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73-683: The League was established in 1994/95 and superseded the top-grade of the Ballina, Casino and Lismore District Competitions. After 13 seasons, in 2007 the Tweed District Cricket Association asked to join the league to form a larger 16-team competition. The Ballina clubs voted unanimously to join with the Tweed based clubs, but this was rejected by some Lismore-based teams. The league now comprises teams from Ballina, Casino, Lismore and Tweed districts since 2007/08. Through

146-515: A 2016 report prepared for Insurance Australia Group (IAG), the consulting company SGS Economics and Planning rated and mapped different Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Australia against a range of natural hazard risks, namely Tropical Cyclone, Storm, Bushfire, Earthquake and Flood. On a 0-5 scale where 0 = no exposure, 5 = extreme risk, the region which includes Lismore rated 1 for Earthquake, 2 for Storm and Bushfire, 3 for Tropical Cyclone and 4 for Flood risk (SGS report, Figures 1, 3, 5, 6, 8). At

219-644: A convent opened for the Roman Catholic Presentation Sisters in 1907 and used by the nuns until 2004, has been refurbished and now serves as the Catholic Schools Office for the Diocese of Lismore. The commercial city centre retains many shopfronts ranging in date from the late nineteenth to mid twentieth centuries with little modern intrusion; a feature of interest is the presence of numerous arcades, for example

292-491: A diverse range of music and ABC North Coast 94.5 FM. All major television network channels are available in Lismore and in the general Northern Rivers region. The Norco Co-operative has its headquarters in Lismore. The main campus of Southern Cross University is in Lismore. Lismore and the surrounding area is home to a number of public and private schools, including: Lismore has two rugby league clubs competing in

365-729: A festival associated with the event during the 1970s and 1980s, and a school in East Ballina bears the name "Southern Cross". In 1973, the Las Balsas rafts were towed into Ballina by fishing trawlers after their journey from Ecuador . One of the rafts is preserved in the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum. They had planned to arrive in Mooloolaba in Queensland , but currents forced them off their course. Their journey

438-458: A height of 12.1 metres (40 ft), with a number of others recorded as exceeding the stated height of the levee wall protection at 10.7 metres (35 ft). A history of Lismore flood events from 1870 to 2022 has been published by Lismore council. In 1999 a government-funded scheme to protect the CBD and South Lismore from a 1-in-10-year flood event was approved. This proposal would mean that most of

511-597: A new bridge (the Ballina St. bridge) was opened to carry the Bruxner Highway road traffic across the Wilsons River; previously all traffic between the east and west banks of the river has to travel via the narrower, upstream Fawcett Bridge, originally constructed in 1894, before even motor traffic had come to the area. Later, especially following the 1973 "alternative society" Aquarius Festival , which

584-602: A sister city relationship with the Japanese city of Yamatotakada in Nara Prefecture in 1963. The first such relationship established between Australia and Japan, it was initiated by Lismore-born Marist priest and writer Paul Glynn . Lismore is also a sister city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin , USA and Lismore, County Waterford , Ireland. Notable people from or who have lived in Lismore include: Ballina, New South Wales Ballina ( / b æ l ɪ n ə / )

657-540: A timber-built home "Lochiel" adjacent to Arthur Park in North Lismore, stated to date from 1860 and originally occupied by Mr and Mrs John Jones, and later a private hospital and local maternity hospital between 1911 and 1917. From the 1840s onwards, timber cutters moved up the Richmond River from its Ballina entrance felling timber from the extensive, previously untouched subtropical rainforest covering

730-410: Is Paradise FM 101.9 . Other radio stations are Triple J 96.1 FM, ABC Radio National 96.9 FM, ABC Classic FM 95.3 and ABC North Coast 94.5 FM. There are five primary schools in Ballina; Ballina Public School, Emmanuel Anglican College, Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Richmond Christian College, St. Francis Xavier Primary School and Southern Cross School. There are also four high schools in

