Ballina, New South Wales

Coordinates: 28°51′49″S 153°31′58″E / 28.86361°S 153.53278°E / -28.86361; 153.53278
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ballina
Federal division(s)
Richmond
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
24.4 °C
76 °F
14.3 °C
58 °F
1,817.9 mm
71.6 in

Ballina (/bælɪnə/)[3] is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire local government area. It lies 740 km (460 mi) north of Sydney and 185 km (115 mi) south of Brisbane. Ballina's urban population at the end of 2021 was 46,190.[4] The town lies on the Richmond River and serves as a gateway to Byron Bay.

History

Ballina is located on the ancestral land of the

placename Ballina (Béal an Átha, "mouth of the ford"), which is found in several parts of Ireland.[7]

Ballina was established in the 1840s on the northern shore of the Richmond River, 20 kilometres south of Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point. HMS Rainbow, commanded by Capt. Henry Rous, first sailed into the Richmond River in 1828, followed by overland settlers from the Clarence River. In 1842, more settlers arrived on a ship called Sally, forming a settlement at what is now East Ballina on Shaws Bay.[7] A lighthouse, Richmond River Light, was first constructed in Ballina in 1866, which served as a significant port in the region. The temporary lighthouse was replaced with the current one, designed by James Barnet, in 1879, and first lit in 1880. It is still active.[8] A branch railway line connected Ballina with the Murwillumbah railway line railway at Booyong. The line was opened on 24 August 1930 and closed on 12 January 1949.[9]

Landfalls

Ballina has a number of famous "landfalls" associated with it. In 1928, Charles Kingsford Smith's plane, the Southern Cross, crossed the coast over Ballina after its epic journey across the Pacific Ocean.[10] Ballina had a festival associated with the event during the 1970s and 1980s, and a school in East Ballina bears the name "Southern Cross".

In 1973, the

Kon-Tiki
expeditions of 1947 and proved that people could have travelled across the Pacific in ancient times.

Heritage listings

Ballina has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Location

It is approximately 700 km (435 mi) north of Sydney and 160 km (99 mi) south of Brisbane. Ballina is a coastal town and is connected to the Pacific Highway which now bypasses it.

The Richmond River was an important transport route for the region for the first 100 years after settlement. The river and its estuaries abound with marine wildlife and provide for recreational fishing and water sports.

Demographics

The population of Ballina township was 18,532 at the 2021 Census [14] (representing 40 percent of the Ballina Shire population of 46,296). [15] The urban area had a population of 46,190, which includes Lennox Head and other suburban areas.[1][16]

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.3% of the population; compared with the national and state average of 2.9%.[17]

The most common ancestries in the area were English 31.2%, Australian 28.3%, Irish 10.9%, Scottish 8.7% and German 3.2%. 81.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 3.4%, New Zealand 1.7%, Scotland 0.5% and South Africa 0.4%. 13.3% of people had both parents born overseas. 88.7% of people only spoke English at home.[17]

The most common responses for religion in the area were No Religion 30.2%, Catholic 23.0% and Anglican 19.6%.[17]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19212,768—    
19333,042+9.9%
19473,202+5.3%
19543,558+11.1%
19614,129+16.0%
19664,933+19.5%
19716,141+24.5%
19767,323+19.2%
19819,738+33.0%
198612,398+27.3%
199114,554+17.4%
199616,056+10.3%
200116,517+2.9%
200616,477−0.2%
201116,843+2.2%
201619,495+15.7%
202120,543+5.4%
Source:
Cumbalum
.

Economy

The median household income was estimated to be A$1,093 per week; with the median mortgage repayments estimated at A$1,733 per month; and median rent estimated at A$345 per week. The average number of motor vehicles was 1.6 per dwelling.[17]

Ballina serves as a tourism gateway to the close by destinations of

Byron Bay. The town has access to several beaches, such as Shelley's Beach, and to historical sites such as the Ballina Manor and the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum
, however its most famous landmark is undoubtedly the 'Big Prawn'.

The Big Prawn

The Big Prawn, prior the destruction of the building supporting it.

Ballina is home to the world's largest prawn model (made of concrete and fibreglass).

Bunnings Warehouse purchased the site and refurbished the Prawn as part of the redevelopment. The Prawn now sits on a stand next to the entrance of the Bunnings Warehouse car park.[23][24] The Ballina Prawn festival ran from 2013-2017,[25] featuring performances from Kav Temperley[26] of Eskimo Joe, Simon Doe and Painted Dice, indie-rock band Hot Compost, and the late Howie Hughes singing his 'Prawn Song, For The Ballina Prawn Festival'.[27] In March 2018, Google Maps' facial recognition software blurred out the facial area of the Prawn, first noticed on Reddit Australia,[28] and later reported in The Sydney Morning Herald.[29]

Climate

The town of Ballina experiences a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), typical of the central part of Australia's eastern coast. Summers are sultry, humid and rainy, with approximately 40% of the town's total annual precipitation occurring from December to March, with March being the wettest month of the year, receiving an average of 215.6 mm (8.488 in) of precipitation. Ballina's annual precipitation total observes a considerably higher concentration in the first half of the year (January–June) than the second half of the year (July–December). Ballina's wetness is due to the town's coastal location and proximity to Cape Byron, the easternmost point in Australia, which means that exposure to moisture-laden frontal systems that develop throughout the year in the Tasman Sea follows accordingly. Ballina experiences a copious 1,781.4 mm (70.1 in) of precipitation annually, which is one of the highest annual precipitation levels to be found along the eastern coast of Australia south of the tropical coast of northern Queensland. The all-time highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in the town are 42.0 °C (107.6 °F) and −2.0 °C (28.4 °F) on 12 January 2002 and 17 June 1999 respectively.

