39-669: Mullumbimby , locally nicknamed Mullum , is a town in the Byron Shire in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales , Australia. It promotes itself as "The Biggest Little Town in Australia". The town lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about 9 kilometres (5.5 miles) by road from the coast. At the 2021 census , Mullumbimby and the surrounding area had a population of 3,589 people. It
78-456: A single ward . The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council (including the mayor) is as follows: The current council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is: Big Scrub The Big Scrub was the largest area of lowland subtropical rainforest in eastern Australia. It was intensively cleared for agricultural use in the 19th century (1801–1900) by settlers. Less than 1% now remains. Located on
117-606: A greater effort to conserve the few remaining remnants of the Big Scrub. The major remnants are: the Booyong Flora Reserve , Victoria Park Nature Reserve , Davis Scrub Nature Reserve , Boatharbour, and Hayters Hill Nature Reserve . These remnants have been subject to ecological restoration projects which involves the removal of invasive non-native weeds. Big Scrub remnants have become a source of native foods for cropping, especially in recent years. These include
156-604: A highly significant Aboriginal site. Slater and some other researchers believe the inscriptions on the stones contain the earliest form of human language. Others regard this as pure pseudoscience. There is claimed to have been intentional destruction of the site and the 1930s-described stones have disappeared. Mullumbimby is a hotspot for conspiracy theorists in Australia. Many locals are hippies or live alternative lifestyles. The town has low vaccination rates and many locals have protested against vaccines, 5G technology and water fluoridation amongst other causes. Mullumbimby
195-514: A population growth of 8 percent, this is a significant increase compared to the population growth between the 2006 and 2011 census which was 1.54 per cent. Whilst the growth since 2011 is similar to the Australian population growth on 8.8 percent, the growth in previous years, negative 0.51 per cent in 2001 to 2006 and 1.54 per cent in 2006 to 2011, is vastly different from the total population growth. This data suggests that Byron Shire's population
234-465: A significantly lower proportion of houses where two or more languages are spoken at 9 per cent compared to the national amount of 26.5. The vast majority of houses in Byron Shire, 81.1, speak only English at home whereas 68.5 of houses Australia wide only speak English at home. The table below gives a picture of the estimated resident population as at the census night . Between 1911 and 1966, data
273-519: A temporary council of five members was appointed to administer it, and elections were held in November. On 4 December, the council convened for the first time with William Baker as its inaugural president. William Baker was born in Great Stanmore , England. His cousin, Alfred Joseph Baker was the first person to score a goal in international football against Scotland in 1870. On 1 July 1908,
312-476: Is England with only 5.1 per cent, this reflects the diversity of those that aren't Australian born. Religion in Byron Shire is substantially different compared to the Australian population as a whole, 46.3 per cent of the Byron Shire population listed 'No Religion' in their 2016 census compared with only 25.1 per cent Australian wide. A total of 12.5 per cent of Byron Shire identified as Catholic contrasted to 24.7 per cent of Australia's population. Byron Shire area had
351-524: Is a local government area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales , Australia . The shire is located adjacent to the Coral Sea about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of the Queensland border. The shire, administered from the town of Mullumbimby , covers an area of 566.7 square kilometres (218.8 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1906. The shire
390-401: Is a hot spot for the anti-vaccination movement. As of 2013, the town ' s vaccination rate was the lowest in Australia, with only 46% to 49% of children aged one, two and five years old in the 2482 postcode fully immunised, in contrast with a state average in the low 90s. In Mullumbimby, between 2015 and 2016 only 52% of five year olds were fully vaccinated, compared to the national average at
429-497: Is because of the proximity of Mount Chincogan , Chincogan is probably too prominent in the landscape to fit the name. An alternative theory is that it refers to another smaller and rounder hill. Suggestions include a medium hill to the north of Left Bank road, on which the towns water tower is located, or a smaller hill on Coolamon Scenic Drive, situated on the Daly Family Farm, near the current golf course. This latter hill
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#1732779780015468-453: Is close to the localities of Ocean Shores , Brunswick Heads and Wilsons Creek . Its hinterland area includes the locales of Goonengerry, Huonbrook, Koonyum Range, Main Arm, Montecollum, Palmwoods, Wanganui and Wilsons Creek and coincides with the postcode area of 2482 which has a diamond shape of around 35 km by 45 km. The main geographical feature of Mullumbimby, Mount Chincogan,
507-441: Is even larger in the median household income bracket grouping with the Australian national median being $ 1438 compared to Byron Shire's $ 1149. A large proportion of Byron Shire residents are born in Australia with 68.4 per cent of the population, 52 percent of the population have had both parents born in Australia, meaning less than half the population is first generation Australian or a migrant. The second largest country of origin