803-478: Is a tabloid newspaper based in Lismore. It covers the region from Casino to Ballina and up to Murwillimbah and Byron Bay, covering a population of several hundred thousand. Ballina receives TV channels from SBS and ABC and the regional affiliates of Seven , Nine and WIN Television ’s 10 Northern NSW. The commercial radio stations in the area are Triple Z (Hit Music) and 2LM 900 AM . Both are run by Broadcast Operations Group . The community radio station

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876-591: Is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales , Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire local government area . It lies 740 km (460 mi) north of Sydney and 185 km (115 mi) south of Brisbane . Ballina's urban population at the end of 2021 was 46,190. The town lies on the Richmond River and serves as a gateway to Byron Bay . Ballina is located on

949-537: Is also a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the state. Lismore is 734 km (456 mi) north of Sydney and 200 km (120 mi) south of Brisbane . It is situated on a low floodplain on the banks of the Wilsons River near the latter's junction with Leycester Creek, both tributaries of the Richmond River which enters the Pacific Ocean at Ballina , 30 km (19 mi) to

1022-596: Is also home to historical sites such as the Ballina Manor and the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum , however its most famous landmark is the "Big Prawn". Ballina is home to the world's largest prawn model (made of concrete and fibreglass). On 24 September 2009, Ballina Shire Council voted to allow the demolition of the Big Prawn, but this permission was never acted upon. Bunnings Warehouse purchased

1095-562: Is available on the "BigData Earth" Company website. A budget of $ 8.2 million for additional flood mitigation works was announced in November 2018. In February 2022, Lismore and other parts of Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland were flooded to an unprecedented degree, resulting in serious devastation to many buildings in the CBD in addition to adjacent low lying residential areas which will take "years to rebuild". The Wilsons River in Lismore reached 14.37 metres at its peak,

1168-786: Is home to the Far North Coast Baseball Association and Lismore is considered one of the strongest centres for Baseball in Australia. The Lismore Swans founded in 1983 represent Lismore in Australian rules football and competes in the AFL North Coast competition. Lismore Speedway is a Speedway located at the Lismore Showgrounds. The track regularly hosts National and State titles and featured national events. Lismore formed

1241-426: Is located 764 km (475 mi) to the south by highway . Brisbane , the state capital of Queensland , is 200 kilometres (124 mi) to the north. Lismore's central business district is located 35 kilometres (22 mi) from the eastern coast, and 46 kilometres (29 mi) southwest of Byron Bay . The coastal town of Ballina is 36 kilometres (22 mi) away. There are a number of rainforest patches in

1314-530: Is one of the highest annual precipitation levels to be found along the eastern coast of Australia south of the tropical coast of northern Queensland. The all-time highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in the town are 42.0 °C (107.6 °F) and −2.0 °C (28.4 °F) on 12 January 2002 and 17 June 1999 respectively. The Northern Rivers Echo is a free weekly community newspaper with 27,000 copies distributed to Lismore, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Ballina, Casino, Nimbin and Evans Head. The Northern Star

1387-596: Is still active. A branch railway line connected Ballina with the Murwillumbah railway line railway at Booyong. The line was opened on 24 August 1930 and closed on 12 January 1949. 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

1460-583: The 2021 census , the urban population of Lismore was 28,816. The city of Lismore lies in the Bundjalung people 's nation area. However, the actual area of the Bundjalung people from Evans Head is currently under examination, as well as the actual origin of the name Bundjalung. It has been suggested that the Aboriginal people called the area Tuckurimbah meaning "glutton." The British history of

1533-484: The 2021 census , there were 28,816 people in built-up Lismore. The population reached a recent peak of 29,320 at June 2012 and since has experienced a gradual decline to 28,816 in 2021. The population of central Lismore in 2021 was 3,656. The Northern Star is an online tabloid newspaper based in Lismore. It covers the region from Lismore, Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay, Murwillumbah, and Tweed Heads, and, like many other regional Australian newspapers owned by NewsCorp,

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1606-711: The New South Wales State Heritage Register (for images see "Gallery"), namely: An additional c.  42 items are listed by the local council on Local Environmental Plans under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, 1979, including: A full listing of heritage sites in Lismore can be generated via a search for suburb/town = "Lismore" via the New South Wales Heritage Database . Lismore and surrounding towns were once part of

1679-676: The Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League Competition: Lismore Marist Brothers Rams won the prestigious Clayton Cup in 1987, as the premier local rugby league team in Country New South Wales Competitions with a 17–1 record across the season. Lismore is a strong-hold of association football , with six clubs affiliated with Football Far North Coast being located in Lismore and near surrounds: The Albert Park complex

1752-474: The "Town of Lismore" in the NSW Government Gazette on 1 May 1856. The township was soon settled and its post office was opened on 1 October 1859. The Wilson family then established a new homestead at Monaltrie, some 6 km south of Lismore, in 1861 which still survives and has been stated to be "Lismore's oldest home", although the Lismore "Northern Star" has elsewhere given that distinction to

1825-473: The 1920s Star Court Arcade, which includes the 1921 Star Court Theatre, which allow shoppers to continue to shop in comfort in the presence of subtropical downpours as well as extremes of heat or cold. Many homes in the city are built in the "high set" style otherwise common to much of Queensland (refer accompanying photographs) with living accommodation on the first floor leaving the ground floor unenclosed by structural walls and open to cooling breezes beneath

1898-604: The 2016 census, within Lismore City and the surrounding region (43,135 persons) the top employment sectors reported were Health Care and Social Assistance (4,534 persons), Retail Trade (2,491 persons), Education and Training (2,448 persons) and Accommodation and Food Services (1,297 persons), followed by Public Administration and Safety (1,204 persons), Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (1,018 persons), Manufacturing (1,000 persons) and Construction (967 persons). Surviving buildings of historical interest within Lismore City include

1971-575: The Aboriginal name reminded the predominantly Irish settlers of "Ballina", so the name's origin could be an accidental or deliberate corruption. Another view is that town's name comes from the Irish placename Ballina ( Béal an Átha , "mouth of the ford"), which is found in several parts of Ireland. Ballina was established in the 1840s on the northern shore of the Richmond River, 20 kilometres south of Cape Byron , Australia's most easterly point. HMS Rainbow , commanded by Capt. Henry Rous, first sailed into

2044-688: The Far North Coast Cricket Council (region) and North Coastal Zone (zone), the LJ Hooker League feeds into Country Cricket New South Wales . The following players have been named as Player of the Year: Lismore, New South Wales Lismore is a city located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales , Australia and the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area , it

2117-701: The Lismore region can experience drought but in general, the Northern Rivers region is less drought prone than many of its neighbours, especially those west of the Great Dividing Range (see example map for the drought-affected month of September 2019 here ). The municipal water supply is provided by Rous County Council via Rocky Creek Dam , which is situated in a high rainfall area within the Whian Whian State Conservation Area approximately 20 km north of

2190-524: The Richmond River in 1828, followed by overland settlers from the Clarence River . In 1842, more settlers arrived on a ship called Sally, forming a settlement at what is now East Ballina on Shaws Bay. A lighthouse, Richmond River Light , was first constructed in Ballina in 1866, which served as a significant port in the region. The temporary lighthouse was replaced with the current one, designed by James Barnet , in 1879, and first lit in 1880. It

2263-790: The T & G Building; the classical revival courthouse (1883) in Zadoc Street; the Lismore Memorial Baths (1928), constructed as a memorial to local persons who died in World War I; and various churches including St Andrew's Anglican Church (1904), St Carthage's Roman Catholic Cathedral (1892–1907), the Uniting (formerly Methodist) Church (1908–09), the Church of Christ (1923), and St Paul's Presbyterian Church (1907–08). Adjacent to St. Carthage's Cathedral, Presentation House,

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2336-414: The Wilsons River, which can rise rapidly following periods of high rainfall in its catchment, the centre of Lismore is susceptible to flooding, although it is partly protected by a system of levees and flood gates. Noteworthy recent floods occurred in 1974, 2017 in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and the worst ever in 2022 . A budget was announced for additional flood mitigation works in November 2018. At

2409-580: The ancestral land of the Bundjalung people , who are its traditional owners and original inhabitants. Archaeological evidence demonstrates Bundjalung occupation of the region for at least 6000 years. One view suggests that the name Ballina comes from corruption of a clan name for the Bullina or Bul-loona band of the Arakwal . It has been argued that in this tribe's Bundjalung language , bullinah meant "place of many oysters". This theory argues that

2482-721: The area around Lismore as the "rainbow region". Meanwhile, Lismore has also become a regional centre for higher education: the original Lismore Teachers College (1970 onwards) becoming first the Northern Rivers College of Advanced Education in 1973, then an associate member of the University of New England , and finally (together with UNE-Coffs Harbour Centre), forming the Lismore Campus of the new Southern Cross University (established 1 January 1994). In addition, tourism has become an important contributor to

2555-519: The area were No Religion 30.2%, Catholic 23.0% and Anglican 19.6%. The median household income was estimated to be A$ 1,093 per week, with the median mortgage repayments estimated at A$ 1,733 per month, and median rent estimated at A$ 345 per week. The average number of motor vehicles was 1.6 per dwelling. Ballina serves as a tourism gateway to the close by destinations of Lismore and Byron Bay . The town has access to several beaches, such as Shelly, Lighthouse, Angels, Flat Rock and Sharpes beaches. It

2628-679: The area, remnants of the Big Scrub. These are preserved today, with a small pocket known as Boatharbour Reserve just east of town on the Bangalow road. The nearest large and publicly accessible national park is Nightcap National Park . Lismore experiences a humid subtropical climate with mild to warm temperatures all year round and ample rainfall, with a long term yearly average of 1,343 mm. Temperatures in summer range between 20  °C (68  °F ) and 35 °C (95 °F). The subtropical climate combined with geographical features means

2701-404: The central part of Australia's eastern coast. Summers are sultry, humid and rainy, with approximately 40% of the town's total annual precipitation occurring from December to March, with March being the wettest month of the year, receiving an average of 225.4 mm (8.874 in) of precipitation. Ballina's annual precipitation total observes a considerably higher concentration in the first half of

2774-770: The city begins in c.  1843 : a pastoral run covering an area of 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi) was taken up by Captain Dumaresq at this time covering the Lismore area and was stocked with sheep from the New England area. Ward Stephens took up the run in the same year, but the subtropical climate was unsuited for sheep grazing, so it was eventually abandoned. In January 1845, William and Jane Wilson took it over. The Wilsons were Scottish immigrants, who arrived in New South Wales in May 1833. Mrs. Wilson named

2847-526: The city of Lismore four years earlier. In 1969, the aerodrome at South Lismore received its licence from the Department of Civil Aviation, becoming the basis of the future Lismore Airport . The 1960s were something of a boom time in development for Lismore, although the dairy industry was starting to decline and by the end of that decade and into the 1970s, many farmers turned to raising beef cattle instead, or simply let their land condition lapse. In 1963,

2920-737: The city, and can be supplemented by drawing additional water from the Wilsons River when required. According to data in the Drought Management Plan adopted by the Council in 2016, level 1 water restrictions for the whole supply region (which stretches from Woodburn in the south to Ocean Shores in the north, as well as westwards to Lismore) would be triggered if the level in Rocky Creek Dram falls to 60%, level 2 restrictions at 45% of capacity, and so on. From 2002 up to late 2019, only one period of severe water restrictions

