European Settlement in Byron Bay

>> Byron Bay's History of European Colonisation

From Cavvanbah to Byron Bay

Captain Cook first sailed past Byron Bay in May 1770 and named the cape in honour of Admiral Byron. The bay was later mapped by William Johns, the master of the HMAS Rainbow, to assist in the safe anchorage of his fleet.

Cedar loggers soon discovered the wealth of the forests, and cutters occasionally camped at the bay. A halfway house was established at Palm Valley, providing shelter for those travelling the beaches from Brunswick to Ballina.

In 1884 the village of Cavvanbah was surveyed and 200 lots were sold in the first speculative land sale in the following year. Following the land sales and the building of the jetty in 1886, the railway was opened in 1894 and the village was renamed Byron Bay.

Demand for timber slowed, and soon dairy men began to settle on the cleared land. Technological advances allowing milk to be safely and hygenically separated in a centrifuge allowed the dairy industry to surge ahead. A co-operative was formed in 1895, providing cold storage to enable the manufacture and export of dairy products, and to produce and sell ice.

The industry was initially hampered by the influence of the poor native grasses on milk production, before it was discovered that paspalum grass could be used to improve butter production. The Norco factory at Byron Bay, and the members of the co-operative, benefited as butter production trebled in the five years from 1899.

With the growth of the pig industry, smallgoods were added to the co-op's operation and the quality of the canned processed meats became famous. Supply increased and by 1939, the processing plant employed 350 people and around 4,000 dairy farmers supplied the co-op.

The port facilities had enabled products to be shipped around the world and in 1913 a meatworks was built on the shore near Belongil. Many problems were encountered and the plant was closed in 1920, only to be reopened 10 years later by Mr A. W. Anderson, a businessman who owned a chain of butcher shops.

The late 1930s saw the advent of sand mining to extract minerals from the rich deposits in the beaches. The mining company, Zircon Rutile Ltd, later returned in the 1960s to re-work the sand with more refined techniques.

Mr Anderson expanded his business in 1954 to include a whaling station. The quota was for 120 humpback whales, increasing to 150 in 1959. Ironically, the industry self-destructed, with overenthusiastic whalers causing a massive decline in numbers until the whaling station closed in 1962.

Smaller farms began popping up in the area, specialising in horticulture perfectly suited to the mild subtropical climate. The farmers created a niche market for themselves, specialising in more exotic fare such as macadamia nuts, bananas, mangoes, lychees, blueberries, citrus fruits, passionfruit and fresh herbs.

Byron Bay is traditionally a working man's town, and only recently became a holiday destination following social and economic changes that have allowed consumers the means and time to travel. Many foreign travellers came for the surf or the environment, appreciated the laidback vibe of the locals, and stayed, starting eco-tourism businesses and establishing outlets for the creative arts.