Wonderful Bangalow Bangalow is known as a pretty town with lovely parks, intriguing shops and high quality cafes and restaurants. Contact Us Wonderful Bangalow Bangalow is known as a pretty town with lovely parks, intriguing shops and high quality cafes and restaurants. Contact Us Wonderful Bangalow Bangalow is known as a pretty town with lovely parks, intriguing shops and high quality cafes and restaurants. Contact Us

Bangalow History

Historically a town which had to deal with non-stop intercity traffic and the roar of trucks in its main street, the 1993 by-pass has ensured that the town's attractiveness and peacefulness returned. It is said that the name 'bangalow' meant either 'a low hill' or a kind of palm tree in the language of the the Bunjalung Aboriginal people who lived in the area before European settlement in the 1840s.

Today the town has a delightful 'heritage' feeling about it. In the beginning it was so closely associated with Byron Bay it was known as Byron Creek. The area was almost certainly settled, albeit on a temporary basis, by cedar cutters in the 1840s. Little development occurred until 1869 when the whole district was subdivided. Again development was slow. The earliest settler in the district were Thomas Skelton (he agitated for a school to be built at Byron Creek - it was built in 1884) and it is generally accepted that the first settler at Bangalow was Thomas Robinson who purchased land near the present town site in 1881.

By 1886 there was a butcher's shop at Byron Bay but most of the early development of the district occurred around Bangalow because this was a predominantly farming area. The town's growth can be chartered by the arrival of services. A Post Office, still known as Byron Creek, was opened in 1891 and a store appeared around the same time to serve people moving from the coast to the town of Clunes. In 1894 the railway arrived and the local station was called 'Bangaloe'. The modern spelling of Bangalow came into existence around 1907 when the school was renamed.

The Bangalow markets are held on the 4th Sunday of each month and feature lots of produce from the surrounding area.

JAKFRUIT

Bangalow is a rich sub-tropical, always green, rich farming area. Here we have a Jakfruit being devoured. There are 80-100 year Jakfruit trees, planted by the early waves of Indian immigrants.  

About 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. The town's name appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, "Bangalla", said to mean 'a low hill' or 'a kind of palm tree'.[4]

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 Bangalow until 1907, when the modern spelling came into use.

In recent years Bangalow has become a pleasant stop for holiday-makers and day-trippers as its main street is lined with modern cafes and boutique-shops. Organic produce grown nearby is a regular feature in the cafes, in particular the Byron Bay coffee-beans are a popular purchase.

Bangalow Public School was first built in 1884. In 1925, a 4 classroom brick building block was made. The Bangalow Uniting Church was rebuilt in the early 1900s after a tornado blew down the original (Methodist) church. The church congregation is still active.

At the 2016 census, Bangalow had a population of 2,021 people. 74.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 5.6%. 87.4% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 48.3%, Catholic 15.8% and Anglican 10.9%.[1]

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The Bangalow Agriculture & Industry hall with produce at the time of the annual Bangalow Show.

1960’s Vintage at The Bangalow Show