Ballina, New South Wales

Ballina
New South Wales

The Big Prawn

Ballina

Coordinates

28°50′0″S 153°32′0″E / 28.83333°S 153.53333°ECoordinates: 28°50′0″S 153°32′0″E / 28.83333°S 153.53333°E

Population

15,963 (2011 census)
25,194 (2015)

Established

1840s

Postcode(s)

2478

Elevation

1.3 m (4 ft)

Location

740 km (460 mi) from Sydney
185 km (115 mi) from Brisbane

Mean max temp	Mean min temp	Annual rainfall
24.4 °C ^{76 °F}	14.3 °C ^{58 °F}	1,817.9 mm ^{71.6 in}

Ballina /ˈbælᵻnə/ is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire local government area. Ballina's urban population at the 2011 census was 15,963. A larger area including Lennox Head had an estimated population of 25,194 at 30 June 2015.

Ballina was established in the 1840s on the northern shore of the Richmond River near Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point. It is approximately 600 km (373 mi) north of Sydney and 160 km (99 mi) south of Brisbane. Ballina is a coastal town and is connected to the Pacific Highway which passes nearby.

The Richmond River was an important transport route for the region for the first 100 years after settlement. The river and its estuaries abound with marine wildlife and provide for recreational fishing and water sports.

A lighthouse, Richmond River Light, was first constructed in Ballina in 1866. The temporary lighthouse was replaced with the current one, designed by James Barnet, in 1879, and first lit in 1880. It is still active.

Ballina has a number of famous "landfalls" associated with it. In 1928, Charles Kingsford Smith's plane, the Southern Cross, crossed the coast over Ballina after its epic journey across the Pacific Ocean. Ballina had a festival associated with the event during the 1970s and 1980s, and a school in East Ballina bears the name "Southern Cross".

...
Wikipedia