Byron Shire
Encyclopedia
Byron Shire is a Local Government Area
located in the North Coast region of New South Wales
, Australia
, on the Pacific Ocean
coast between 50 and 80 kilometres (30-50 mi) south of the Queensland
border. The shire, administered from the town of Mullumbimby
, covers an area of 566.7 square kilometres (218.8 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1906. It was named for Cape Byron
, itself named by Captain Cook in May 1770 in honour of Admiral John Byron
.
On 1 July 1908, the Mullumbimby Municipality was created out of part of Byron. On 1 October 1980, the municipality and the shire were re-amalgamated by direction of the Minister for Local Government.
The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were no religion (30%), Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and Presbyterian. A small Jewish minority also exists within the shire.
Later census figures for the entire area are as follows:
The current council, elected in 2008, is:
Local Government Areas of New South Wales
The local government areas of New South Wales, Australia have been subject to periodic bouts of restructuring and rationalisation by the State Government, involving voluntary and involuntary amalgamation of areas...
located in the North Coast region 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...
, on the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast between 50 and 80 kilometres (30-50 mi) south of the Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
border. The shire, administered from the town of Mullumbimby
Mullumbimby, New South Wales
Mullumbimby is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire, and is colloquially referred to as The Biggest Little Town in Australia. It lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about from the sea...
, covers an area of 566.7 square kilometres (218.8 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1906. It was named for Cape Byron
Cape Byron
Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of Australia. It is located about northeast of the town of Byron Bay and projects into the Pacific Ocean...
, itself named by Captain Cook in May 1770 in honour of Admiral John Byron
John Byron
Vice Admiral The Hon. John Byron, RN was a Royal Navy officer. He was known as Foul-weather Jack because of his frequent bad luck with weather.-Early career:...
.
History
Byron Shire was created on 7 March 1906 under the Shires Act 1906 as one of 134 local government areas in regional New South Wales. On 16 May 1906, a temporary council of five members was appointed to administer it, and elections were held in November. On 4 December, the council convened for the first time with William Robert Baker as its inaugural president.On 1 July 1908, the Mullumbimby Municipality was created out of part of Byron. On 1 October 1980, the municipality and the shire were re-amalgamated by direction of the Minister for Local Government.
Demographics
At the 2006 census, Byron Shire had a population of 28,766.Byron | Region | State | |
---|---|---|---|
Median age | 41 | 42 | 37 |
Median weekly individual income | $383 | $370 | $461 |
% of residents born overseas | 25.3 | 17.8 | 31.0 |
% Indigenous population | 1.5 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were no religion (30%), Catholic, Anglican, Uniting and Presbyterian. A small Jewish minority also exists within the shire.
Towns and localities
Byron (SE)
|
Mullumbimby/Brunswick (NE)
|
Other (W)
|
Population
Census populations for the Byron Shire and Mullumbimby Municipality between 1911 and 1966, sourced from the New South Wales Statistical Register, were as follows:Year | Total | Byron | Mullumbimby |
---|---|---|---|
1911 | 7,504 | 6,553 | 951 |
1921 | 9,628 | 8,299 | 1,329 |
1933 | 9,329 | 7,967 | 1,362 |
1947 | 10,393 | 8,784 | 1,609 |
1954 | 10,921 | 8,904 | 2,017 |
1961 | 10,469 | 8,505 | 1,964 |
1966 | 9,953 | 7,972 | 1,981 |
Later census figures for the entire area are as follows:
Year | Population |
---|---|
1976 | 10,916 |
1981 | 15,426 |
1986 | 18,342 |
1991 | 22,599 |
1996 | 27,007 |
2001 | 28,916 |
2006 | 29,423 |
Council
Byron Shire Council is composed of eight councillors elected proportionally, and the mayor, directly elected. The current makeup of the council, including the mayor, is as follows:Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
The Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
4 | |
Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
4 | |
Our Sustainable Future | 1 | |
Total | 9 |
The current council, elected in 2008, is:
Councillor | Party | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|
Jan Barham Jan Barham Jan Barham is an Australian politician. She has been a Greens member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2011 state election.As of 2011, Jan Barham's portfolio responsibilities within the Greens include: Family and Community Services, Aging, Disability Services, Aboriginal Affairs,... |
Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
Mayor | |
Simon Richardson | Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
||
Ross Tucker | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
||
Tom Tabart | Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
Deputy Mayor | |
Tony Heeson | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Elected on Ross Tucker's ticket | |
Richard Staples | Greens Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which... |
||
Patrick Morrisey | Our Sustainable Future | ||
Diane Woods | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Elected on Ross Tucker's Ticket | |
Basil Cameron | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |