Byron Bay is known for its numerous beautiful beaches, unspoilt hinterland, and relaxed lifestyle.
Quick facts
The population of Byron Bay is about 5,000 people, the median age is 42 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 1.3% of the population.
Byron Bay is located within the North Coast Primary Health Network, these fact sheets provide an overview of the health needs of the North Coast community.
Byron Bay is located just off the Pacific Highway on the north coast of NSW, 800 km north of Sydney, 175 km south of Brisbane and about 90 km south of the Gold Coast.
Cape Byron is mainland Australia’s most easterly point. Cape Byron Headland is a great spot for watching dolphins, turtles, surfers and even humpback whales on their annual migration.
The closest airport to Byron Bay is located in Ballina, a 30min drive south. Ballina Regional Airport provides direct links to Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle. Jetstar, Rex and Virgin Australia offer daily direct services to Sydney, while Jetstar also provides daily direct services to Melbourne and Rex to Newcastle.
Gold Coast Domestic and International Airport is a 60min drive north with direct flights to Sydney, Melbourne (Tullamarine and Avalon), Cairns, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Rockhampton and Townsville. International destinations include Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Wuhan (China), Narita-Tokyo (Japan), Fiji and New Zealand.
North Coast CountryLink, with its network of trains and coaches, provides safe and reliable transport from all parts of NSW, Melbourne and Brisbane to Byron Bay.
The main industries people from Byron Bay work in are:
- Accommodation and Food Services,
- Retail trade,
- Health Care and Social Assistance,
- Education and training
- Manufacturing
- Construction
Byron District Hospital is a level 2 rural hospital with fewer than 50 beds. It provides care to over 1,400 patients every year. The hospital undertakes over 430 surgical procedures and sees over 12,300 emergency attendances annually. Services that are available at Byron District Hospital include aged care, cancer care unit, Emergency Department, general medical, pathology, palliative care and medical imaging.
Byron Bay Community Health Centre provides a wide range of accessible healthcare services including, audiometry, cardiac rehabilitation program, heart failure program, occupational therapy and diabetes education, just to name a few.
There are a number of larger hospitals located on the Gold Coast (around one hours’ drive from Byron Bay).
Byron Bay is supported by NSW ambulance service.
Cape Byron Medical Centre
Carlyle Street Medical Centre
North Coast Medical Centre
The Bright Side Clinic
Byron Bay has one public and three private primary schools and one public and one private secondary school.
- Byron Bay Public School
- Byron Bay Community School
- St Finbarr’s Catholic Primary School
- Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School (K-12)
- Byron Bay High School
There is also SAE Byron Bay Campus.
Southern Cross University is situated at Lismore, which is a 46 minute drive from Byron Bay.
For young families the Byron Bay region offers a wide range of options suitable for children from 6 weeks to school aged, for occasional care, long day care, family day care and pre-school.
Bryon Bay has a number of supermarkets and food stores including Woolworths, Aldi, SUPA IGA, and SPAR Express. Big name stores include Witchery, Sportsgirl, and Mimco Clothing store. There are also an array of unique shops and boutiques along Jonson, Lawson and Fletcher Streets, the Arts and Industry Estate, and the Byron Bay markets which are always fun to browse.
Ballina, just over half an hour away, is well serviced with a number of shopping precincts.
There are many places of worship in Byron Bay including Anglican, Australian Christian, Catholic, C3, Eastgate, Jehovah’s Witness, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist and Uniting, Bahai Faith and Chabad.
Bodhitree Forest Monastery and Retreat Centre is 50 minutes away in Tullera and the Australian Tibetan Buddhist Centre (ATBC) is 45 minutes away in Smith Creek.
Byron Bay is a chic seaside town with glorious beaches, a New Age tinge, and loads of style. It features a number of attractions including idyllic beaches, stunning nature parks and a thriving arts and culture scene.
Visit the Byron Bay Farmers Markets for fresh produce or be pampered at one of the many Spa Retreats in the region. There are also an array of art galleries or activities for those of you wanting to be more adventurous such surfing, stand up paddle boarding, golf, gliding, hot air ballooning, hang gliding and skydiving.
