Wollongong's original hackathon. Est. 2012.

An ongoing experiment in building together.

Watch the film

Awesome.

Since 2012, Hackagong has been an experiment in changing how a region creates.

It brings together artists, engineers, coders and makers who’d never otherwise meet, to build, play and see what emerges.

Latest experiment

AI Hour by Hackagong

Build anything with AI in one hour. A theme goes up on the big screen, everyone builds on their phone or laptop, then the room votes. Play as a group or solo, kids to grown-ups.

Try AI Hour
AI Hour on a projector: the theme Fantasy Sports Team Manager over a cartoon stadium, a 38:24 countdown, and a QR code for joining on your phone

Greatest hits

Chub Suit Dance-offHackagong 2015
Hackagong plays humanHackagong 2015
Ordering a beer in 3rd personWith Oculus Rift + GoPro

  • Mash it together.

    Breakthroughs happen when different worlds collide.

  • Make it real.

    Prototypes you can hold, not slide decks.

  • Let it emerge.

    What emerges: startups, jobs and careers.

  • Play without fear.

    Bottom-up, experimental, allowed to fail.

  1. AI Hour by Hackagong

    Build anything with AI in one hour, anywhere Run one any time

  2. Hackagong DIY

    Helping regional towns set up and run their own hackathons, starting with Bega 2016–2026

  3. Hackagong 2020

    Presented by Microsoft, then postponed by COVID Mar 2020

  4. Hackagong 2017

    Planned with the Wollongong Fringe Festival, then called off Sep 2017

  5. Hackagong Bega

    Australia's bush hack Bega, May 2016

  6. Demo Day 2015

    Top 5 pitches and the 2015 winner at the Regent Theatre Oct 2015

  7. Hackagong 2015

    Australia's first VR competition Sep 2015

  8. Hackagong3D

    Pure 3D printing competition Aug 2015

  9. Hackagong 2014

    Australia's first AR competition Nov 2014

  10. HackagongX Code

    Apps for UOW students Sep 2013

  11. Demo Day 2013

    Expo at WIN Entertainment Centre Jul 2013

  12. Hackagong 2013

    Australia's first 3D printing competition Jul 2013

  13. Hackagong 2012

    Multidisciplinary from the start Wollongong, Nov 2012

All the films

2015 30 films

2014 27 films

2013 26 films

2012 4 photos

More photos on Facebook

Good questions

When did Hackagong start?
24–25 November 2012 at the University of Wollongong, with 90 competitors in 27 teams.
What happens at Hackagong?
People from different worlds build something new together. At a Hackagong hackathon, mixed teams spend 30 hours designing, coding and 3D printing alongside mentors, then pitch to judges.
What makes Hackagong different?
Hackagong is multidisciplinary, putting artists, engineers, coders and makers on the same teams. When it began in 2012, most hackathons were for coders only or built around one company’s API. Hackagong also ran Australia’s first 3D printing, AR and VR competitions.
What comes out of Hackagong?
Emergence. People from different fields go on to found or work in startups, and Canva tested its first beta here.
Is Hackagong run by the University of Wollongong or iAccelerate?
No. Nathan Waters founded Hackagong and student and community volunteers have run it. Several Hackagong events used University of Wollongong venues. iAccelerate sponsored most years from 2012, and the university sponsored some.
Is Hackagong the same as the “Hack the Gong” event?
No. Hackagong dates back to 2012, is a registered trade mark and has never been renamed. “Hack the Gong” is a separate event, created in 2026 and run by UOW’s iAccelerate. Read the facts.