Climate data for Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, New South Wales, Australia (1992–present normals and extremes); 1 m AMSL
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 42.0
(107.6)
41.0
(105.8)
36.3
(97.3)
32.6
(90.7)
30.0
(86.0)
28.0
(82.4)
28.7
(83.7)
36.7
(98.1)
38.2
(100.8)
37.0
(98.6)
38.1
(100.6)
40.0
(104.0)
42.0
(107.6)
Mean maximum °C (°F) 31.1
(88.0)
30.7
(87.3)
29.4
(84.9)
27.4
(81.3)
25.0
(77.0)
23.0
(73.4)
23.0
(73.4)
25.0
(77.0)
27.0
(80.6)
29.0
(84.2)
30.0
(86.0)
31.0
(87.8)
31.1
(88.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 28.4
(83.1)
28.1
(82.6)
27.1
(80.8)
25.0
(77.0)
22.6
(72.7)
20.3
(68.5)
20.1
(68.2)
21.4
(70.5)
23.6
(74.5)
24.9
(76.8)
26.3
(79.3)
27.6
(81.7)
24.6
(76.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) 24.1
(75.4)
23.9
(75.0)
22.8
(73.0)
20.2
(68.4)
17.4
(63.3)
15.2
(59.4)
14.4
(57.9)
15.1
(59.2)
17.6
(63.7)
19.5
(67.1)
21.5
(70.7)
23.0
(73.4)
19.6
(67.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 19.8
(67.6)
19.7
(67.5)
18.5
(65.3)
15.4
(59.7)
12.1
(53.8)
10.0
(50.0)
8.7
(47.7)
8.8
(47.8)
11.5
(52.7)
14.1
(57.4)
16.6
(61.9)
18.4
(65.1)
14.5
(58.0)
Mean minimum °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4)
16.5
(61.7)
15.0
(59.0)
12.0
(53.6)
7.8
(46.0)
5.1
(41.2)
4.0
(39.2)
4.5
(40.1)
7.0
(44.6)
9.9
(49.8)
13.0
(55.4)
14.5
(58.1)
4.0
(39.2)
Record low °C (°F) 12.2
(54.0)
13.2
(55.8)
11.0
(51.8)
5.9
(42.6)
2.0
(35.6)
−2.0
(28.4)
0.0
(32.0)
1.0
(33.8)
0.4
(32.7)
4.2
(39.6)
7.0
(44.6)
9.3
(48.7)
−2.0
(28.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 169.8
(6.69)
224.0
(8.82)
231.9
(9.13)
183.2
(7.21)
154.4
(6.08)
201.5
(7.93)
107.8
(4.24)
77.7
(3.06)
63.9
(2.52)
100.6
(3.96)
118.2
(4.65)
148.4
(5.84)
1,781.4
(70.13)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.4 12.6 14.6 11.9 11.6 10.6 8.4 6.7 6.0 8.7 9.2 9.7 120.4
Average
relative humidity
(%)
70.5 73.0 73.5 70.0 69.5 68.5 65.5 60.5 61.0 64.0 68.5 67.0 67.6
Average dew point °C (°F) 19.6
(67.3)
19.8
(67.6)
18.6
(65.5)
16.2
(61.2)
13.4
(56.1)
10.9
(51.6)
9.8
(49.6)
9.8
(49.6)
12.3
(54.1)
14.6
(58.3)
16.7
(62.1)
18.1
(64.6)
15.0
(59.0)
Source:
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (temperature, precipitation, humidity- 1992-present normals and extremes)[30]

Media

The Northern Rivers Echo is a free weekly community newspaper with 27,000 copies distributed to Lismore, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Ballina, Casino, Nimbin and Evans Head. The Northern Star is a tabloid newspaper based in Lismore. It covers the region from Casino to Ballina and up to Murwillimbah and Byron Bay, covering a population of several hundred thousand.

Ballina receives TV channels from SBS and ABC and the regional affiliates of Seven, Nine and WIN Television’s 10 Northern NSW.

The commercial radio stations in the area are

ABC Classic FM 95.3 and ABC North Coast
94.5 FM.

Facilities

There are four high schools in the town (Emmanuel Anglican College, Richmond Christian College, Ballina Coast High School and Xavier Catholic College), five primary schools (Ballina Public School, Emmanuel Anglican College, Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Richmond Christian College, St. Francis Xavier Primary School and Southern Cross School), a hospital and aged care facilities.