2993-428: The development of secondary industries which included ship building, transportation, saw milling, tallow manufacturing and more. As the Big Scrub was cleared, it was steadily replaced with new pasture which formed the basis of a flourishing dairy industry, and many processing plants ("butter factories") and dairy cooperatives were established throughout the region. Infrastructure development in Lismore continued, including

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3066-436: The east. The original settlement initially developed as a grazing property in the 1840s, then became a timber and agricultural town and inland port based around substantial river traffic, which prior to the development of the road and rail networks was the principal means of transportation in the region. Use of the river for transport declined and then ceased around the mid-twentieth century, however by that time Lismore (which

3139-607: The facial area of the Prawn, first noticed on Reddit Australia, and later reported in The Sydney Morning Herald . There is an ongoing "Prawn War" between the two Big Prawns with another being in Exmouth, Western Australia ; the Big Prawn in Ballina is significantly larger but Exmouth locals say theirs is more realistic. The town of Ballina experiences a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa ), typical of

3212-420: The floorboards in the summer. With the advent of air conditioning in more recent years, such understories have frequently been walled in retrospectively and used for other purposes such as garages, play areas (rumpus rooms) or additional accommodation; in commercial areas they may also be adapted for shop fronts at street/pedestrian level. Most houses also feature covered verandahs wrapping around part or all of

3285-513: The house, to provide both shade from hot sun as needed, and an outdoor area protected from the elements for activities during wet weather. The city encompasses a range of parks and gardens, some bordering the river, as well as Rotary Park, a patch of regenerated rainforest close to the centre of the city, and a 27 ha remnant of the "Big Scrub" in the form of the Wilson Nature Reserve (see below). Lismore has three sites listed on

3358-539: The intersection with Ross Lane at Tintenbar . Twelve kilometres of local roads were also upgraded. Early works started in April 2008 and substantial works on 16 June 2008. The Cumbalum to Ross Lane section opened in 2011 (the bypass was extended an extra 0.5 km to allow for a better connection to the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Project) with full completion in mid-2012. The project had its final traffic switch opened to

3431-564: The largest flood since modern records began. One year on from the disaster, the process of reconstruction was still ongoing. A high degree of year-to-year variation in rainfall is typical of the Northern Rivers region. Periods of reduced rainfall are often associated with El Niño events and increased rainfall with La Niña events. For example, the region experienced a significant reduction in rainfall between late 2002 and mid-2003 and again in 2007 in association with persistent and recurrent El Niño events. In common with other areas in Australia,

3504-519: The long-term success of both the river and rail traffic which eventually declined: river traffic was also affected by requisitioning of ships during the second world war and the largest shipping line operating on the two arms of the Richmond River, the North Coast Steam Navigation Company, went into liquidation in 1954; the railway line lasted until 2004 when it was closed on purely economic grounds after advising that it

3577-625: The newspaper ceased print editions in June 2020 and became an online-only publication. The Northern Rivers Echo was a free weekly community newspaper for Lismore, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Ballina, Casino, Nimbin and Evans Head. The Lismore CBD Magazine is a monthly e-magazine publication. The commercial radio stations of Lismore are Triple Z (Hit Music) and 2LM 900 AM (also broadcast on 104.3FM) and both are run by Broadcast Operations Group. The community radio stations are River FM 92.9 which offers an independent alternative media voice playing

3650-708: The old Council Chambers (1928) in Molesworth Street designed by William Gilroy, now home to the Richmond River Historical Society Museum with a collection of objects, documents and photographs relevant to the historical development of the area, including Aboriginal artifacts; the Art Nouveau post office (1897), designed by W.L. Vernon; the original Australian Joint Stock Bank (1891), built in the Italianate style, now

3723-484: The population; compared with the national and state average of 2.9%. The most common ancestries in the area were English 31.2%, Australian 28.3%, Irish 10.9%, Scottish 8.7% and German 3.2%. 81.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 3.4%, New Zealand 1.7%, Scotland 0.5% and South Africa 0.4%. 13.3% of people had both parents born overseas. 88.7% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion in

