Ballina trip planner

Ballina is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of the Ballina Shire local government area. Ballina's urban population at the was 15,963. A larger area including Lennox Head had an estimated population of 25,194 at 30 June 2015. The town lies on the Richmond River and serves as a gateway to Byron Bay.EtymologyBallina's etymology is not entirely certain. The town was most probably named after the Irish town of Ballina. A recent theory has emerged, without historical evidence, that a more likely source is a Bundjalung word, "bullinah", meaning "place of many oysters". This theory argues that the Aboriginal name reminded the predominantly Irish settlers of "Ballina", so the name's origin could be an accidental or deliberate corruption of the Aboriginal form.HistoryBallina was established in the 1840s on the northern shore of the Richmond River near Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point. A lighthouse, Richmond River Light, was first constructed in Ballina in 1866, which served as a significant port in the region. The temporary lighthouse was replaced with the current one, designed by James Barnet, in 1879, and first lit in 1880. It is still active. A branch railway line connected Ballina with the Murwillumbah railway line railway at Booyong. The line was opened on 24 August 1930 and closed on 12 January 1949.