Billinudgel, New South Wales

Billinudgel is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, and is part of Byron Shire.^[2] The Murwillumbah railway line once passed through the town and a railway station was opened there in 1894.^[3][4]

Billinudgel New South Wales
Shops in Wilfred Street—Billinudgel's main street
Billinudgel
Coordinates	28°30′S 153°32′E
Population	261 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	30.15/km2 (78.09/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	2483
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Area	8.657 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Location	780 km (485 mi) from Sydney 147 km (91 mi) from Brisbane 23 km (14 mi) from Byron Bay
LGA(s)	Byron Shire Council
State electorate(s)	Ballina
Federal division(s)	Richmond
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 23.7 °C 75 °F 16.5 °C 62 °F 1,723.5 mm 67.9 in

The area was bypassed by a heavily upgraded Pacific Highway in July 2007, home to the NSW RFS Billinudgel/Ocean Shores Brigade from 1976.^[5][6]

The traditional owners of this land are the Minjungbal people of the Bundjalung nation.^[7][8]

Place name

The name Billinudgel is derived from Bundjalung Bilihnadhihl, meaning "once belonged to a parrot" or "place of the king parrot".^{[9][10][11][12]} During the period of early European settlement it was also referred to as Billy Nudgel and Billy Mooghill and spelling variations carried on for many years.^[11][13]

History

European settlement began in Billinudgel in the 1840s and consisted mainly of "cedar-getters" that harvested and milled cedar trees which were then rafted down the Brunswick River to Brunswick Heads where they were then shipped to Sydney.^[8]

Construction of the Murwillumbah railway line began is 1884 and, due to the influx of workers on the railway line, the population of the area increased and this prompted the construction of the towns first hotel, The Tramway Hotel which was constructed in 1892.^[8][14] This hotel would later burn down in 1898 and, after reconstruction, again in September 1906.^[15][16] In 1914 the hotel would be renamed as The New Brighton Hotel and in 1995 The Billinudgel Hotel.^[8]

The Billinudgel Public School was also opened there in 1893 and it closed in 1993.^[17][11]

Work in the Billinudgel area of the railway was completed in December 1894 when the Billinudgel railway station was completed which led to a rapid decline in population in the immediate aftermath.^[3][4] Despite this the introduction of the railway line did lead to increased employment opportunities and the variety of work available as goods could easily be transported from the area and many local farmers began dairy farming and, from the 1920s, banana farming.^[8]

The Billinudgel railway station closed on 11 November 1980 as demand decreased.^[8]

Gallery

• 
  Wilfred Street, approaching the town Centre
• 
  A private residence in Wilfred Street, that once housed the fire appliances before the Station was built.
• 
  Billinudgel Hotel