Byron Bay: Difference between revisions
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*[[ABC Northern Rivers]] 94.5 FM |
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*[[Bay FM (Byron Bay)|Bay FM]] 99.9 FM (community) |
*[[Bay FM (Byron Bay)|Bay FM]] 99.9 FM (community) |
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== Industry == |
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Byron Bay is the headquarters and primary manufacturing location for [[Wicked Weasel]], a globally recognized manufacturer of [[Micro_Bikini#Microkini|micro swimwear]]<ref>[http://www.wickedweasel.com Wicked Weasel Pty Ltd]</ref> |
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==Filming location== |
==Filming location== |
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Revision as of 10:00, 27 February 2010
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2009) |
| Byron Bay New South Wales | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Byron Lighthouse | |||||||||
  Byron Bay | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 28°38′35.04″S 153°36′54.47″E / 28.6430667°S 153.6151306°E | ||||||||
| Population | 5,609[1] | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2481 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) | ||||||||
| Location |
| ||||||||
| LGA(s) | Byron Shire Council | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Ballina | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Richmond | ||||||||
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Byron Bay is a beachside town in the north of the state of New South Wales in Australia. It is located 759 kilometres north of Sydney and 140 kilometres south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. The town has a population of about 5,600 people and is the nucleus of Byron Shire, which has in excess of 30,000 residents (ABS estimate 2003).[citation needed] Captain James Cook named Cape Byron after circumnavigator of the world John Byron, grandfather of the poet, Lord Byron.[2]
History
For thousands of years Aboriginal people came to the Bay to swap stories, find marriage partners and trade goods. They called it Cavvanbah.[citation needed]
European history began in 1770, when Captain James Cook found a safe anchorage and named Cape Byron after John Byron, who had circumnavigated the world and who was later the grandfather of English poet Lord Byron. In the 1880s, when Europeans settled more permanently, streets were named for other English writers and philosophers.[citation needed]
The first industry in Byron was cedar-getting, the "red center" from the Australian red cedar, Toona australis. The timber industry is the origin of the word "shoot" in many local names – Possum Shoot, Coopers Shoot and Skinners Shoot – where the timber-cutters would "shoot" the logs down the hills to be dragged to waiting ships.[citation needed]
Byron Bay has a history of primary industrial production (dairy factory,[3] abattoirs, whaling until 1963, fishing) and was a significant, but hazardous, sea port.
The first jetty was built in 1886, and the railway was connected in 1894, and Cavvanbah became Byron Bay in 1894.[4] Dairy farmers cleared more land and settled the area. In 1895, the Norco Co-operative was formed to provide cold storage and manage the dairy industry.[4][5] The introduction of paspalum improved production, and Byron Bay exported butter to the world. The Norco factory was the biggest in the southern hemisphere,[citation needed] expanding from dairy to bacon and other processed meat.
The lighthouse was built in 1901 at the most easternly point on the Australian mainland.[4] In 1930, the first meatworks opened.[4]
Despite this success, Byron Bay struggled to become a viable community, and was always a poor working town. The smell from the meat and dairy works was, by all accounts, appalling,[citation needed] and the annual slaughter of whales in the 1950s and 1960s made matters worse. Sand mining between the World Wars damaged the environment further, and one by one all these industries declined.[citation needed]
After all the factories and industries closed, surfers discovered the wonderful natural breaks at The Pass, Wategos and Cosy Corner and the longboarders arrived in the 1960s. This was the beginning of Byron Bay as a tourist destination, and by 1973, when the Aquarius Festival was held in Nimbin, its reputation as a hippy, happy, alternative town was established.[citation needed]
Geography
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.[citation needed]
Education
Byron Bay is home to several schools and educational institutions. Schools include Byron Bay Public School, Byron Bay High School, St Finbarr's Primary School, Byron Bay Community School and Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School. Among these are a number of early childhood facilities including Byron Bay Preschool and Periwinkle Preschool. In the fields of adult education there are Global Village English Centres [3] and Byron Bay English Language School (both organisations providing English language tuition to international students), the Byron Region Community College, which is a registered training organisation and the SAE Institute Byron Bay which is a government-accredited, degree granting institution in the fields of audio engineering, digital film making, multimedia and animation.
Tourism
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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.[citation needed]
An oceanway runs from the centre of town to the Cape Byron lighthouse. Visitors are encouraged to use sustainable options for moving around town like walking and cycling.[citation needed]
Temperate and tropical waters merge at Byron Bay, making it a popular area for scuba diving and snorkelling. Most diving is done at Julian Rocks which is part of the recently established Cape Byron Marine Park and only a few minutes boat ride from Main Beach.[citation needed]
National Estate
The following places are listed on the Register of the National Estate:[6]
- 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)
- Mateship and Honour
Events
Events held at Byron Bay include yoga retreats, pagan gatherings, [citation needed] music festivals such as the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival at Easter and Splendour in the Grass, the Byron Bay Writers' Festival,[7] the Byron Bay Film Festival and the Byron Underwater Festival.[8] The area is famed for its hardcore punk scene, producing the internationally famed bands Parkway Drive and 50 Lions. Byron Bay also has a number of regular markets including a weekly farmers' market[9] at the Butler Street Reserve every Thursday with over 70 local farmers selling fresh produce. There is also a craft market held on the same site on the first Sunday of each month and an artisan market[10] held on Saturday evenings at Railway Park.
Media
The Byron Bay area has a number of 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)
- The Bagg (Independent weekly A3 gig guide)
Radio stations in Byron area:
- 2LM 900 AM (commercial)
- Triple Z FM 100.9 (commercial)
- Triple J 96.1 FM
- ABC Radio National 96.9 FM
- ABC Classic FM 95.3 FM
- ABC Northern Rivers 94.5 FM
- Bay FM 99.9 FM (community)
Industry
Byron Bay is the headquarters and primary manufacturing location for Wicked Weasel, a globally recognized manufacturer of micro swimwear[11]
Filming location
East of Everything is an ABC series filmed in Byron Bay and released on 30 March 2008.
Notable residents
- Space Cowboy (real name Chayne Hultgren) is a world record-breaking "sword swallower" and street performer who hails from Byron Bay. He often mentions this fact during his shows.
See also
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Byron Bay (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-09-05.
- ^ "Byron Bay". Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
- ^ Creamery Tramway at Byron Bay Longworth, Jim Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October, 1996 pp295-298
- ^ a b c d http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Beauty-and-the-beast/2005/03/20/1111253864398.html
- ^ http://www.norco.com.au/publish/history/index.php
- ^ The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981, p.2/214
- ^ Byron Bay Writers Festival
- ^ Byron Underwater Festival
- ^ Byron Bay Farmers' Market [1]
- ^ Byron Artisan Market [2]
- ^ Wicked Weasel Pty Ltd
External links
- Byron Bay Visitor Centre - Byron Bay Accommodation & Tours
- Byron Shire News
- "Byron Bay (Cape Byron Lighthouse)". Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
- Byron Bay battles to please everyone