The Court House

Lismore (including Clunes, Bentley, Alphadale, Bexhill, Eltham and The Channon)
Major commercial, cultural and educational centre on the far north coast of New South Wales.
Located 776 km north-east of Sydney via Woodburn, Lismore is a prosperous, substantial and quite cosmopolitan city of 43 000 people. These attributes stem largely from the fact that it is the major commercial and administrative city on the state's North Coast, although the city itself is actually located in an attractive rural riverside setting about 30 km inland.

The area around Lismore has become a major base for those wishing to pursue creative endeavours and alternative lifestyles. Thus there is a high concentration of painters, woodworkers, ceramists, filmmakers, musicians, poets, designers and dancers. Consequently, there are many galleries, studios and theatres in the area.

The beauty of the environment has made Lismore a base for those wishing to explore the surrounding area. Hence tourism is an asset to the local economy. The district is one of the country's most closely settled rural areas and one of the principal dairying regions in the state. Other contributions to the local economy are made by pig farming, bacon-curing, the production of bananas, tropical fruit, macadamias and sugar, as well as sawmilling, engineering, steel fabrication, brewing and clothing manufacture. Being located on the Bruxner Highway, it is also a centre for road transport .

Lismore lies nine metres above sea-level on the narrow and winding North Arm of the Richmond River, although this branch of the waterway was renamed Wilsons River in 1976 in honour of the family who established the 'Lismore' station.

In 1828 Captain Henry Rous became the first European to encounter the river which he named the Richmond after a family friend - Charles, the Fifth Duke of Richmond. He followed the river upstream for about 32 km noting numerous Aborigines, 'flat open forest on the western bank and thick jungle to the eastward with fine timber'. Rous's endeavours were part of a general exploration of the land north of Sydney undertaken in the 1820s as drought and an expanding population created a demand for new pasturage.

The first station on the future townsite was probably established in 1842 as there were reports of a shepherd and 10 000 sheep on the site (sheep did poorly in the heat and moisture of the valley and were soon replaced by cattle). It was located at the western edge of a dense forest area of around 75 000 ha known to whites as the 'Big Scrub' which is thought to have been the largest stand of subtropical rainforest in the world. The Bundjalung Aborigines called the area 'Tchukarmboli' or 'Tuckurimba'.

Scotsman William Wilson then took up the rights to the run and was in occupation of the land by 1845 (his cottage stood at what is now the southern end of Molesworth St). The Wilsons named the property 'Lismore' after the island of Lismore in Argyllshire, Scotland which they visited on their honeymoon. It remained a station until 1855 when a townsite was surveyed on what had been the Wilsons' house paddock. The first hotel was in existence by the end of 1855. The village of Lismore was gazetted in 1856 and the first land sale took place later in the year. The first store was opened in 1857. Wilson bought many of the allotments himself although station hands and timber-workers also invested.

St Carthage's Catholic Church, Lismore

The timbergetters, upon the advice of local Aborigines, had arrived in the valley by 1842, by which time the cedar along the Clarence River had begun to disappear. There they found a seeming utopia of cedar and the Richmond Valley was, by the start of the 1850s, the major source of timber for the Sydney and Melbourne markets. A sawmill was established in South Lismore in 1855 but it soon failed. However, as Lismore represented the head of navigation on the North Arm, cedar-cutters upstream floated the timber to this point where it was picked up by river craft. Other more successful mills were set up from the 1880s.

The growth of the logging industry in the 1850s and 1860s prompted a considerable increase of river traffic which in turn would prove highly beneficial to the growth of Lismore. The river trade continued quite profitably until after World War II when it was rendered redundant by rail and road improvements.

A school appears to have been opened in 1862 but a contemporary account noted that the population of Lismore remained 'small and scattered' in the 1860s. However, free selectors had begun to trickle in. They cleared the 'Big Scrub' and established farms. Corn-growing proved a failure and sugarcane was taken up in the late 1860s. However, it was not until the Colonial Sugar Refining Company opened a large crushing mill in 1881 at Broadwater, buying cane on contract from farmers, that consistent success was achieved. Potatoes, maize, bananas and livestock were also cultivated. Dairying started on a very tentative basis as there was a lack of good grass for cattle. An influx of experienced dairy farmers from the South Coast in the 1880s proved beneficial although the enormous success of local dairying is attributable, in large part, to the introduction of paspalum grass in the 1890s.

