Brunswick Heads is a small town on the north coast of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in Byron Shire. At the , the town had a population of 1,737 people.

History

Originally inhabited by people of the Bundjalung nation, the Brunswick River was charted by Captain Henry Rous in 1828. His visit was followed more than 20 years later by cedar cutters, whose activities led to the creation of the first town in what is now Byron Shire. By the 1880s, Brunswick Heads was a busy port with a small commercial centre. The town was initially proclaimed as the village of Brunswick on 20 March 1885 but the name Brunswick Heads became more commonly used and was officially changed in the NSW Government Gazette on 2 July 1971. The Brunswick part of the name comes from its closeness to the Brunswick River, which was named for

Caroline of Brunswick Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Caroline Amelia Elizabeth; 17 May 1768 – 7 August 1821) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until her ...

. The township went into decline after the opening of the Murwillumbah railway line through Mullumbimby in 1894. From the 1920s, however, Brunswick's popularity for family seaside holidays returned. Holiday cottages from that period are still in evidence throughout the town. The early camping grounds along the foreshores later became caravan parks. The Great Depression impacted many rural communities. However, Brunswick Heads remained somewhat isolated from the broader economic turmoil, with some local industries, such as the timber and banana farming industries, helping sustain the area. Fishing also remained a key part of the local economy, with the Brunswick River being an important resource for the community. During the 1930s, Brunswick Heads relied somewhat on the slow-growing tourism industry. Poet and painter Edwin Wilson (1942-2022) started school at Brunswick Heads, as recorded in his 2000 autobiography ''The Mullumbimby Kid''.

Geography

Brunswick Heads is a small coastal holiday village situated at the mouth of the Brunswick River. Torakina Beach is located within the breakwater, while a white sandy surf beach stretches to the south. The north bank of the river is the home to a protected rainforest and the southern bank provides a harbour and small marina for fishing boats and small craft. Mount Chincogan and Mount Warning are located in the area, and form a backdrop to the river that leads down from the small town of Mullumbimby. Despite the surrounding coastal development, Brunswick Heads has retained its traditional seaside village atmosphere. Timber bridges link the riverside to the river and surf beaches. Brunswick Heads is situated 10 km (15 minutes drive) north of the town of Byron Bay and 30 minutes travelling time from both Coolangatta and Ballina airports, and 40 kilometres south of the

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

border. Brunswick Heads is across the river from Ocean Shores. The Pacific Highway bypassed Brunswick Heads in 1998.

Economy

Brunswick Heads has a number of cafes, restaurants, accommodation and specialty shops. Brunswick Heads offers a range of leisure activities all year round, and hosts a number of small-scale community and family-oriented festivals and events.

In popular culture

The town was the location for the cult 1980s comedy series ''Brunswick Heads Revisited'' (a send-up of Waugh's ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by the English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of Charles Ryder, esp ...

''), broadcast across Australia by the ABC. The fourth series of the ABC TV drama series, '' SeaChange'', was filmed there in 2019.

Gallery

Banner Park, Brunswick Heads NSW 2014.jpg, Banner Park, east side of Brunswick Terrace, showing Simpson's Creek, May 2014 Private residence, Tweed Street, Brunswick Heads, NSW 2014.jpg, A private residence in Tweed Street, May 2014 Brunswick Heads RSL.jpg, Brunswick Heads RSL, May 2014 Jetty, Boat Harbour, Brunswick Heads NSW 2014.jpg, Jetty, Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour, May 2014 Brunswick River, Brunswick Heads, NSW.jpg, Brunswick River facing east (toward the sea). A holiday camp can be seen on the right, May 2014 A picnic area in Brunswick Heads featuring Bundjalung words and their translations, September 2024.jpg, A picnic area in Brunswick Heads featuring Bundjalung words and their translations, September 2024 A view of Brunswick Heads, September 2024 01.jpg, A view of Brunswick Heads, September 2024 Marine Rescue Brunswick, September 2024.jpg, Marine Rescue Brunswick, September 2024

References

External links

Brunswickheads.org.au - Website of Brunswick Heads Chamber of CommerceVisitnsw.com – Brunswick Heads
{{authority control Towns in New South Wales Northern Rivers Fishing communities in Australia Coastal towns in New South Wales