Marching through Crown Street Mall, Burelli Street and Corrimal Street despite heavy rain, the protestors were among thousand who have joined the abortion rights push in Australia, with protests also held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Hobart.

The movement has been sparked by the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade that has seen 27 US states move toward either banning or threatening to criminalise abortions.

Protestors said the decision had also shone a light on the situation in Australia, where women face difficult in accessing abortions.

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One of the protest organisers, Wollongong University Student Association (WUSA) women's officer Cheyne Howard, said she was buoyed by the turnout, despite rain limiting numbers.

"The turn out is great, it's comforting to see that people care so much about the cause that they will come out and get rained on because they are angry about what's happened," she said.

"This is so important, because people think this isn't an Australian issue but it absolutely is. There are MPs in Australia who are celebrating what has happened in the US and calling for it here, so we need to show them that is not tolerable."

The rally heard from a range of speakers, including two Wollongong doctors Margaret Perrott and Lisa Brown who help women to access abortion in the Illawarra.

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"In Australia it's pretty easy to get an abortion, but not as easy as it should be," Dr Perrott said.

"Since 1969 it has been legal for a woman to have an abortion if continuing with the pregnancy threatens her mental of physical health in any way, and that was the way doctors got around the illegality of abortion in most states.

"In NSW, abortion was still on the criminal law list until 2019."

Dr Brown, an American who said she felt despair and outrage at hearing Roe v Wade was overturned, said there were still many Australian towns which did not have a doctor who would perform an abortion.

"I am outraged at what is happening in my home country, where millions of American women no longer have access to safe abortion in their home state," she said

"I've heard people say that what is happening in America could not happen here, but I disagree. Access to abortion is already limited in many areas of Australia, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Dr Brown said abortion was health care, which should be easily accessible and affordable to all women.

"I am a GP who provides medical abortion in our local area, brought on by a pill often known as RU486 and for many years Australian politicians tried to make access to this difficult for Australian women despite being widely available in many other countries," she said.

"Every day I see women who tell me of the anxiety and stress they experience with their unplanned pregnancy, and that the GP they saw was rude or condescending and refusing to help, that they didn't know where to go."

"They shouldn't have to worry about where to go or where to get help."

She said women who needed an abortion should contact the Illawarra Women's Health Centre, who would be able to put them in touch with on of several GPs who would prescribe the abortion pill.

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