546-400: Is growing at an increasing rate much like the majority of Australia. Byron Shire has an average of 2.4 people per dwelling, the same as in the 2011 census, and on average there are 1.8 motor vehicles per dwelling. In terms of median income Byron Shire lags behind the Australian average, with the median personal income in Byron Shire being $ 596 and the Australian median income being $ 662. The gap
585-475: Is known for its hippie subculture, and it has been referred to as "Australia's anti-vaxxer capital". The Bundjalung people were the first people who lived in the area of Mullumbimby before the arrival of Europeans and remain the traditional owners of this place. The first European to explore the area was Captain Henry Rous in 1828. The area was used for dairy farming and fruit growing. In 2022,
624-452: Is located at Laverty's Gap near Mullumbimby. This inverter plant was previously the site of a 288 kW hydroelectric power scheme that powered Mullumbimby, Byron Bay and Bangalow from 1926, using water from a weir in nearby Wilsons Creek . The scheme was the fourth hydro electric power station in NSW and only the fifth on mainland Australia. Powering Mullumbimby for the first time in 1925,
663-465: Is possibly supported by the abundant grass flats which surrounded it, known as Mullumbimby Grass. These naturally open grass flats, presumably hunting grounds for the local Bundjalung tribes, were later used by early European timber hunters to graze their bullock teams. The significance of this area lay not only in the feed it provided, but that some grasses in the naturally cleared area aided bullocks which had swallowed salt water when dragging timber into
702-577: Is still possible to see the shallow region where the bullocks made the crossing of the Brunswick River, under the current "Federation Bridge" on Murwillumbah Road. The name "Mullumbimby", meaning "small round hill", was given to the district by Aboriginal people. The name is derived from the Bandjalung-Yugambeh dialect mulubinba (possibly also pertaining to a native fern which grew in the vicinity). Although some sources claim this
741-629: The COVID-19 pandemic , despite state government-mandated restrictions, many businesses in Mullumbimby welcomed unvaccinated and unmasked individuals into their businesses, saying that the mandates imposed by the government were discriminatory. The Mullumbimby Giants is the local rugby league club that competes in the Northern Rivers Regional Rugby League competition. Byron Shire Byron Shire
780-604: The North Coast of New South Wales , between what is now the towns of Byron Bay (east) and Lismore (west), the core Big Scrub area consisted of an estimated 900 square kilometres of subtropical rainforest. It primarily grows on fertile basalt and floodplain derived soils. The Big Scrub existed in the Bundjalung Aboriginal Nation. Traditionally the Bundjalung (particularly those that spoke
819-419: The 2011 census, compared to the national percentages there is a large difference. Of the Australian population aged 15 and older 48.1 per cent of the population is married and 11.7 per cent of the population is divorced or separated. This shows that Byron Shire has a large discrepancy in marital status compared to the rest of the nation. Population in the Byron Shire area has increased since the 2011 census with
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#1732779780015858-409: The Brunswick River. The line opened in 1894 and was closed in 2004 because of an argument over funding between federal and state politicians, despite community resistance across the region. Closure of the railway line between Murwillumbah and Casino has reduced transport options in the region. The Brunswick River starts in Mullumbimby, at the meeting of Main Arm and Mullumbimby creeks. Mullumbimby
897-675: The Mullumbimby Municipality was created out of part of Byron. On 1 October 1980, the municipality and the shire were re-amalgamated by direction of the NSW Minister for Local Government . The Byron Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: In the 2016 census , there were 31,556 people in the Byron local government area, of these 48.2 per cent were male and 51.8 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.8 per cent of
936-529: The Russian television broadcaster Channel One . Once the most notable specimens of the valuable timber trees had been collected (most notably red cedar, but also Australian Teak , Hoop Pine , Rosewood , Silky Oak and Black and Red Bean ), the Big Scrub timber trade collapsed and Mullumbimby became primarily a farming community. Like many areas of the Big Scrub , allotments were given in Mullumbimby and
975-537: The Widgjabal language of the Bundjalung nation) traversed it via walking trails, and maintained a few grassed clearings for camping and hunting within the rainforest. Rainforest bushfood were a regular part of the traditional Bundjalung diet, including staples like black bean, Castanospermum australe , which is detoxified before eating. The Big Scrub was dominated by white booyong ( Heritiera trifoliolata ) and Australian red cedar ( Toona australis ). The latter
1014-443: The population (up from 13.3 per cent). This change over the 5-year period shows evidence of an increasingly ageing population in the Byron Shire which is in line with predictions of the nations future increase in age. The ABS records marital status in everyone over the age of 15, in Byron Shire 37.1 per cent of the population is married whilst 18.1 per cent are divorced or separated. Whilst there has been little change in Byron since