Free selectors began to arrive in far greater numbers in the late 1870s and Lismore became a municipality in 1879. Closer settlement led to the establishment of an Anglican Church (work commenced in 1871), a Catholic Church (completed in 1877), the first bank (1875), a newspaper, the Northern Star (in 1876), a courthouse (1877-78), a Presbyterian Church (1881) and two private schools. The 1880s witnessed the population surpass 1000, bridges built to replace ferry punts, the construction of the first permanent post office, the council chambers and a cottage hospital, and the introduction of gas lighting and a water supply system. By the time Lismore was linked by rail to Murwillumbah, in 1894, the town had become the main business centre on the river. Lismore became a city in 1946.

The Lantern Parade (a major community celebration) is held late in June each year and, in October, there is a folk festival and the North Coast National Show. Markets are held on the first and third Sunday of the month at Lismore Shopping Square.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Lismore Visitor and Heritage Centre is located at the corner of the Bruxner Highway and Molesworth St. It features the 'Rainforest Experience' - a rather elaborate and quite authentic-looking indoor recreation of a rainforest environment complete with sound effects, button-operated animals, a waterfall, a bridge, separate video displays demonstrating what is happening on the ground, the middle and the canopy of a rainforest, a section on the history of the area and a large gallery of local arts and crafts for which the area is noted. Enquiries can also be made here concerning self-drive tours around the area, tel: (02) 6622 0122.

Nearby Heritage Park has free barbecue facilities, a playground and miniature train rides.

Cedar Log Memorial
Nearby, in Ballina St, is a small park adjacent the city hall which is home to the Cedar Log Memorial. This 16-metre log is a reminder of the magnificent timber that once festooned the entire valley. Ironically it is intended as a tribute to the cedargetters who chopped it down.

Museum
Proceed up Molesworth St. To the left, at no.165, are the old council chambers. Upstairs is the Richmond River Historical Society Museum which features some fine colonial furniture made of local cedar and other pioneering relics, geological specimens, Aboriginal artefacts and a photographic collection. They are open weekdays from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., tel: (02) 6621 9993. This building is located on the edge of attractive Spinks Park which overlooks Wilsons River.

Art Gallery
A little further along Molesworth St, at the Magellan St corner, is the Lismore Regional Art Gallery, tel: (02) 6622 2209.

Post Office
Opposite the museum is W.L. Vernon's excellent Art Nouveau post office (1897) with its fine brickwork, sandstone masonry, fretwork cupola and massive tower. Its location is a reminder of the river's centrality to the development of the city.

Proceed north along Molesworth St for one block. The T & G Building, at the Woodlark St corner, was built in 1891 to an Italian villa style by the Australian Joint Stock Bank.

The Court House

Courthouse
Proceed along Molesworth St for another block and turn right into Zadoc St. The imposing Classical Revival courthouse (1883), with its grand stairway, makes an impressive contribution to the streetscape.

Churches
Opposite is St Andrew's Anglican Church (1904 with additions in 1913 and 1935) which overlooks the river. It replaced the original timber church (1871).

Turn right into Keen St then, at its end, turn right into Orion St. At the Leycester St corner is St Carthage's Roman Catholic Cathedral (1892-1907) which has some fine woodwork and stained-glass work and a rich interior.

Return to Keen St. At the corner of Keen and Woodlark St is the Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church (1908-09) and at Keen and Magellan is the 'Byzantine-inspired' Church of Christ (1923). At Keen and Conway is St Paul's Presbyterian Church (1907-08) which replaced an 1881 original.

St Andrews Anglican Church

Rotary Park
In Rotary Park, a rainforest tract (a small remnant of the 'Big Scrub') has been regenerated in the middle of the city. There are 3 km of pathways with rare species of rainforest plants clearly marked. A brochure is available from the information centre. To get there follow Ballina St (the Bruxner Highway) east of the information centre for 3.5 km and turn left at the roundabout into Rotary Drive.

Claude Riley Memorial Lookout
The next left at the same roundabout leads into New Ballina Rd. Along here, to the left, is the Claude Riley Memorial Lookout which overlooks the town's residential districts.

Lismore Lake
Lismore Lake, 2.5 km south of the CBD on the eastern side of Union St (the south-bound leg of the Bruxner Highway), is a pleasant 14-ha artificial lagoon for swimming with picnic-barbecue facilities and an adventure park on the foreshores.

