Bellingen, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bellingen is a small town (pop 2,721) on Waterfall Way
on the Mid North Coast
of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is approximately halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney
and Brisbane
. It is the seat of Bellingen Shire and has a mixture of valley, plateau and coastal environments.
The township lies on the not-quite-spelled-the-same Bellinger River
; this different spelling is most likely the result of a misinterpretation of some poor handwriting
. The name Bellingen was first mentioned by Clement Hodgkinson as the native name for the area, and is believed to come from "Baalijin", the Gumbaynggir
name for the Quoll
(Native Cat). He refers to the river as the "Bellingen River" in his 1845 book, "Australia From Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay".
s - the Gumbaynggir
People - long before European settlement. Bellingen was originally known as Boat Harbour, changing its name to Bellingen in 1870. In the 1830s, Bellingen was literally a backwater where red cedar was shipped to the mouth of the Bellinger River. From the 1840s onward red cedar attracted more and more settlers. In the 1890s, Bellingen was selected as the government centre of the valley, due to its location at the tidal limit of the Bellinger River and the availability of fresh water. A period of rapid growth ensued.
By the early 1900s, red cedar supplies were virtually depleted, except for those that survived in the inaccessible upper reaches of the Bellinger Valley. The indigenous population had been decimated by disease and inability to move across the land to locate traditional food supplies, and many were killed in their bid to drive away the cedar getters and new settlers from traditional Gumbaynggir land. 'Black Jimmy' is reported to be the last full-blood member of the Bellinger Gumbaynggir People. Black Jimmy died in 1922 and is buried in Bellingen Cemetery. The Gumbaynggir People still live in the area of Bellingen. Most of the old customs have long since disappeared only few remain today.
The dairy industry crashed in the 1960s with the rise of the European Common Market, when export prices fell (with Britain no longer relying on Australian dairy products) and the margarine industry finally overcame laws restricting its production levels. Dairy farming still continues to a lesser extent.
Rainforest logging ceased altogether in 1975. Sclerophyll
forest logging is still carried out, but to a much lesser extent than in the past.
In 1950, Bellingen came to national fame with the birth of the Sara Quads (Sara family quadruplets). From the 1970s until the present, alternative life-stylers purchased land in the area and built owner-built homes. Numerous intentional communities
were established, such as Shamballa Co-operative Limited, Shamballa (still extant) in 1973. The rural lifestyle of Bellingen and surrounds has consequently diverged and is now a mix of traditional and non-traditional farming. Many of today's residents, such as artists, craftspeople, writers, musicians and horticulturalists, have established home-based activities. Due to high rainfall, its proximity near the valleys of the Bellinger
and Kalang rivers, Bellingen is also known for frequent flooding over the year. Tallowood Point near Bellingen often has the State's highest annual rainfall.
Bellingen was one of the filming locations for the 2003 comedy film Danny Deckchair
, written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. Bellingen was also the notional setting of the book Oscar and Lucinda
written by Booker Prize winning author Peter Carey. The film version of the novel Eucalyptus
was set to be filmed in Bellingen as well before it fell through.
Bellingen has a strong affinity with the arts and is home to numerous festivals: the popular Global Carnival (often known simply as " The Global"), the Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival, Camp Creative, the Bellingen Music Festival (classical music) and the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival, held for the first time in 2011. The first and original festival, an annual event, was the Azalea Festival, which included a procession of floats, the local brass band and pipeband, and various community organisations marching down Hyde Street to the cheers and applause of the spectators.
Bellingen is home to well-known current events reporter George Negus
, writer Victor Kelleher
and pianist David Helfgott
(subject of the film Shine
released in 1996). Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist
was born in Bellingen. Writer Steve Biddulph
is a former resident.
Tourism has been encouraged in recent years by the cafe, market and festival culture.
- past Australian test cricket wicketkeeper/batsman
Ben Cropp
- Ocean adventurer, shipwreck hound, marine conservationist, and filmmaker
David Helfgott
- Multi award-winning Australian Concert Pianist,
subject of the 1996 film Shine
Starring Geoffrey Rush
George Negus
- Prominent Australian author, journalist, and television presenter, Currently hosting Dateline
Keith Froome
- Australian national Rugby League Test captain
Mike Cockerill
- Notable Australian Football journalist writing and presenting for Fairfax Newspapers
and Fox Sports
respectively.
Matthew Locke
- Sergeant
of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment
, and Medal for Gallantry
recipient. He was slain while serving his country.
