Brunswick Heads
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 Brunswick Heads Beach |
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Brunswick Heads is a village in the Byron Shire in the extreme northeast of the Australian state of New South Wales . The place has about 1550 inhabitants (2016).
Infrastructure
Brunswick Heads is located directly on the Pacific Highway about 150 km south of Brisbane and about 800 km north of Sydney . The place is at the confluence of the Brunswick River in the Tasman Sea . About 1 km away, on the north bank of the Brunswick River, is the village of Ocean Shores . It is approximately 3 miles to Mullumbimby , the administrative center of Byron Shire in the hinterland of the coast .
The larger Byron Bay is about 20 km southeast of Brunswick Heads on Cape Byron .
history
Originally the region around Brunswick Heads was inhabited by the Bundjalung Aborigines . For the Bundjalung, today's Brunswick Heads was a special place where ceremonial gatherings were held and trade with other tribes was carried out.
In 1828 the Brunswick River was first mapped by Henry John Rous . Rous named the Brunswick River after Caroline von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel , the wife of the English king.
More than 20 years later, in 1849, the three woodcutters Steven King and John and Edward Boyd were the first Europeans to set up the first permanent establishment in the place of today's Brunswick Head . This was also the first settlement of European settlers within what is now Byron Shire.
The felled wood was rafted down the Brunswick River and loaded onto ships at the mouth of the river with the help of oxen: the cedar wood from the Brunswick Heads area was awarded the highest quality.
During the 1850s and 1860s, the three lumberjacks became the village of Brunswick Heads. By the 1870s, more than 100 loggers were working in the woods around Brunswick Heads.
At that time , a pilot station was built on a local hill, Harry's Hill . Harry's Hill was named after a certain Harry Houghton, who at that time operated a ferry to cross the estuary .
By the 1880s, Brunswick Heads had developed into a busy port and a small but solid commercial center . In 1884 the lumberjack Bob Marshall opened the first hotel in town. The main arm of the Brunswick River, the Marshalls Creek , was named after Marshall .
The ship boomed due to the readily available in the region of tropical wood.
For a long time, however, the place could only be reached by ship, with some ships that were supposed to land supplies being shipwrecked in the shallows in the mouth of the Brunswick River . This was the fate of the SS Brunswick in 1883, the Agnes in 1889 and, in 1892, the Endeavor . In the latter case, the Aborigines native to the region helped to rescue the castaways.
After the completion of the railway line from Sydney to Brisbane in 1894, the place first experienced an economic decline , as it did not run through Brunswick Heads, as hoped, but through Mullumbimby, located in the hinterland of the coast. In addition, wood in the immediate vicinity had become scarce due to clear cutting .
From then on, the village developed more slowly than before. However, over the years Brunswick Heads has become increasingly popular with its hinterland residents as a destination for family trips to the coast. Brunswick Heads has also been known nationwide as a popular travel destination since the 1920s at the latest, as evidenced by the numerous holiday homes that have survived in the town since that time.
In 1934 the first bridge over the Brunswick River was built in the village . Until then, the river could only be crossed by ferry. A pedestrian bridge over Simpson Creek followed in 1937 . In 2007 a new motorway bridge was opened over the river near the village .
In 1959 a flood-safe boat harbor was built. The destruction of the jetty in nearby Byron Bay in 1954 had a major impact on this decision.
In 1974, cyclone Pam caused great damage at Brunswick Heads, as the storm caused severe flooding. In 1998 the Pacific Highway was relocated from the town center by a bypass .
economy
The Tourism plays a very important role in Brunswick Heads. Accordingly, this sector is now very well developed in the village and numerous companies and entrepreneurs in this sector are located there.
In 2009, there were 134 tourism companies registered in Brunswick Heads. However, the majority of these companies are small and only about half have more than 4 employees.
In addition to tourism, local fishing , which has an industrial character, is of great economic importance for the town.
Brunswick Heads also has a wide variety of retail stores. In 2011, 22 catering establishments (cafes, restaurants, fast food outlets, bistros and fast food outlets) were also represented in the town. This includes "Fins Seafood Restaurant" which is considered one of the best restaurants in Australia .
Arts and Culture
The "Mina Mina Art Gallery" offers a wide range of Aboriginal art. Ornate ceramics and pottery can be found in the Wheel of Life Pottery Studio .
Despite the small population, Brunswick Heads has a lively club life with more than 40 local clubs.
Numerous events take place in Brunswick Heads throughout the year: The Woodchop Carnival is held every January. Every year in May there is the "Mullums to Bruns Paddle" on a Sunday and in June the "The Old and Gold Festival" and the "Byron to Bruns Beach Run" take place.
There is also a photography competition every year from July to September and a family triathlon every September.
Every other year the "Kites n 'Bikes Festival" takes place on the last Sunday in March.
Alternative medicine is strongly represented in Brunswick Heads with several practices. In terms of wellness , you can do yoga , pilates , aerobics and tai chi in Brunswick Heads . There is also a gym in town .
Attractions
Because of its coastal location, Brunswick Heads is particularly popular for swimming , surfing and fishing . Most tourists visit the place for one or more of these reasons. Furthermore, whales and dolphins can be observed regularly from the beach .
At late hours, however, there are next to no entertainment options in Brunswick Heads. Byron Bay, which is particularly popular for this purpose, is only 20 km away. Regarding this, it should be mentioned that, unlike Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads has been spared backpacker tourism to this day and wants to continue to do so.
The Billinudgel Nature Reserve is about 5 km north of the village . In the hinterland of the village there are two national parks, Mount Jerusalem National Park and Nightcap National Park , each around 10 km away.
Web links
- Brunswickheads.org.au (English)
- Brisbanetimes.com.au (English)
- Theage.com.au (English)
- Tropicalnsw.com.au (English)
- Byron-bay.com (English)
- Information on Brunswickheads.com.au (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics : Brunswick Heads ( English ) In: 2016 Census QuickStats . June 27, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2020.