Bangalow Historical Museum

Bangalow
Quiet township in the hinterland behind the far North Coast
Bangalow is located 778 km north of Sydney, 168 km south of Brisbane and 12 km west of Byron Bay. Historically a town which had to deal with non-stop intercity traffic and the roar of trucks in its main street, the recent by-pass has ensured that the town's attractiveness and peacefulness have 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 Banjalang 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 produce from the surrounding area.

Things to see:  

Bangalow Historic Museum
Located one block south of the main street, the Bangalow Historic Museum has an interesting collection of local memorabilia and offers a good opportunity to learn about the history of the early cedar cutters and farmers who settled the area.

	Resorts
	SummerHills Binna Burra Rd Byron Bay Bangalow NSW 2481 Telephone: (02) 6687 2288 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2358 Email: relax@summerhills.com Web site: http://www.summerhills.com Rating: ****
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	SummerHills Binna Burra Rd Byron Bay Bangalow NSW 2481 Telephone: (02) 6687 2288 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2358 Email: relax@summerhills.com Web site: http://www.summerhills.com Rating: ****
	Green Mango Hideaway B & B Lofts Rd Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6684 7171 Email: relax@greenmango.com.au Rating: ****
	Riverview Guest House 99 Byron St Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 1317 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2123 Rating: ****
	Cottages & Cabins
	SummerHills Binna Burra Rd Byron Bay Bangalow NSW 2481 Telephone: (02) 6687 2288 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2358 Email: relax@summerhills.com Web site: http://www.summerhills.com Rating: ****
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	SummerHills Binna Burra Rd Byron Bay Bangalow NSW 2481 Telephone: (02) 6687 2288 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2358 Email: relax@summerhills.com Web site: http://www.summerhills.com Rating: ****
	Lodges & Chalets
	SummerHills Binna Burra Rd Byron Bay Bangalow NSW 2481 Telephone: (02) 6687 2288 Facsimile: (02) 6687 2358 Email: relax@summerhills.com Web site: http://www.summerhills.com Rating: ****
	Byron Country Cottages 684 Bangalow Rd Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 1494 Facsimile: (02) 6687 1494 Rating: ****
	Possum Creek Lodge Cedarvale Rd Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 1188 Facsimile: (02) 6687 1269 Rating: ****1/2
	Restaurants
	Country Fresh Restaurant 1 Byron St Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 1711
	Green Mango Hideaway B & B Lofts Rd Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6685 7171
	Riverview Guest House 99 Byron St Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 1317
	Tsang's Chinese Restaurant 43 Byron St Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 2382
	Wild About Food 33 Byron St Bangalow NSW 2479 Telephone: (02) 6687 2555