cape byron headland reserve

breath taking beauty

Cape Byron deserves its international reputation as one of the most beautiful places in the world. It boasts rainforest, rugged cliff faces, stunning views of the hinterland and ocean, and outstanding vantage points for watching whales and dolphins from the headland. All this in an area of natural beauty, steeped in Aboriginal and European heritage.

Cape Byron is 3 km from the Byron Bay Post office on the New South Wales' far North Coast.

Keep Cape Byron beautiful for everyone and all times. Please leave dogs at home, take litter with you and keep to the walking tracks. Please restrain from lighting fires, picking flowers and collecting wood or stones.

the lighthouse

The Cape Byron Lighthouse stands 22 metres high, perched 94 metres above sea level on the crest of a windswept headland. The lighthouse was built in 1901 (from pre-cast concrete blocks) to reduce shipping hazards along a dangerous stretch of the coast.
With a beam equivalent to 2,200,000 candles, the light is one of the most powerful in the southern hemisphere. It is powered by a 1000 watt tungsten-halogen lamp and flashes every 15 seconds over a range of 27 nautical miles. The heavy two-metre diameter lens is supported by a mercury float bath and keeps rotating during the day to reduce the risk of fire from the sun's rays.
Cape Byron Lighthouse is still an important shipping aid today and is managed and maintained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

wonderful walks

Set aside at least two hours for a comfortable stroll around Cape Byron's 5km walking trail through coastal heath, littoral rainforest, banksia forest and many beautiful outlooks. Cape Byron is a NSW National Recreation Area managed by the Cape Byron Trust, a voluntary community body.

heritage & education

Cape Byron has a diverse cultural and natural heritage. Aboriginal heritage is not a thing of the past. Members of the Arakwal clan, who are the Aboriginal custodians of the Byron Bay area, take an active role to preserve traditional sites and retain cultural values.
Palm Valley, for example, is the site of the oldest midden in the region. Aborigines camped and ate pipis, fish and animals here for more than 1,000 years.
There are regular educational activities to enrich the Cape Byron experience for visitors of all ages, from fun holiday programs to special events during the popular whale watching season from July to October. Phone 02 6685 8807 for further information.

history

Constructed of prefabricated concrete blocks in 1901, the Cape Byron Lighthouse stands on the most eastery point of the Australian mainland and is Australia's most easterly lighthouse.
It is built in the James Barnet style, by his successor, Charles Harding. James Barnet, the New South Wales colonial architect, was renown for his towers having large ornate crowns and are easily distinguished.
The first-order optical lens, which weighs 8 tons, was made by the French company, Societe des Establishment, Henry Lepante, Paris. It contains 760 pieces of highly polished prismatic glass.
The original concentric six wick burner was 145,00 cd. This was replaced in 1922 by a vapourised kerosene mantle burner gave an of 500,000 cd.
In 1956 the light became Australia's most powerful, at 2,200,00 cd when it was converted to mains electricity. At the same time the clock mechanism was replaced by an electric motor.
An auxiliary fixed red light is also exhibited from the tower to cover Juan and Julian Rocks to the north east.
A great banquet was arranged for the opening in 1901 and many dignitaries, inluding the NSW Premier of the day John See, were invited. However due to adverse weather conditions the premiers ship was delayed by till the following day and the banquet was held without him. The opening by the Premier took place a day late on the Sunday.
It is interesting to note that Cape Byron was named by Captian Cook after John Byron, grandfather of the famous poet.

Courtesy Cape Byron Trust

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