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3796-432: The presence of three schools by 1879, a new Government Wharf in 1880, two new bridges over the river in 1884 and 1885, the railway station (1894) and a new post office building (1898); by the end of that century Lismore had a population of over 4,500, although had suffered from some ravages including numerous floods plus a period of drought in the last half of the 1890s. At the beginning of the 20th century, river navigation

3869-534: The property after the small island of Lismore , one of the Inner Hebrides in Loch Linnhe , Argyleshire . In 1855, the surveyor Frederick Peppercorne was instructed by Sir Thomas Mitchell to determine a site for a township in the area. Peppercorne submitted his map of the proposed village reserve on 16 February 1856. The chosen site was William Wilson's homestead paddock and the area was proclaimed

3942-529: The public in April 2012, allowing for separation of the Pacific Highway and the Bruxner Highway traffic. Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is the region's main airport, located on Southern Cross Drive and 5 km (3 mi) from the Ballina CBD. It has links to Newcastle , Melbourne and Sydney with FlyPelican , Jetstar , Rex Airlines and Virgin Australia operating services. The airport

4015-592: The rainforest referred to as the " Big Scrub ", of which less than one percent remains following British settlement. A section of this rainforest is viewable in the grounds of the Southern Cross University and at Wilsons Nature Reserve on Wyrallah Road. Lismore is located on the Bruxner Highway and it lies at the confluence of the Wilsons River (a tributary of the Richmond River ) and Leycester Creek, The state capital city of Sydney

4088-469: The region known as the " Big Scrub "; their primary interest was the Australian red cedar, Toona ciliata , known locally as "red gold", which was highly prized for its appearance, ease of working, and pest resistance. At that time there was no substantial network of roads so rivers were the primary means of access and bulk transportation. Despite its low-lying position and propensity for flooding (which

4161-408: The region's economy as well as the development of new agricultural products such as macadamias, avocado and stone fruit, pecans, and boutique coffee plantations, which are well suited to the rich volcanic soils, subtropical climate and moderately high rainfall of the area. As traditional agricultural and manufacturing sectors have declined somewhat, so employment in the service sector has expanded. At

4234-548: The site and refurbished the Prawn as part of the redevelopment. The Prawn now sits on a stand next to the entrance of the Bunnings Warehouse car park. The Ballina Prawn festival ran from 2013-2017, featuring performances from Kav Temperley of Eskimo Joe , Simon Doe and Painted Dice, indie-rock band Hot Compost, and the late Howie Hughes singing his 'Prawn Song, For The Ballina Prawn Festival'. In March 2018, Google Maps' facial recognition software blurred out

4307-467: The smaller floods would not enter the central area of Lismore and substantially improve the time available for the evacuation of residents and the business community in larger floods. Nonetheless, around 3000 residents of Lismore were evacuated after floods affected much of the area on 30 June 2005, many being temporarily housed on the campus of Southern Cross University. However, the new levee that had been completed two weeks prior limited damage and stopped

4380-431: The starting point of the Murwillumbah railway line which, starting at that time in Lismore, ran to the coast at Byron Bay (from which steamers could be caught to Sydney ) and then on to Murwillumbah , and subsequently in 1903 inland to Casino , but was not connected to any national network. However, as the century progressed, development of a better road network and the advance of motor transportation made inroads into

4453-579: The town; Emmanuel Anglican College, Richmond Christian College, Ballina Coast High School and Xavier Catholic College . There is also a hospital, the Ballina District Hospital, which is a rural community hospital and various aged care facilities. The Ballina bypass project upgraded 12.4 km of dual carriageway road, extending from south of Ballina at the intersection of the Bruxner and Pacific highways to north of Ballina at