Robinsons Lookout
Robinsons Lookout on Girards Hill offers views west over the river to South Lismore and north over the town to Blue Knob, Mt Nardi and Mt Matheson. Turn south off Ballina St (the eastbound leg of the Bruxner Highway) into Wyrallah St. After 500 m turn right into Esmonde St then take the third left into Robinsons Rd.

Wilsons Park
Also along Wyrallah St (2 km from Ballina St), on the western side of the road, is Wilsons Park which contains a remnant of the area's original rainforest vegetation. The rainforest trees are labelled.

Bora Ring
Wyrallah St heads southwards out of Lismore towards Woodburn. 12 km from Lismore is the village of Wyrallah. Just to its south there is a signposted turnoff on the left to an excellent example of an Aboriginal bora ring: a circular cleared area measuring 22 metres in diameter is bounded by a bank of earth forming a ceremonial site. The ring overlooks the Steve King's Plain and a portion of the Richmond Valley. There is an information board at the site which lies to the rear of the Tucki Tucki village cemetery.

Tucki Tucki Koala Reserve
A few kilometres further south, adjacent the Wyrallah Rd (15 km from Lismore) is Tucki Tucki Koala Reserve (4 ha). It was established by local residents to preserve a habitat for the disappearing marsupials. There are picnic tables and a short, graded walking track steers you in the right direction.

Victoria Park
Victoria Park Nature Reserve (16 km south-east) represents an 18-hectare remnant of the 'Big Scrub'. Head south off the Bruxner Highway into Rous Rd at the eastern edge of Lismore and follow the signs for Tregeagle then Rous Mill (which is a place and not a mill) then Wardell. There is all-vehicles access, a walking track from the carpark, a boardwalk for those with disabilities, an information bay, tables, fireplaces, toilets, water and shelter.

Alphadale
11 km east at the corner of the Bruxner Highway and Cowlong Rd, Alphadale, has a number of arts and crafts studios and the tone of the town is shaped by the alternative lifestyles of the surrounding communities.

Boatharbour Nature Reserve
Boatharbour Nature Reserve, 6 km north-east of the CBD along the Bangalow Rd, has a resident bat colony. This was a base camp for timbergetters working in the 'Big Scrub' in the late 19th century. A paved track leads to a viewing platform overlooking the river. There are barbecue facilities.

Bexhill
Bexhill (initially the Bald Hill cedar camp) is located 9 km north-east of Lismore along the Bangalow Road. It was a more important settlement than Lismore in the 1850s. The hall and public school are of interest.

Turn right in front of the post office across the bridge and then immediately left up a steep hill to Inspiration Point which offers fine views of the Corndale Valley. There you will find the Open Air Cathedral with its stone altar, log pews and cross. It was created by the Bexhill Youth Fellowship in 1958. Below the point is the well-attended Bexhill Church (1926) which boasts an organ that draws players from as far afield as Sydney and Brisbane to its recitals.

Eltham
Another 2 km along the same road is a turnoff on the right to the small village of Eltham which has some interesting old buildings such as the hotel, St Mark's Anglican Church and the masonic temple on the hill to its rear. A left turn near the church leads back to the main road. A right turn leads to Clunes.

Clunes Coronation Hall

Clunes
Clunes is a small village located 7 km north-east of Bexhill along the Bangalow Rd. In 1892, Clunes was the meeting place for a group of dairy farmers who went on to establish the North Coast Dairying Co-operative, or Norco as it is more familiarly known. This was a major event in local history as dairying would become the dominant industry in the area in the 20th century.

The through-road leads past St John's Presbyterian Church (1910) on the left and St Peter's Anglican Church (1906) on the right. After the latter, take the next sharp left to see the Methodist (now Uniting) Church and manse. Opposite is the Coronation Hall (1910).

The Channon
The Channon is a pretty village perched on a hilltop which is noted for its artistic alternative community. The premier markets in the area are held at Coronation Park on the second Sunday of each month. They are an ideal place to check out the rich arts and crafts of the area. Opera at The Channon is a black-tie event held on the first of August. The village is named after a local palm, the sight of which, it is believed, helped Aborigines navigate their way from the coast. It has a tavern and camping grounds.

To get there head out of Lismore on Dunoon Rd and follow it for about 14 km. About 3 km before you reach Dunoon turn left for The Channon.