Waterfall Way
The Waterfall Way is a road and State Highway 78 in New South Wales, Australia. It runs east-west from the Pacific Highway to the New England Highway at Armidale. The route passes through some of New South Wales' most scenic countryside and has become well known as New South Wales best and...
on the Mid North Coast
Mid North Coast, New South Wales
The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid to north coast of NSW, beginning at Seal Rocks, 275 km north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolga, 562 km north of Sydney, a distance of roughly...
of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is approximately halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. It is the seat of Bellingen Shire and has a mixture of valley, plateau and coastal environments.
The township lies on the not-quite-spelled-the-same Bellinger River
Bellinger River
The Bellinger River is a river on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Clement Hodgkinson was the first person to explore the area in March 1841....
; this different spelling is most likely the result of a misinterpretation of some poor handwriting
Handwriting
Handwriting is a person's particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with "Hand" which is an impersonal and formalised writing style in several historical varieties...
. The name Bellingen was first mentioned by Clement Hodgkinson as the native name for the area, and is believed to come from "Baalijin", the Gumbaynggir
Gumbaynggirr
Gumbaynggir are an Australian Aboriginal group of the Coffs Harbour, New South Wales area. The Gumbaynggirr lands cover an area of the Mid North Coast from the Nambucca River to as far north as the Clarence River , west to Armidale and eastward to the Pacific coast, making the Gumbaynggirr tribe...
name for the Quoll
Quoll
The quoll, or native cat, is a carnivorous marsupial native to mainland Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. It is primarily nocturnal and spends most of the day in its den. There are six species of quoll; four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea...
(Native Cat). He refers to the river as the "Bellingen River" in his 1845 book, "Australia From Port Macquarie to Moreton Bay".
History
The Bellinger Valley including Bellingen was first settled by KooriKoori
The Koori are the indigenous Australians that traditionally occupied modern day New South Wales and Victoria....
s - the Gumbaynggir
Gumbaynggirr
Gumbaynggir are an Australian Aboriginal group of the Coffs Harbour, New South Wales area. The Gumbaynggirr lands cover an area of the Mid North Coast from the Nambucca River to as far north as the Clarence River , west to Armidale and eastward to the Pacific coast, making the Gumbaynggirr tribe...
People - long before European settlement. Bellingen was originally known as Boat Harbour, changing its name to Bellingen in 1870. In the 1830s, Bellingen was literally a backwater where red cedar was shipped to the mouth of the Bellinger River. From the 1840s onward red cedar attracted more and more settlers. In the 1890s, Bellingen was selected as the government centre of the valley, due to its location at the tidal limit of the Bellinger River and the availability of fresh water. A period of rapid growth ensued.
By the early 1900s, red cedar supplies were virtually depleted, except for those that survived in the inaccessible upper reaches of the Bellinger Valley. The indigenous population had been decimated by disease and inability to move across the land to locate traditional food supplies, and many were killed in their bid to drive away the cedar getters and new settlers from traditional Gumbaynggir land. 'Black Jimmy' is reported to be the last full-blood member of the Bellinger Gumbaynggir People. Black Jimmy died in 1922 and is buried in Bellingen Cemetery. The Gumbaynggir People still live in the area of Bellingen. Most of the old customs have long since disappeared only few remain today.
The dairy industry crashed in the 1960s with the rise of the European Common Market, when export prices fell (with Britain no longer relying on Australian dairy products) and the margarine industry finally overcame laws restricting its production levels. Dairy farming still continues to a lesser extent.
Rainforest logging ceased altogether in 1975. Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
forest logging is still carried out, but to a much lesser extent than in the past.
In 1950, Bellingen came to national fame with the birth of the Sara Quads (Sara family quadruplets). From the 1970s until the present, alternative life-stylers purchased land in the area and built owner-built homes. Numerous intentional communities
Intentional community
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...
were established, such as Shamballa Co-operative Limited, Shamballa (still extant) in 1973. The rural lifestyle of Bellingen and surrounds has consequently diverged and is now a mix of traditional and non-traditional farming. Many of today's residents, such as artists, craftspeople, writers, musicians and horticulturalists, have established home-based activities. Due to high rainfall, its proximity near the valleys of the Bellinger
Bellinger River
The Bellinger River is a river on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Clement Hodgkinson was the first person to explore the area in March 1841....
and Kalang rivers, Bellingen is also known for frequent flooding over the year. Tallowood Point near Bellingen often has the State's highest annual rainfall.
Bellingen was one of the filming locations for the 2003 comedy film Danny Deckchair
Danny Deckchair
Danny Deckchair is a 2003 Australian comedy film written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. The majority of Danny Deckchair was shot in Bellingen, a Mid North Coast town in New South Wales....