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4526-459: The urban area is unusually humid when compared with surrounding areas. Humidity levels often reach 100% in summer. Lismore has 109.6 clear days annually. Although no other major environmental hazards generally affect the area, Lismore is renowned for frequent floods from Wilsons River and Leycester Creek . Prior to the 2022 event which reached an unprecedented 14.4 metres (47 ft), the worst such floods were in 1954 and 1974, when waters rose to

4599-572: The water reaching the Central Business District. In the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie in March 2017, Lismore was again badly affected by flooding of up to 3.5 metres (11 ft) through all CBD businesses. Wilsons River reached 11.6 metres (38 ft) and the levee was overtopped for the first time since its completion. A modelled projection of the maximum flood extent, plus an animation, of this flood event as affecting Lismore

4672-424: The year (January–June) than the second half of the year (July–December). Ballina's wetness is due to the town's coastal location and proximity to Cape Byron , the easternmost point in Australia, which means that exposure to moisture-laden frontal systems that develop throughout the year in the Tasman Sea follows accordingly. Ballina experiences a copious 1,764.7 mm (69.5 in) of precipitation annually, which

4745-412: Was "unprofitable" to continue providing services to Murwillumbah, putting an end to 110 years of rail transport in the region. Meanwhile, economic development in Lismore continued, including construction of a new School of Arts (1907, destroyed by fire in 1932), building of churches for four denominations, opening of a new Norco (dairy farmers' cooperative) factory in 1931, and other utilities. Lismore

4818-430: Was almost twice as long as the Kon-Tiki expeditions of 1947 and proved that people could have travelled across the Pacific in ancient times. Ballina has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: It is approximately 700 km (435 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 now bypasses it. The Richmond River

4891-506: 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. The population of Ballina township was 18,532 at the 2021 Census (representing 40 percent of the Ballina Shire population of 46,296). The urban area had a population of 46,190, which includes Lennox Head and other suburban areas. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.3% of

4964-444: Was elevated to city status in 1946) had become well established as the largest urban centre in the region, providing its surrounding area with a range of services. The city is also located on the Bruxner Highway which crosses the Wilsons River at Lismore, and was formerly a stop on the Casino-Murwillumbah railway line . It is the home of one of the three campuses of Southern Cross University . With its low-lying position adjacent to

5037-439: Was held in the nearby village of Nimbin , the area began to attract so-called "alternative lifestylers" who were able to buy ex-dairying land at reasonable prices and re-invigorate the area with a range of pursuits and values of interest to a new generation, including an interest in owner-building of residences, experiments in communal living, environmental awareness and various artistic and creative activities, leading to badging of

5110-454: Was officially gazetted as a city on 9 September 1946, with grant of an official coat of arms on 29 January 1947. In the early 1950s, civic pride was boosted by a visit from the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II with her consort who visited the city in February 1954, staying at the city's Gollan Hotel. Television came to the city in 1956 and a local channel commenced broadcast in 1962 in the suburb of Goonellabah, which had been incorporated into

5183-434: Was recorded (reaching level 5 in March 2003) with one other period of lesser severity (level 1 restrictions) during the second half of 2007. Lismore is often hit by severe storms in spring and summer. For example, there was a severe hailstorm on 9 October 2007. A tornado is an extreme rarity, but later that same month one struck nearby Dunoon . It was captured on video as it hit an electrical transformer station there. In

5256-491: Was still the mainstay of transportation in Lismore, the principal operator being the North Coast Steam Navigation Company . The dairy industry was performing strongly, employing hundreds of small family-owned operations, the Lismore region becoming the centre for dairy production from the surrounding farms and the richest dairy district in Australia. The railway station had opened in 1894 as

5329-521: Was to cause problems in subsequent times), Lismore developed as an inland port owing to its location at the highest navigable point for large cargo-carrying vessels on the north arm of the Richmond, later renamed the Wilsons , River. For the second half of the 19th century the primary industries of the Lismore region continued to be cattle grazing and timber, supporting a growing economy and population and

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