Bangalow is a small town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire. The town is 765 km north of Sydney and 167 km south of Brisbane, just off the Pacific Highway. It is on the Lands of the Bundjalung people. The town's name is thought to have been derived from a Bundjalung word in the Wibadhabi dialect, 'bangalla', said to mean 'a low hill' or 'a kind of palm tree'.

History

Bangalow's historic streetscape, monthly market and proximity to the popular tourist resort of Byron Bay has increased its appeal as a tourist destination. Timber cutters established a camp on the banks of Byron Creek in the 1840s but it was not until the 1880s that a town appeared on the site. For a brief time, from at least the 1893, the town was known as 'Granuaile', likely after the Irish pirate-queen Granuaile and this name was chosen by early settles from the region with Irish heritage. This is seen in the first naming of the railway station and in the naming of one of the local pubs. It was renamed Bangalow, often spelt Bangaloe, from 1894. The modern spelling was clarified in 1907. In recent years Bangalow has become a pleasant stop for holiday-makers and day-trippers as its main street is lined with cafes and boutique-shops. Organic produce grown nearby is a regular feature in the cafes and at the monthly farmers market. The village is home to a number of heritage buildings with many of these built in the style Federation architecture. Information about many of these heritage buildings are available via a self-guided tour called the Bangalow Heritage Walk. Some of these heritage buildings are: Bangalow is also home to the Bangalow Heritage House Museum which gives information about the town and regions history; this museum is run by the Bangalow Historical Society It is located in an Queenslander-style wooden building on the corner of Ashton and Deacon Streets.

Markets and events

Bangalow is home to the weekly Bangalow Farmers' Market which are held Saturday mornings, from 8am - 11am. These markets feature a variety of local farmers and producers and have been running since 2004. Each month (on the 4th Sunday) the Bangalow Markets are held, at the showgrounds and these markets have been operating since 1982. Additionally number of major events are held in Bangalow each year and these include the following annual events:

Population

At the, Bangalow had a population of 2,260 people. 73.1% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 7.1%, New Zealand 3.0% and United States of America 1.2%. 84.2% of people only spoke English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 61.38%, Catholic 11.8%, Not stated 9.6% and Anglican 7.1%.

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