Transport

Ballina bypass

The Ballina bypass project upgraded 12.4 km of dual carriageway road, extending from south of Ballina at the intersection of the

Tintenbar. Twelve kilometres of local roads were also upgraded.[32]

Early works started in April 2008 and substantial works on 16 June 2008. The Cumbalum to Ross Lane section opened in 2011[33] (the bypass was extended an extra 0.5 km to allow for a better connection to the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Project) with full completion in mid-2012. The project had its final traffic switch opened to the public in April 2012, allowing for separation of the Pacific Highway and the Bruxner Highway traffic.

Airport

Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney with FlyPelican, Jetstar, Rex Airlines and Virgin Australia operating services. The airport is a 30-minute road trip to Byron Bay
and 40 minutes to Lismore. In 2005 Ballina Airport was renamed the Ballina Byron Gateway airport in a bid to attract more people to the area.

Sports and recreation

The Ballina Seagulls is the local rugby league club that competes in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League competition.

The Ballina Seahorses is the rugby union club that competes in the Far North Coast Rugby zone.

The

Queensland Football Association Division 2 South

There is also a cricket competition with clubs such as the Ballina Bears and Tintenbar-East Ballina competing at both the district and regional (LJ Hooker League) level.

Notable people

Twin cities

Ballina is twinned with:[35]

Gallery

  • Boats on the Richmond River at Ballina
    Boats on the Richmond River at Ballina
  • Ballina beaches
    Ballina beaches
  • The Las Balsa raft at the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum
    The Las Balsa raft at the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum
  • Riversleigh, Ballina
    Riversleigh, Ballina
  • Wigmore Arcade
    Wigmore Arcade
  • Missingham Bridge crossing North Creek from Ballina to East Ballina.
    Missingham Bridge crossing North Creek from Ballina to East Ballina.
  • Richmond River Prawn Trawler
    Richmond River Prawn Trawler

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Census 2021". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023. Ballina Significant Urban Area Population.
  2. ^ "Ballina Airport AWS". Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  3. .
  4. ^ "2021 Ballina, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  5. ^ Council, Ballina Shire (24 August 2007). "Aboriginal culture and heritage". Ballina Shire Council. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Arakwal (NSW)". www.samuseum.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Ballina | New South Wales, Australia". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  8. ^ "The Richmond River Lighthouse". Lighthouses of New South Wales. Lighthouses of Australia Inc.
  9. ^ Hagarty, D. The Booyong-Ballina Branch Line. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, June 1953, pp. 65–68
  10. ^ Kingsford-Smith, Charles; C. T. P. Ulm (1928). Story of "Southern Cross" Trans-Pacific Flight, 1928. Sydney: Penlington and Somerville.
  11. ^ "Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum". bigvolcano.com.au. Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 4 October 2006. Retrieved 3 November 2006.
  12. ^ "Las Balsa Expedition". Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  13. Department of Planning & Environment. H00194. Retrieved 18 May 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence
    .
  14. ^ "2021 Ballina, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  15. ^ "2021 Ballina, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  16. ^ The Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2016 "significant urban area" (SUA) 1003 Ballina comprises two level-2 statistical areas (SA2s): 112011236 Ballina, and 112011242 Lennox Head - Skennars Head. Together they contain the populated centres of Ballina, Lennox Head, Lennox Head West, and Skennars Head, but exclude nearby inland towns Tintenbar and Cumbalum. The latter towns are contained in a separate SA2 112011237 Ballina Region. (ABS Maps
  17. ^ a b c d Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Ballina (Significant Urban Area)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 November 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  18. ^ "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Search Census data". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Ballina". Destination NSW. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  21. ISSN 2212-6821
    .
  22. ^ Stolz, Greg (25 September 2009). "Ballina's Big Prawn may move to Gold Coast". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  23. ^ Turnbull, Samantha (7 November 2011). "Long live the Big Prawn". ABC News. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  24. ^ "Ballina Bunnings? $21.3 million. The Big Prawn? Priceless". The Northern Star. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  25. ^ "Images from the Ballina Prawn Festival". The Daily Telegraph Newspaper. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Ballina Prawn Festival Sat Nov 12!". Kav Temperley. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  27. ^ The Ballina Prawn Festival Song, retrieved 16 November 2023
  28. ^ "Google street view has blurred the face of Ballina's Big Prawn. Privacy first! • r/australia". reddit. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  29. ^ "Google facial recognition blurs out the Big Prawn" by Cole Latimer, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2 March 2018
  30. Australian Bureau of Meteorology
    . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Paradise FM 101.9". Community Broadcasting Organisation of Australia, cbaa.org. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  32. ^ Ballina Bypass Roads & Traffic Authority
  33. ^ O'Neill, Kate (29 November 2011). "Ballina quiet as bypass opens". Northern Star. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  34. International Association of Athletics Federations
  35. ^ "Sister City Agreement". ballina.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2009.

External links