Nightcap National Park
If you turn right at The Channon onto Terania Creek Rd (unsealed, narrow and rough for large vehicles) it leads, after 9.5 km, to the Protester Falls Picnic Area which is located in the Terania Creek basin - a narrow valley of subtropical rainforest and eucalypt forest at the foot of the Nightcap Range in the eastern section of Nightcap National Park. There are two causeways en route so be careful in wet weather.

At the picnic area there is a turning circle set within a glade of the rainforest. It is a 1.4-km return walk to Protesters Falls which is set amidst beautiful rainforest featuring dense thickets of bangalow palms. The falls were named after the protesters who carried on an anti-logging campaign here in the late 1970s and early 1980s which led to the declaration of the national park in 1983. Another walk follows an old logging track adjacent Terania Creek.

The ridges, peaks and gullies of Nightcap National Park (4945 ha) consist of solidified and eroded lava from the extinct Mt Warning volcano which once covered 4000 square kilometres from Coraki in the south to Beenleigh in the north, from Kyogle in the west to the volcanic reefs in the ocean to the east. The fertile soil which derived from the igneous rock, together with the state's highest rainfall, have created one of the state's finest sections of subtropical rainforest. Some of the park's enormous brush box are thought to be up to 1500 years old. The park is also of spiritual importance to the Bundjalung Aboriginal people and is now World Heritage listed. For further information ring (02) 6672 6360 on weekdays.

Dunoon and Rocky Creek Dam
Dunoon is located 17 km north-north-east of Lismore along Dunoon Rd (3 km beyond the turnoff to The Channon) and is noted for its macadamia plantations and orchids. On the left, as you enter town, is St Andrew's Presbyterian Church.

The second road on the left (a 3-km strip of bitumen and gravel) leads to the Rocky Creek Dam Picnic Area which overlooks the lake with its mountainous background. As Rocky Creek is the main water supply for Lismore, fishing, swimming and boating are prohibited. There are picnic-barbecue facilities with wood supplied, a shelter shed, a playground, drinking water and walking tracks. A boardwalk leads by Platypus Lagoon.

Whian Whian State Forest
Rocky Creek Dam is located within Whian Whian State Forest which is traversed by an enjoyable 30-km loop drive that starts at Minyon Falls and finishes near the Rocky Creek Dam Picnic Area. Guiding leaflets are available from the Lismore Information Centre.

To get to the start of the drive, follow the main road through Dunoon, past the turnoff to the Rocky Creek Dam Picnic Area and simply follow the signs for Minyon Falls.

About 2 km before you reach the falls, Minyon Drive will take you past the Minyon Grass Picnic Area. A 2-km walking track leads to the base of the falls. Alternatively, continue in your car along Minyon Drive to a picnic area and recreation site by the falls which tumble 97 m down sheer cliffs, formed by solidified lava, into the beautiful gorge below. They are part of the Minyon Falls Flora Reserve which has been exempted from all logging due to its high recreational, scenic and scientific value. A board in the picnic area indicates the whereabouts of a nearby walking-trail complex. The departure track, which takes in a lookout over Minyon Falls, follows the rim of the escarpment for about 2 km around to Quandong Falls. From this point you can return to the picnic area or continue on for another 2 km to the valley floor at the base of the falls. Its quite easy going down but a steep walk back.

Return to your car. Follow the main forest drive then turn right at Peates Mountain Road. 200 m will bring you to Rummery Park, a grassy clearing amidst regrowth forest where koalas live. There are picnic and camping facilities. A relatively easy 3-km walking track leads to Peates Mountain Lookout. The Boggy Creek Track (2 km) and Eastern Boundary Track (2.5 km) both lead back to the Minyon Falls Picnic Area.

For those who wish to stick to their cars, continue along Peates Mountain Road. 3.5 km beyond Rummery Park is a signposted turnoff to a parking area and it is a 10-minute walk to Peates Mountain Lookout (600 m) which offers views southwards over rich farmlands to Lismore, northwards to Mt Warning and east to Byron Bay.

Return along Peates Mountain Road to the main forest drive which continues westwards through blackbutt and flooded gum plantations, across Rocky Creek, past the Gibbergunyah Roadside Reserve and, in the final 2 km, through the Big Scrub Flora Reserve which is the largest surviving remnant of the 'Big Scrub'.

The forest road reaches a T-intersection with the sealed council road that leads to Rocky Creek Dam Picnic Area. Turn right along this road, then right at the T-intersection to return to Lismore, via Dunoon.

