Bangalow
Bangalow is a small town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire. The town is 765 kilometres (475 mi) north of Sydney[2] and 167 kilometres (104 mi) south of Brisbane,[3] just off the Pacific Highway. It is on the Lands of the Bundjalung people.[4][5]
The town's name was derived from a Bundjalung word, "Bangalla", said to mean 'a low hill' or 'a kind of palm tree'.[6][7]
History
Bangalow's historic streetscape, monthly market and proximity to the popular tourist resort of Byron Bay has increased its appeal as a tourist destination. Timber cutters established a camp on the banks of Byron Creek in the 1840s but it was not until the 1880s that a town appeared on the site. The town was known as Bangaloe until 1907, when the modern spelling came into use.[8]
In recent years Bangalow has become a pleasant stop for holiday-makers and day-trippers as its main street is lined with cafes and boutique-shops. Organic produce grown nearby is a regular feature in the cafes and at the monthly farmers market. The village is home to a number of heritage buildings with many of these built in the style Federation architecture.[9] Information about many of these heritage buildings are available via a self-guided tour called the Bangalow Heritage Walk.[10][11]
Some of these heritage buildings are:
- Bangalow A & I Hall; The hall was built in 1911 to be used for the annual Agriculture and Industrial show but it has been used since for many events; including as a cinema, a hospital during the 1919 Spanish flu, and, in wartime, to farewell and welcome home soldiers. It fell into disuse in the late 20th century and was close to being demolished; between 1991 and 1994 major restoration works were completed and it was re-opened on 11 June 1994.[12]
- Bangalow Public School; This school was first built in 1884 and was originally known as the Byron Creek Provisional School and renamed in 1907.[13] In 1925, a 4 classroom brick building block was built which is now heritage listed.[14][8][15]
- Bangalow Uniting Church; This church was first built in 1909 - 1910 but was destroyed and rebuilt in 1914 after a tornado blew down the original (Methodist) church. The church congregation is still active.[8][16]
Bangalow is also home to the Bangalow Heritage House Museum which gives information about the town and regions history; this museum is run by the Bangalow Historical Society[17][18] It is located in an Queenslander-style wooden building on the corner of Ashton and Deacon Streets.[19]
Markets and events
Bangalow is home to the weekly Bangalow Farmers' Market which are held Saturday mornings, from 8am - 11am. These markets feature a variety of local farmers and producers and have been running since 2004.[20] Each month (on the 4th Sunday) the Bangalow Markets are held, at the showgrounds and these markets have been operating since 1982.[21]
Additionally number of events are held in Bangalow each year and these include the following annual events:
- Bangalow Billy Cart Derby: held in May and hosted by the Bangalow Lions Club.[22] This event began in 1994 and homemade carts are raced down the main street and races are held for various age groups.[23][9]
- Bangalow Show: this is held in November over two days and it showcases local rural life and the activities and produce of the area; it was first established in 1897.[24][25]
- Sample Food Festival: held in September at the showgrounds this festival lets visitors sample plates from restaurants, breweries and distilleries from around the Northern Rivers Region.[26]
Population
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1966 | 479 | — |
1971 | 534 | +11.5% |
1976 | 568 | +6.4% |
1981 | 614 | +8.1% |
1986 | 677 | +10.3% |
1991 | 819 | +21.0% |
1996 | 896 | +9.4% |
2001 | 1,225 | +36.7% |
2006 | 1,327 | +8.3% |
2011 | 1,520 | +14.5% |
2016 | 1,689 | +11.1% |
2021 | 2,260 | +33.8% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[27][28] |
At the 2021 census, Bangalow had a population of 2,260 people. 73.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 7.1%, New Zealand 3.0% and United States of America 1.2%. 84.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 61.38%, Catholic 11.8%, Not stated 9.6% and Anglican 7.1%.[1]
Gallery
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Private residence, Bangalow
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Corner store
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Bangalow Hotel
References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (22 January 2024). [1]. 2021 Census QuickStats. 22 January 2024.
- ^ Sydney-Bangalow Google Maps
- ^ Brisbane-Bangalow Google Maps
- ^ "Arakwal People of Byron Bay". Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Aboriginal Cultural Heritage". www.byron.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
- ^ "Exploring the Charm and History of Bangalow, NSW, Australia". Bangalow Locals. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "History". Bangalow A & I Hall. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b Bay, Byron (10 November 2021). "Bangalow". The Official ByronBay.com Guide. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Heritage Walk" (PDF). Brunswick Heads. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ McEwan, Samantha (8 May 2023). "Things to do in Bangalow". Victoria's. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "History". Bangalow A & I Hall. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ Bangalow Public School (1 January 2021). "Welcome to Bangalow Public School: 2021 school information booklet" (PDF). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Public School centenary, 1884-1984 - Catalogue | National Library of Australia". nla.gov.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Byron local environmental plan 2014 - schedule 5". classic.austlii.edu.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Church History - Bangalow Uniting Church". bangalow.uca.org.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ NSW, Museums & Galleries (14 April 2015). "Bangalow Heritage House Museum - MGNSW". Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Heritage House". www.byron.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Historical Society". Bangalow Historical Society. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Shakeel, Muhammad. "Bangalow Farmers Market". The Official ByronBay.com Guide. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Market, Craft, Fashion, Food, Entertainment". Bangalow Markets. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Billycart Derby". bangalowbillycart.com.au. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Billy Cart Derby". Byron4Kids. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Show". Bangalow Show. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Bangalow Show". Bangalow Showground. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Sample Food Festival Bangalow". Sample Food Events. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Search Census data". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
External links
- Byron Shire Council homepage
- Bangalow Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Archived 12 February 2002 at the Wayback Machine
- Bangalow information site
- Town information from the Sydney Morning Herald
- VISITNSW.com - Bangalow