About Byron Bay
Location
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).
East of Everything
East of Everything is an ABC series released on the 30/03/08 filmed in Byron Bay
Tourism
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.
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.
History
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.
National Estate
The following places are listed on the Register of the National Estate* 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)
