Our Community
Some discussion exists as to how Ballina got its name. Some believe it was named after the Irish town of Ballina, but this is unlikely. The more plausible explanation is that the name is derived from an Indigenous Australian word meaning "place of many oysters". We like this!
Airport
The major airport for the region servicing Byron Bay and Lismore is also in Ballina.
The airport has links to many of the eastern state capitals and regional airports, with Rex, Jetstar, and Virgin Blue each operating services.
Ballina Airport is located in Southern Cross Drive and is 5kms from the Ballina CBD. The Airport is a 10 min road trip to Lennox Head , 20 mins to Byron Bay and 30 mins to Evans Head. Convenience Plus.
History
A lighthouse, Richmond River Light, was first constructed in Ballina in 1866. The temporary lighthouse was replaced with the current one, designed by James Barnet, in 1879, and first lit in 1880. It is still active.
Ballina has a number of famous "landfalls" associated with it. In 1928, Charles Kingsford Smith's plane, the Southern Cross, crossed the coast over Ballina after its epic journey across the Pacific Ocean. Ballina had a festival associated with the event during the 1970s and 1980s, and a school in East Ballina bears the name "Southern Cross".
Ballina Bypass
The long awaited Ballina bypass project will upgrade 12.4 km of dual carriageway road, extending from south of Ballina at the intersection of the Bruxner and Pacific Highways to north of Ballina at the intersection with Ross Lane at Tintenbar. Twelve km of local roads will be upgraded.
Early works started in April 2008 with commencement of substantial works on 16 June 2008. The Cumbalum to Ross Lane section was due to and in fact did open by early 2011 (the bypass was extended an extra .5 km to allow for a better connection to the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Project) with full completion mid 2012.
Future
We look forward to a positive future for all in the region.
Showers