The coastal community of Byron Bay (Minjungbal: Cavvanbah) is situated in Bundjalung Country in the extreme northeastern region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated 165 kilometers (103 miles) south of Brisbane and 772 kilometers (480 miles) north of Sydney. Cape Byron, a cape close to the town, is where mainland Australia’s easternmost boundary is. The town has 6,330 residents in permanent residence as of the 2021 census. Although Mullumbimby serves as the shire’s administrative hub, it is the largest town in Byron Shire.
The Bundjalung Nation, which includes the Arakwal, Minjungbal, and Widjabul people who have inhabited the area around Byron Bay for at least 22,000 years, has never surrendered this territory. According to the traditional guardians of the area, Nguthungulli, who is buried near what is now known as Julian Rocks, created the land and its inhabitants. Cavvanbah, which translates to “meeting place,” was the area’s historic name for the municipality.[Wajung and Kabul are significant totems for the region.
Lieutenant James Cook, a fellow sailor, discovered a secure harbour in 1770, and he gave it the name Cape Byron in honor of Vice Admiral ‘Foul-Weather Jack’ John Byron, a global explorer and the paternal grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. The 1830s saw the arrival of European settlers in the region.
The Bundjalung Nation, which includes the Arakwal, Minjungbal, and Widjabul people who have inhabited the area around Byron Bay for at least 22,000 years, has never surrendered this territory. According to the traditional guardians of the area, Nguthungulli, who is buried near what is now known as Julian Rocks, created the land and its inhabitants. Cavvanbah, which translates to “meeting place,” was the area’s historic name for the municipality. Wajung and Kabul are significant totems for the region.
Lieutenant James Cook, a fellow sailor, discovered a secure harbour in 1770, and he gave it the name Cape Byron in honor of Vice Admiral ‘Foul-Weather Jack’ John Byron, a global explorer and the paternal grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. The 1830s saw the arrival of European settlers in the region.