Byron Bay. This old wooden hotel is now the Balcony Oyster Bar.
Byron Bay. Population 9,300.
Captain James Cook sighted and named Cape Byron in May 1770 as he sailed past it. A couple of days later he named Mount Warning as the coast has dangerous rocks there for sailing ships. Cape Byron is the most easterly point of Australia. The Colonial Architect James Barnet designed the lighthouse in the 1870s but it was not proceeded with until 1899 when another architect designed a lighthouse for the cape. It was completed in 1901 at a cost of over £18,000 which would equate to millions of dollars these days. The lens with 760 pieces of prismatic glass reflected the light into the ocean from a six wick light. This was updated in 1922 and again in 1956 when the light was electrified. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1989 and the last lighthouse keeper left at that time. The white light can be seen 50 kms out to sea. In 1954 a new whaling station was built at Byron Bay to capture and process humpback whales. The whale oil was first used in the Australian margarine industry and the flesh was sold for livestock fodder. A quota of around 120 whales a year was set for the factory. The whaling station closed in 1962 and over those eight years 1,146 whales were slaughtered. Australia ceased all whaling in 1978. The old lighthouse keeper’s house built in 1899 is now a small museum. For those with time to spend you might see humpback whales on their annual migration northwards from Cape Byron, between June and November.
Although red cedar cutters went into the hinterland in the 1840s and 1850s permanent settlers as such did not begin to arrive until around 1870. The first white land purchaser arrived in 1881 and the town was not surveyed until 1883. Town land sales began in 1886 when the first postal service began, several stores and a hotel opened and the government began work on a jetty which was completed in 1888. The first official Post Office opened in 1888. The town grew and by 1890 the surrounding farmers were growing bananas, pineapples, corn and potatoes. They grazed cattle and soon had dairy herds. The railway from Casino reached its terminus here in 1894. In 1895 Norco opened a factory and cold storage facility to handle dairy and meat products. By 1925 Norco had the largest butter factory in Australia at Byron Bay. Sadly it closed in 1975 after Britain joined the European Common Market and vegetable oil based margarines entered the Australian market place in competition with butter. What you see in Byron Bay today is largely an early 20th century town. Although the railway from Casino closed decades ago the old tracks have been turned into a tourist railway. Fares are $8 for a return trip to north beach and they run hourly from 10:15 am using NSW carriages built from 1949 to 1970. A round trip with a 35 minute stop at North Beach takes just under an hour.
In the 1970s when Nimbin became popular with down-at-heal hippies Byron Bay went in a different direction and became popular with the wealthy escaping city life but still with people with an interest in the “alternate lifestyle”. Some celebrities including Paul Hogan, Elle MacPherson, Johnny Young and Olivia Newton-John have purchased properties here. Other artistic and literary people moved here too including Craig McGregor author of several novels and many social critiques of Australian society. The annual Blues and Roots Festival is the major music event of the northern rivers each year. The residents and politically green dominated Byron Shire Council has prevented Club Med from establishing here as well as McDonalds and other drive in take away food outlets. Buildings are limited to three storeys as the locals do not want any crass Gold Coast style development!
Byron Bay. This old wooden hotel is now the Balcony Oyster Bar.
Byron Bay. Population 9,300.
Captain James Cook sighted and named Cape Byron in May 1770 as he sailed past it. A couple of days later he named Mount Warning as the coast has dangerous rocks there for sailing ships. Cape Byron is the most easterly point of Australia. The Colonial Architect James Barnet designed the lighthouse in the 1870s but it was not proceeded with until 1899 when another architect designed a lighthouse for the cape. It was completed in 1901 at a cost of over £18,000 which would equate to millions of dollars these days. The lens with 760 pieces of prismatic glass reflected the light into the ocean from a six wick light. This was updated in 1922 and again in 1956 when the light was electrified. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1989 and the last lighthouse keeper left at that time. The white light can be seen 50 kms out to sea. In 1954 a new whaling station was built at Byron Bay to capture and process humpback whales. The whale oil was first used in the Australian margarine industry and the flesh was sold for livestock fodder. A quota of around 120 whales a year was set for the factory. The whaling station closed in 1962 and over those eight years 1,146 whales were slaughtered. Australia ceased all whaling in 1978. The old lighthouse keeper’s house built in 1899 is now a small museum. For those with time to spend you might see humpback whales on their annual migration northwards from Cape Byron, between June and November.
Although red cedar cutters went into the hinterland in the 1840s and 1850s permanent settlers as such did not begin to arrive until around 1870. The first white land purchaser arrived in 1881 and the town was not surveyed until 1883. Town land sales began in 1886 when the first postal service began, several stores and a hotel opened and the government began work on a jetty which was completed in 1888. The first official Post Office opened in 1888. The town grew and by 1890 the surrounding farmers were growing bananas, pineapples, corn and potatoes. They grazed cattle and soon had dairy herds. The railway from Casino reached its terminus here in 1894. In 1895 Norco opened a factory and cold storage facility to handle dairy and meat products. By 1925 Norco had the largest butter factory in Australia at Byron Bay. Sadly it closed in 1975 after Britain joined the European Common Market and vegetable oil based margarines entered the Australian market place in competition with butter. What you see in Byron Bay today is largely an early 20th century town. Although the railway from Casino closed decades ago the old tracks have been turned into a tourist railway. Fares are $8 for a return trip to north beach and they run hourly from 10:15 am using NSW carriages built from 1949 to 1970. A round trip with a 35 minute stop at North Beach takes just under an hour.
In the 1970s when Nimbin became popular with down-at-heal hippies Byron Bay went in a different direction and became popular with the wealthy escaping city life but still with people with an interest in the “alternate lifestyle”. Some celebrities including Paul Hogan, Elle MacPherson, Johnny Young and Olivia Newton-John have purchased properties here. Other artistic and literary people moved here too including Craig McGregor author of several novels and many social critiques of Australian society. The annual Blues and Roots Festival is the major music event of the northern rivers each year. The residents and politically green dominated Byron Shire Council has prevented Club Med from establishing here as well as McDonalds and other drive in take away food outlets. Buildings are limited to three storeys as the locals do not want any crass Gold Coast style development!