved," he said.

"A curved brick wall with glass windows is rare in NSW, let alone Wollongong."

Read more: Nine Wollongong heritage items set to be removed from council's protection list

Dr Mitchell said the building was used around 1945 by ladies fashion manufacturer Burlei to produce corsets to change women's body shape in the "good times" of the post-war era.

"The company provided a lot of employment for women in a time when it was a male-dominated industry," he said. "It is an important building architecturally and is an important example of working and economic life for women."

Dr Mitchell said Wollongong's buildings and sites needed to be preserved and remembered to tell locals and tourists about the history of the city.

Whilst he understood not every site could be conserved due to business progress, he said it was important to mark significant items, with a plaque or sign, that no longer existed.

Read more: Can you guess these Wollongong buildings?

The council's heritage study identified gaps in the list related to Aboriginal Heritage, 20th Century architecture, migrant heritage, archaeology and character building and recommends listing an additional 19 items in the Wollongong Local Environmental Plan and heritage map.

The study area for this project is focused on the central CBD area. A separate project is being progressed that will consider additional listings throughout the rest of the Wollongong area, including North Wollongong, South Wollongong and other surrounding areas.

Wollongong Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said he knew community members valued history and the council was committed to preserving sites that were an integral part of the city's story.

"There are a range of proposed buildings and sites that address the missing links discussed in the study including three new archaeological sites, two sites linked to our city's migrant heritage and four buildings with character facades," he said.

Residents can have their say on the proposal before September 24.

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