1053-515: The population, which is lower than the national and averages of 2.8 per cent and lower than the NSW state average of 2.9 per cent. The median age of people in the Byron Shire area is 44 years (up from the 42 in the 2011 census) which was slightly higher than the national median of 38 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 16.8 per cent of the population (down from 18.5 in the 2011 census) and people aged 65 years and over made up 16.9 per cent per cent of
1092-419: The scheme made Mullumbimby one of the first country towns in NSW to receive electricity. Although decommissioned in 1990, it is now of state heritage significance. The hydroelectric scheme was designed by William Corin (1867–1929). The site is being considered for pumped-storage hydroelectricity . The Mullumbimby Star , which was published under a number of names over its history, was a newspaper published in
1131-588: The surf for collection by nearby ships. Mullumbimby was a separate municipality from 1908 until 1980 when it was forced to amalgamate with the Byron Shire . The Byron Shire Council offices were relocated to Mullumbimby in September 1996. Byron Shire, including Mullumbimby and nearby Byron Bay , became a centre of alternative or counter culture alongside the extant mainstream culture in the 1970s and 1980s, and remains so today. The male choir Dustyesky performs Russian-language folk songs and received major coverage on
1170-566: The surrounding areas by the New South Wales government on the condition that the owner cleared the land for agricultural use. Beef and dairy, along with bananas and sugar cane have traditionally been the notable products of the area. However, the subdivision of many of the larger farms and the emergence of numerous small scale farmers has led to a higher diversity of products. A weekly farmers' market has been developed to exhibit local produce. A static inverter plant of HVDC Directlink
1209-482: The time of 92.9%. Richmond Valley , a region close to Mullumbimby, had the lowest overall vaccination rate, in part due to a high number of "conscientious objectors" to the practice. Health officials have cited education and timely reminders as key factors in improving the vaccination rate. The Byron Shire, in which Mullumbimby is situated, is also the only remaining local government area in the Northern Rivers region to reject fluoridation of its water supply. During
Mullumbimby - Misplaced Pages Continue
1248-476: The town from 1902 to 1982. Mullumbimby has several heritage-listed sites and the controversial Slater mounds have been nominated as local heritage. The best known heritage sites include: In the 2021 Census, there were 3,589 people in Mullumbimby. 70.4% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England at 5.9%, New Zealand at 1.9% and Germany at 1.6%. 81.0% of people spoke only English at home. The most common response for religion
1287-480: The town was affected by floods. In the 1850s Europeans had established a camp site at the junction of two arms of the Brunswick River . This grew to become a village and later the township of Mullumbimby. Mullumbimby was originally a centre for the timber industry. Notably, red cedar was collected in great quantities from around the area, a part of the far northern New South Wales' " Big Scrub ". The town
1326-476: Was No Religion at 59.2%, followed by Not stated 10.3%, Catholic 7.7%, Anglican 5.9% and Buddhism 2.9%. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.8% of the population in 2016. English, Australian, Irish, Scottish and German are the most common ancestries. Mullumbimby is about 4 kilometres (2 mi) west of the Pacific Highway , near where the now closed Murwillumbah railway line crosses
1365-402: Was a logical site for settlement by the timber hunters, as the Brunswick River is tidal in the town and navigable to that point, allowing logs to be floated down the river to its mouth at Brunswick Heads . The town's central location gave access to most of the catchment area, and it provided the best position for bullock teams to cross the river with their wagons loaded with timber. At low tide it
1404-638: Was a minor lava plug of the now extinct Tweed shield volcano . The nearby Mount Warning was the main plug. Reported stones arrangement on the Slater mounds on the western side of Saddle Ridge is thought by some to date back to the Paleolithic Age , and pre-dates Stonehenge . The arrangements were communicated in the late 1930s by the Brunswick Heads headmaster to Mr Frederic Slater who attempted to make headlines across Australia with this as
1443-522: Was eagerly sought by the 'cedar getters' for its fine quality timber. The cedar getters were the first non-indigenous people to exploit the Big Scrub area. Later, the Government of New South Wales gave allotments to potential farmers on the basis that they cleared it of rainforest. Hence, most of the Big Scrub was cleared, and the surviving Bundjalung were placed into reservations. In the 20th century, interest in rainforest and conservation resulted in
1482-592: Was named for Cape Byron , itself named by Captain James Cook in May 1770 in honour of Vice-Admiral John Byron . Michael Lyon was first elected mayor to fill a casual vacancy on 13 May 2021 and then popularly elected at the council elections on 4 December 2021. Byron Shire was created on 7 March 1906 under the Shires Act 1906 (NSW) as one of 134 local government areas in regional New South Wales. On 16 May 1906,
1521-590: Was sourced from the New South Wales Statistical Register, covering the Byron Shire and Mullumbimby Municipality. Since 1976, data was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the merged Byron Shire. Byron Shire Council is composed of nine councillors , including the mayor , for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is directly-elected , while the eight other councillors are elected proportionally to
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