50 Years of WollCon

1972 – 2022

Our Story

Welcome to Wollongong Conservatorium
Positive Change Through Music

What began as a provider of music education with classes run out of a local church building, the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music has become a local icon of the community, whose home is an historic manor house and school perched on the top of a hill in Wollongong Botanic Garden.

The common thread back to the origins of WollCon is a commitment to quality teaching, to learning the craft of music and technique as well as nurturing both the individual’s and the community’s love of music.

WollCon started life in the early 1970’s with lessons given in what is now known as Church on the Mall, which is still used by WollCon today for performances.

WollCon moved to the inspirational surroundings of the Botanical Gardens and Gleniffer Brae in the 1980s to occupy part of the historic homestead built by steel pioneer Arthur Sidney Hoskins as well as school buildings vacated by the Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School (SCEGGS).

Gleniffer Brae itself is a beautiful Tudor Manor-style house. It was built in 1938 and the gardens near the house were designed by renowned 20th Century landscaper Paul Sorensen. The Hoskins family donated large parts of the estate to establish Wollongong Botanic Garden. The house itself became part of Wollongong City Council’s portfolio in the 1970s once SCEGGS had moved away.

Creatively WollCon has its roots in a group of pioneering musicians who either grew up in Wollongong or who were drawn here because of new opportunities such as Sydney Conservatorium establishing a branch in Wollongong (which became WollCon) and the development of what is now UOW.

In the early days the program at WollCon was a hybrid with great classical musicians from Europe teaching and working alongside pioneers of the Suzuki method, which was introduced to Australia in Wollongong. Therefore, students at the Conservatorium such as the young Richard Tognetti received a training rooted in the long history of European classical music alongside more progressive methods such as Suzuki.

Today the program embraces a wide range of musical genres – from world music to jazz, from classical to contemporary, so that anyone involved in music making at WollCon can experience that heady mix of influences which was such a feature of the early days.

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Sue is an accomplished and seasoned manager with a wealth of experience in government administration and community service delivery. With a strong background in strategic planning, organisational development, community engagement, project planning, and building strategic partnerships, Sue has consistently demonstrated her leadership and expertise and brings a wealth of knowledge to the board. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business focusing on Local Government and Creative Industries from the University of Wollongong, reflecting her commitment to public service and innovative leadership. Sue’s extensive career and dedication to community and social service make her a valuable asset, offering both strategic insight and practical experience to drive meaningful impact.

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.