Byron Bay, New South Wales

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Byron Bay
New South Wales

Cape Byron Lighthouse
Population: 5,609[1]
Postcode: 2481
Elevation: 1 m (3 ft)
Mayor: Jan Barham
Location:
LGA: Byron Shire Council
State District: Ballina
Federal Division: Richmond
Mean Max Temp Mean Min Temp Rainfall
23.7 °C
75 °F		 16.5 °C
62 °F		 1,707.6 mm
67.2 in
Tallow Beach looking south from the lighthouse
Tallow Beach looking south from the lighthouse

Byron Bay is a town in the state of New South Wales on the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. The town is the nucleus of Byron Shire, which has in excess of 30,000 people (ABS est. 2003). Captain James Cook named Cape Byron after circumnavigator John Byron, grandfather of English poet Lord Byron.

Contents

[edit] Location

Byron Bay with sugar cane burning in the distance
Byron Bay with sugar cane burning in the distance

Byron Bay is located 759 km north of Sydney and 140 km south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the most easterly point of Australia. The Cape Byron lighthouse was opened in 1901, and has the most powerful beacon in Australia (2,200,000 cd, visible to a range of 27 nautical miles or 50 kilometres).[2]

[edit] East of Everything

East of Everything is an ABC series released on the 30/03/08 filmed in Byron Bay

[edit] Tourism

Byron Bay. The main beach in 2006
Byron Bay. The main beach in 2006
Overlooking Watego's with julian rocks in the background
Overlooking Watego's with julian rocks in the background

The town has several beaches which are popular for surfing. It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast, and the scenery attracts sky divers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.

An oceanway connects from the Byron Bay hotel in the centre of town out to the Cape Byron lighthouse and visitors are encouraged to choose sustainable options for moving around town like walking and cycling.

Byron Bay is the place where the temperate and tropical waters merge, making it a popular area for scuba diving and snorkelling. Most diving happens at Julian Rocks, which is now part of the recently established Cape Byron Marine Park and only a few minutes boat ride from Main Beach.

The town is popular with visitors and residents from all socio-economic backgrounds and walks of life. It is famous for its laid back and alternative lifestyle, but also has a higher proportion of Baby Boomers (27%) than any other town in Australia.[citation needed]

[edit] Origin

Byron Bay is part of the erosion caldera of an ancient shield volcano, the Tweed Volcano, which erupted 23 million years ago. The volcano formed as a result of the Indo-Australian Plate moving over the East Australia hotspot.

[edit] History

the Byron Bay Lighhouse, providing a nice shade.
the Byron Bay Lighhouse, providing a nice shade.

Before it became a renowned surfing and tourist spot, Byron Bay had a history of primary industrial production (dairy factory, abattoirs, whaling until 1963, fishing) and was a significant, but hazardous, sea port. The town was established in the 1870s and was originally known as Cavanbah. The lighthouse was built in 1901 and at that time was relatively inaccessible from the town. The beginning of Bryon Bay's modern shape occurred in the late 1950s and early 1960s when surfers from Sydney 'discovered' the warm blue waters and good quality surf. In following years, the attractions of the area became more and more widely known, with an attendant increase in tourism. Progressively the notoriously smelly whaling station and abattoirs closed down, as did the Norco dairy factory, which was once the largest such facility in Australia.

[edit] National Estate

The following places are listed on the Register of the National Estate[3]

  • Cape Byron Lighthouse
  • Broken Head Nature Reserve (south of Byron Bay)
  • Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve (north of Byron Bay)
  • Julian Rocks Nature Reserve
  • Two Sisters Rocks (south of Byron Bay)

[edit] Events

Events held at Byron Bay include yoga retreats, pagan gatherings, music festivals such as the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival at Easter and Splendour in the Grass, the Byron Bay Writers Festival [1], the Byron Bay Film Festival [2] and the Byron Underwater Festival [3].

[edit] Newspapers

  • The Byron Shire Echo (Independent weekly A3)
  • The Byron Shire News (APN weekly A3)
  • The Northern Star (APN daily)
  • The Saturday Star (Independent A5 monthly)

[edit] Radio stations

[edit] Gallery

Sunrise at Byron Bay
Sunrise at Byron Bay

.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Byron Bay (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-09-05.
  2. ^ Robinson's Road Atlas of Australia, Edition 8, Lansdowne Press, 1983, Map 205
  3. ^ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/214

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Surfing areas of Australia

Coordinates: 28°38′35.04″S 153°36′54.47″E / -28.6430667, 153.6151306