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Brunswick Heads

Coordinates: 28°32′0″S 153°33′0″E / 28.53333°S 153.55000°E / -28.53333; 153.55000
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Brunswick Heads
New South Wales
A view of Brunswick Heads, September 2024
Brunswick Heads is located in New South Wales
Brunswick Heads
Brunswick Heads
Coordinates28°32′0″S 153°33′0″E / 28.53333°S 153.55000°E / -28.53333; 153.55000
Population1,737 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2483
Location
LGA(s)Byron Shire
State electorate(s)Ballina
Federal division(s)Richmond

Brunswick Heads is a small town on the north coast of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire and it is 17 kilometres (11 mi) from the regional centre of Byron Bay.

It is located on the traditional lands of the Bundjalung Nation and, specifically, the Arakwal people although it also includes parts of the Minjungbal and Widjabal territories.[2][3]

At the 2016 census, the town had a population of 1,737 people.[1]

History

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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.[4]

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.[5] The Brunswick part of the name comes from its closeness to the Brunswick River, which was named for Caroline of Brunswick.[6]

Poet and painter Edwin Wilson (1942–2022) started school at Brunswick Heads, as recorded in his 2000 autobiography The Mullumbimby Kid.[7][8]

Geography

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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.[9][10]

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.[9][10]

Brunswick Heads has a 30 minutes travelling time from both Gold Coast Airport and the Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport, and it is 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of the Queensland border.[9] The Pacific Highway bypassed Brunswick Heads in 1998.[11]

Arts and culture

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  • A popular local venue is the Brunswick Picture House which operates out of an old cinema.[12][13] It opened, in its current form in March 2016, and now hosts a wide variety of entertainment including: film, circus, cabaret, comedy and live music.[14]
  • The Brunswick Heads Library services the local community and operates out of a former church.[15]

Economy

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
19661,069—    
19711,210+13.2%
19761,402+15.9%
19811,877+33.9%
19861,585−15.6%
19911,662+4.9%
19961,835+10.4%
20011,861+1.4%
20061,614−13.3%
20111,450−10.2%
20161,559+7.5%
20211,686+8.1%
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data.[16][17]

Brunswick Heads has a number of cafes, restaurants, accommodation and specialty shops. It also offers a range of leisure activities all year round, and hosts a number of small-scale community and family-oriented festivals and events.[9][10]

One popular event, held in January each year, is the 'Brunswick Heads Woodchop' which is one of the largest woodchopping events in Australia and it has been running since 1928 with the original aim being to raise money for the footbridge.[18][19][20][21]

[edit]
  • The town was the location for the cult 1980s comedy series Brunswick Heads Revisited (a send-up of Waugh's Brideshead Revisited), broadcast across Australia by the ABC.[22][23][24]
  • The fourth series of the ABC TV drama series, SeaChange, was filmed there in 2019.[10][25]
[edit]
  • The jetty at Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour, 2014
    The jetty at Brunswick Heads Boat Harbour, 2014
  • Brunswick River facing east (toward the sea), 2014
    Brunswick River facing east (toward the sea), 2014
  • Picnic area in Brunswick Heads featuring Bundjalung words,2024
    Picnic area in Brunswick Heads featuring Bundjalung words,2024
  • Brunswick Heads Main Beach, 2025
    Brunswick Heads Main Beach, 2025
  • Brunswick Heads footbridge, 2025
    Brunswick Heads footbridge, 2025
  • Brunswick Heads Library, 2025
    Brunswick Heads Library, 2025

References

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  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Brunswick Heads (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  2. ^ "'Walking taller': Byron Bay native title claim approved 20 years after application". ABC News. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Aboriginal Cultural Heritage". Byron Shire Council. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  4. ^ "History of Brunswick Heads". Brunswick Heads. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  5. ^ "GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ACT, 1966". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales. No. 71. New South Wales, Australia. 2 July 1971. p. 2404. Retrieved 14 November 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Brunswick Heads (locality)". NSW Geographical Names Board. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Poetry | Edwin Wilson". Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  8. ^ Wilson, Edwin; Wilson, Edwin, 1942-2022 (2000), The Mullumbimby kid : a portrait of the poet as a child (New ed.), Woodbine Press, ISBN 978-0-949557-18-6{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ a b c d "Brunswick Heads. Simple Pleasures - Official Website". www.brunswickheads.org.au. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d "Brunswick Heads, North Coast – Surf, accommodation & restaurants | Visit NSW". www.visitnsw.com. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Brunswick Heads Bypass". Roads and Traffic Authority. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007.
  12. ^ Chenery, Susan (22 May 2018). "How two fringe cabaret promoters saw the Brunswick Heads Picture House reborn". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  13. ^ "The Brunswick Picture House – The Birth of a Cultural Hub". Carnival Cinema. 29 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 March 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  14. ^ "History » Brunswick Picture House NSW". Brunswick Picture House NSW. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Brunswick Heads Library". rtrl.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Statistics by Catalogue Number". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Search Census data". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Brunswick Heads Woodchop | NSW Holidays & Accommodation, Things to Do, Attractions and Events". www.visitnsw.com. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Brunswick Heads. Simple Pleasures - Festivals and Events". www.brunswickheads.org.au. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Brunswick Heads". The Northern Star. Vol. 54. New South Wales, Australia. 3 March 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 24 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Brunswick Heads". The Northern Star. Vol. 54. New South Wales, Australia. 11 February 1930. p. 3. Retrieved 24 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Angela Webber & Adam Bowen – Brunswick Heads Revisited (1982, Cassette)". discogs.com.
  23. ^ "High Riser: Revisting [sic] Brunswick Heads Revisited". highriser.blogspot.com.au. 13 January 2010.
  24. ^ "Obituaries - A comic delighted by the absurdities of life". smh.com.au. 22 March 2007.
  25. ^ Sullivan, Rebecca (7 August 2019). "This is exactly where the SeaChange reboot is filmed". Now To Love. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
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