Bentley
Bentley, 23 km north-west of Lismore along the Kyogle Road, is noted for the Bentley Art Prize, a substantial award which has a strong Aboriginal art section.

Bentley House was established in the 1870s by Robert Dawson who was born at Great Bentley in England.

	Tourist Information
	Lismore Visitor & Heritage Centre Cnr Bruxner Hwy & Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 0122 Facsimile: (02) 6622 1093
	Motels
	Arcadia Motel Cnr James Rd & Bruxner Hwy Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6624 1999 Facsimile: (02) 6624 1999 Rating: ***
	AZA Motel 114 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 9499 Facsimile: (02) 6622 1554 Rating: ***
	Centre Point Motel 202 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 8877 Facsimile: (02) 6622 1409 Rating: ***
	Karinga Motel 258 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2787 Facsimile: (02) 6622 1388 Rating: ***
	Klassic Lodge Country Retreat 1597 Nimbin Rd Goolmangar via Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6689 9350 Facsimile: (02) 6689 9350 Email: klassiclodge@nrg.com.au
	Lismore City Motor Inn Cnr Dawson & Magellan Sts Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4454 Facsimile: (02) 6622 1369 Rating: ***
	New Olympic Motel 244 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 9900 Rating: **
	Sisleys Motel 111 Dawson St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 9888 Rating: ***
	Sylvan Lodge Motor Inn Cnr Dawson & Orion Sts Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 8100 Rating: **
	The Wilson Motel 119 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 3383
	Lakeside Lodge Motel Bruxner Hwy Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 7376 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Canberra Hotel 77 Moleswoth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2637
	Civic Hotel Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2537
	Gollan Hotel 73 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2295
	Hilltop Hotel/Motel Bruxner Hwy Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 1290
	Metropole Hotel 98 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4910
	New Tattersalls Hotel 108 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2284
	Northern Rivers Hotel 33 Terania St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5797
	Oaks Hotel Woodlark St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 7964
	Richmond Tavern 36 woodlark St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 9098
	Station Hotel 2 Casino St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5966
	Winsome Hotel 11 Bridge St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2283
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	McDermotts Bed & Breakfast 21 Sheridan St Goonellabah Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6624 1158
	Caravan Parks
	Lismore Lake Caravan Park Bruxner Hwy Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2585 Rating: ***
	Lismore Palms Caravan Park 42 Brunswick St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 7067 Rating: ***
	Lismore Tourist Caravan Park Dawson St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 6581 Rating: ***
	Road Runner Caravan Park Caniaba Rd Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 6705 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Melville House 267 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5778 Facsimile: (02) 6621 5778
	Restaurants
	Big Country Restaurant Woodlark St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 3445
	Butlers Restaurant Nesbitt Lane Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 0252
	Centre Point Motel Restaurant 202 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 8877
	Classic Thai Restaurant Lismore 207 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 0062
	Cocos Bistro 8 Lismore Square Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 7029
	Gatsby's Restaurant 202 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 8877
	Giovanni's By The Wilson 34 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 6566
	Ho Ho International Restaurant 67 Wyrallah Rd Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5518
	Indian Dhaba 44 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5044
	Jasmine Thai Restaurant 44 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 3375
	Johnny Lee Vietnamese Chinese Restaurant 75 Woodlark St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 2383
	Karinga Motel Restaurant 258 Molesworth St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2787
	Lismore City Motor Inn Restaurant Cnr Dawson & Magellan Sts Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4454
	Lismore & District Workers' Club 231 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 7401
	Lismore Pizza House 111 Dawson St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4899
	Lismore Seafood Inn 25 Eggins Lane Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 3736
	Little Brewery Steakhouse 109 Dawson St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4455
	Mandarin Palace Chinese Restaurant 153 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 5060
	Mexican Magic Restaurant 6 Carrington St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 8206
	My Fair Lady Coffee Lounge Star Court Arc. Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 1595
	On On Family Restaurant 58 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 3388
	Paupiettes Restaurant 56 Ballina St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 6135
	Pete's Eats Restaurant 81 Woodlark St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 66 21 5168
	Pizza House Lismore 111 Dawson St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 4899
	The Eagles Nest Chinese Restaurant 1 Barham St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 0866
	Tribes Restaurant 73 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 4294
	Yung's Chinese & Thai Restaurant 142 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6621 2088
	Cafés
	Cafe Verdi Star Court Arc. Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 4870
	Lismore Cafe Giardino 178 Keen St Lismore NSW 2480 Telephone: (02) 6622 4664