Bexhill, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Bexhill is a small village in New South Wales
, Australia
. As of 2006, the town had a population of 472 people. It is located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Byron Bay
and about 11 kilometres (7 mi) from Lismore
. It is located on the Murwillumbah railway line and on Bangalow Road.
The village also contains an old brick pit which is officially closed for recreational purposes due to metal contaminated water naturally leached from the surrounding rocks but the attractive colour of the lake in the pit and Bexhills hot summer weather mean that many people swim there despite the danger.
hills (though the village itself is actually located on sedimentary rocks of the Clarence Moreton Basin
and is surrounded by the Wilsons River
and Coopers Creek flood plains.
The village is located a short distance 11 kilometres (7 mi) from Lismore on the Bangalow Road and the Murwillumbah railway line.
Bexhill's early production was red cedar
logging, its close proximity to Boat Harbour made the floating of logs an easy task during flood waters. Ironically the Bexhill school (established around 1850) was subject to easy flooding as well, and was eventually relocated to higher ground. In the coming of the Australian federation the population of Bexhill began to dwindle. The trades it produced were no longer as vital and people started to migrate to more lively parts of the far north coast. With the population slowly moving out, parts of Bexhill began to close. The post office which brought the surrounding areas its post closed down, relocating to Lismore
. The Bexhill Brick works which produced the bricks for the far north coast closed down towards the end of the 1990s, unable to keep up with the production of bricks from Coffs Harbour and Newcastle
.
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...
. As of 2006, the town had a population of 472 people. It is located about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Byron Bay
Byron Bay, New South Wales
Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a...
and about 11 kilometres (7 mi) from Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
. It is located on the Murwillumbah railway line and on Bangalow Road.
Attractions
Bexhill is well known for its pleasant open air cathedral which is managed by volunteers of the Uniting Church. The "cathedral" has attractive native gardens and overlooks a large length of valley and hills along Coopers Creek. It is well used for wedding services and special events.The village also contains an old brick pit which is officially closed for recreational purposes due to metal contaminated water naturally leached from the surrounding rocks but the attractive colour of the lake in the pit and Bexhills hot summer weather mean that many people swim there despite the danger.
Geography
The village is located on the end of a ridge of basaltBasalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
hills (though the village itself is actually located on sedimentary rocks of the Clarence Moreton Basin
Clarence Moreton Basin
The Clarence Moreton Basin is a Mesozoic sedimentary basin on the easternmost part of the Australian continent. It is located in the far north east of the state of New South Wales around Lismore and Grafton and in the south east corner of Queensland. It formed by oblique extension of the...
and is surrounded by the Wilsons River
Wilsons River (New South Wales)
The Wilsons River is a river in northern New South Wales. It was formerly known as Wilsons Creek and the North Arm of the Richmond River. It flows into the Richmond River proper at Coraki. Wilsons Creek was named after William Wilson, the first settler in Lismore, in the period 1844-5. In 1976 it...
and Coopers Creek flood plains.
The village is located a short distance 11 kilometres (7 mi) from Lismore on the Bangalow Road and the Murwillumbah railway line.
History
Bexhill, established in the early 19th century, was the central point of the early North Coast of New South Wales. In the 19th century Bexhill was known as Baldhill.Bexhill's early production was red cedar
Toona
Toona is a genus of five species of trees in the mahogany family, Meliaceae, native from Afghanistan south to India, and east to North Korea, Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia...
logging, its close proximity to Boat Harbour made the floating of logs an easy task during flood waters. Ironically the Bexhill school (established around 1850) was subject to easy flooding as well, and was eventually relocated to higher ground. In the coming of the Australian federation the population of Bexhill began to dwindle. The trades it produced were no longer as vital and people started to migrate to more lively parts of the far north coast. With the population slowly moving out, parts of Bexhill began to close. The post office which brought the surrounding areas its post closed down, relocating to Lismore
Lismore, New South Wales
Lismore is a subtropical town in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. Lismore is the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area. Lismore is a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State.-History:...
. The Bexhill Brick works which produced the bricks for the far north coast closed down towards the end of the 1990s, unable to keep up with the production of bricks from Coffs Harbour and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
.