Byron Shire is a local government area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The shire is located adjacent to the Coral Sea about south of the Queensland border. The shire, administered from the town of Mullumbimby, covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1906. The shire was named for Cape Byron, itself named by Captain James Cook in May 1770 in honour of Vice-Admiral John Byron.
Sarah Ndiaye of the Greens has served as Mayor since 2024.
History Byron Shire was created on 7 March 1906 under the as one of 134 local government areas in regional New South Wales. On 16 May 1906, a temporary council of five members was appointed to administer it, and elections were held in November. On 4 December, the council convened for the first time with William Baker as its inaugural president. William Baker was born in Great Stanmore, England. His cousin, Alfred Joseph Baker was the first person to score a goal in international football against Scotland in 1870.
On 1 July 1908, the Mullumbimby Municipality was created out of part of Byron. On 1 October 1980, the municipality and the shire were re-amalgamated by direction of the NSW Minister for Local Government.
Heritage listings The Byron Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: High Conservation Value Old Growth forest
Towns and localities
Byron (SE)
Byron Bay Bangalow Broken Head Coopers Shoot Ewingsdale Hayters Hill McLeods Shoot Newrybar (shared with Ballina) Skinners Shoot Suffolk Park Talofa Tyagarah
Mullumbimby/Brunswick (NE)
Mullumbimby Brunswick Heads Billinudgel Crabbes Creek Montecollum Mullumbimby Creek Myocum New Brighton Ocean Shores South Golden Beach The Pocket Wilsons Creek Wooyung (shared with Tweed) Yelgun
Other (W)
Binna Burra Booyong (shared with Lismore) Coorabell Eureka Federal Goonengerry Huonbrook Koonyum Range Main Arm Middle Pocket Nashua Palmwoods Possum Creek Upper Coopers Creek Upper Main Arm Upper Wilsons Creek Wanganui
Demographics In the 2021 census, there were 36,116 people in the Byron local government area, of these 47.9 per cent were male and 52.1 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 1.9 per cent of the population, which is lower than the national average of 3.2 per cent and lower than the NSW state average of 3.4 per cent. The median age of people in the Byron Shire area is 43 years (down from 44 in the 2016 census) which was slightly higher than the national median of 38 years. The ABS records marital status in everyone over the age of 15, in the Byron Shire 35.1 per cent of the population is married, whilst 15.9 per cent are divorced or separated, significantly more separated and divorced than the Australian average of 12 per cent.
Between 2011 and 2016 the population of the Byron Shire area increased 8 percent, this was a significant increase compared to the population growth between the 2006 and 2011 census which was 1.54 per cent. Whilst the growth since 2011 is similar to the Australian population growth on 8.8 percent, the growth in previous years, negative 0.51 per cent in 2001 to 2006 and 1.54 per cent in 2006 to 2011, is vastly different from the total population growth. This data suggests that Byron Shire's population is growing at an increasing rate much like the majority of Australia. Byron Shire has an average of 2.4 people per dwelling, the same as in the 2011 census, and on average there are 1.8 motor vehicles per dwelling. In terms of median income Byron Shire lags behind the Australian average, with the median personal income in Byron Shire being $596 and the Australian median income being $662. The gap is even larger in the median household income bracket grouping with the Australian national median being $1438 compared to Byron Shire's $1149.
In 2016, a large proportion of Byron Shire residents were born in Australia with 68.4 per cent of the population, 52 percent of the population have had both parents born in Australia, meaning less than half the population were first generation Australian or a migrant. The second largest country of origin was England with only 5.1 per cent, this reflects the diversity of those that aren't Australian born. Religion in Byron Shire was substantially different compared to the Australian population as a whole, 46.3 per cent of the Byron Shire population listed 'No Religion' in their 2016 census compared with only 25.1 per cent Australian wide. A total of 12.5 per cent of Byron Shire identified as Catholic contrasted to 24.7 per cent of Australia's population. The Byron Shire area had a significantly lower proportion of houses where two or more languages are spoken at 9 per cent compared to the national amount of 26.5. The vast majority of houses in Byron Shire, 81.1, spoke only English at home in the 2016 census, whereas 68.5 of houses Australia wide only spoke English at home.
Selected historical census data for the Byron Shire local government areaCensus year 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 200120062011 2016Population Estimated residents on census night LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales 61 58% of New South Wales population 0.42% 0.42%% of Australian population 0.15% 0.14% 0.14% 0.13%Cultural and language diversity Ancestry,top responses English 29.7% 27.9%Australian 25.7% 24.1%Irish 11.2% 10.5%Scottish 8.2% 8.0%German 4.0% 3.8%Language,top responses(other than English) German 1.0% 1.1% 1.1% 1.0%French 0.5% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7%Hebrew n/a 0.4% 0.6% 0.6%Italian 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.6%Spanish n/c 0.3% 0.4% 0.6%Religious affiliation Religious affiliation,top responses No Religion 24.4% 30.0% 37.6% 46.3%Catholic 18.0% 16.6% 15.9% 12.5% Anglican 19.0% 15.7% 14.0% 9.7%Uniting Church 5.9% 4.8% 3.9% 2.8%Buddhism n/c n/c 3.6% n/cMedian weekly incomes Personal income Median weekly personal income A$383 A$477 A$596% of Australian median income 82.2% 82.7% 89.7%Family income Median weekly family income A$1389% of Australian median income 79.6% 71.1% 77.6% Household income Median weekly household income A$1149% of Australian median income 71.9% 71.7% 77.3%
Population The table below gives a picture of the estimated resident population as at the census night. Between 1911 and 1966, data was sourced from the New South Wales Statistical Register, covering the Byron Shire and Mullumbimby Municipality. Since 1976, data was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the merged Byron Shire.
Estimated resident population Year Byron Shire MullumbimbyMunicipality Total Notes 1911 6,553 951 7,504 1921 8,299 1,329 9,628 1933 7,967 1,362 9,329 1947 8,784 1,609 10,393 1954 8,904 2,017 10,921 1961 8,505 1,964 10,469 1966 7,972 1,981 9,953
Council
Current composition and election method Byron Shire Council is composed of nine councillors, including the mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is directly elected, while the eight other councillors are elected proportionally to a single ward.
The most recent election was held on 14 September 2024, and the makeup of the council (including the mayor) is as follows:
PartyCouncillors Greens 4 Labor 2 Byron Shire Compass 1 Byron Independents 1 Bright Future Byron 1 Total 9
The current council, elected in 2024, in order of election, is:
CouncillorPartyNotes Sarah Ndiaye Greens Mayor since 2024 Elia Hauge Greens Asren Pugh Labor David Warth Byron Shire Compass Michael Lyon Byron Independents Mayor from 2021 until 2024 Delta Kay Greens Janet Swain Labor Michelle Lowe Greens Jack Dods Bright Future Byron
Election results 2024
2021
References