, written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. Bellingen was also the notional setting of the book Oscar and Lucinda
Oscar and Lucinda
Oscar and Lucinda is a novel by Peter Carey which won the 1988 Booker Prize, the 1989 Miles Franklin Award, and was shortlisted for The Best of the Booker.-Plot introduction:...
written by Booker Prize winning author Peter Carey. The film version of the novel Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus (novel)
Eucalyptus is a novel by Australian novelist Murray Bail. The book won the 1999 Miles Franklin Award and the 1999 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.-Plot introduction:...
was set to be filmed in Bellingen as well before it fell through.
Bellingen has a strong affinity with the arts and is home to numerous festivals: the popular Global Carnival (often known simply as " The Global"), the Bellingen Jazz and Blues Festival, Camp Creative, the Bellingen Music Festival (classical music) and the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival, held for the first time in 2011. The first and original festival, an annual event, was the Azalea Festival, which included a procession of floats, the local brass band and pipeband, and various community organisations marching down Hyde Street to the cheers and applause of the spectators.
Bellingen is home to well-known current events reporter George Negus
George Negus
George Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...
, writer Victor Kelleher
Victor Kelleher
Victor Kelleher is an Australian author. Victor was born in London and moved to Africa with his parents, at the age of fifteen. He spent the next twenty years travelling and studying in Africa, before moving to New Zealand. Kelleher received a teaching degree in Africa and has taught in Africa,...
and pianist David Helfgott
David Helfgott
David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist. He is as well known for having schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush....
(subject of the film Shine
Shine (film)
Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Nicholas Bell, Chris...
released in 1996). Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
was born in Bellingen. Writer Steve Biddulph
Steve Biddulph
Steve Biddulph is an Australian author, activist and psychologist who has written a number of influential bestselling books; and lectures worldwide on parenting, and boys' education. His books argue for a more affectionate and connected form of parenting, and the importance of role models in...
is a former resident.
Tourism has been encouraged in recent years by the cafe, market and festival culture.
Notable residents
Adam GilchristAdam Gilchrist
Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national...
- past Australian test cricket wicketkeeper/batsman
Ben Cropp
Ben Cropp
Ben Cropp is an Australian former shark hunter and six-time Australian spearfishing champion, having retired from that trade in 1962 to pursue oceanic documentary filmmaking and conservation efforts...
- Ocean adventurer, shipwreck hound, marine conservationist, and filmmaker
David Helfgott
David Helfgott
David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist. He is as well known for having schizoaffective disorder as he is for his piano playing. Helfgott's life inspired the Oscar-winning film Shine, in which he was played by Geoffrey Rush....
- Multi award-winning Australian Concert Pianist,
subject of the 1996 film Shine
Shine (film)
Shine is a 1996 Australian film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Nicholas Bell, Chris...
Starring Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
George Negus
George Negus
George Edward Negus is an Australian author, journalist, and television presenter. He previously presented 6:30 with George Negus on Network Ten, until it was axed by the Network on 19 October 2011.-Education:...
- Prominent Australian author, journalist, and television presenter, Currently hosting Dateline
Keith Froome
Keith Froome
George Keith Froome was an Australian rugby league player. He was a halfback for the Australian national team. He played in 8 Tests between 1948 and 1949 as captain on 2 occasions.-Early life and wartime:...
- Australian national Rugby League Test captain
Mike Cockerill
Mike Cockerill
Michael Cockerill is an Australian football journalist who writes for Fairfax newspapers, Fox Sports and formerly C7 Sport. He is also a football pundit, match commentator and appears regularly on the football show Fox Sports FC.- External links :*...
- Notable Australian Football journalist writing and presenting for Fairfax Newspapers
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
and Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)
Fox Sports is an Australia group of sports channels. They are owned by the Premier Media Group, which is in turn owned by News Corporation, and Consolidated Media Holdings. Its main competitors are ESPN, which has little local content and the free-to-air digital channel One HD...
respectively.
Matthew Locke
Matthew Locke (soldier)
Matthew Raymond Locke MG is a recipient of the Medal for Gallantry, awarded for bravery, the third highest award in the Australian honours system...
- Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment
Australian Special Air Service Regiment
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR but commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army...
, and Medal for Gallantry
Medal for Gallantry
The Medal for Gallantry is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force. It recognises acts of gallantry in action in hazardous circumstances. The MG was introduced on 15 January 1991, replacing the Imperial equivalent. It is ranked third in the Gallantry Decorations...
recipient. He was slain while serving his country.