Museums and Heritage

The Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum has an extensive collection of naval and maritime memorabilia celebrating life at sea. Displays include a replica naval mess deck, model ships, a 21 inch torpedo and hundreds of photographs and paintings.

One of the main attractions of the museum is the La Balsas raft. The raft is one of only three that made an epic journey from Ecuador to Australia in 1973.  The raft is surprisingly intact and there are lots of photographs and artefacts, relating to the voyage, on display. If you have time, there is also a 50 minute video that may be viewed, depicting the construction of the raft and the voyage to Australia.

Constructed of concrete blocks and standing 18 metres tall, the Cape Byron Lighthouse is Australia's most easterly lighthouse. Standing 118 metres above sea level, the halogen light can be seen up to 27 nautical miles away.

The large ornate crown of the lighthouse is a trademark feature of the architect James Barnet, the lighthouse being built by his successor, Charles Harding. The optical lens, weighing 8 tons and containing 760 pieces of prismatic glass, was specially made by a Parisian company. The original six wick burner light was replaced in 1922 by a vapourised kerosene mantle burner, more than tripling output. The light became Australia's most powerful in 1956, when it was converted to mains electricity. 

In 1998, ownership of the Cape Byron reserve was handed over to the Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales. The reserve is leased to the Cape Byron Headland Reserve Trust who maintain the site, and it is currently used as a base for whale watching.

Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre celebrates the original inhabitants of the area, the Minjungbal people. Implements and relics relating to the people's history are still being discovered today, expanding our knowledge of indigenous culture.

The Centre comprises an office and shop, refreshment kiosk, a fine museum, art gallery and an amphitheatre for outdoor performances. You can also take advantage of the walking track, mangrove boardwalk and picnic facilities equipped with electric barbecues.

Indigenous officers offer guided interpretive tours to visitors through the museum and site, its relics, flora and fauna.

The Historical Society and Museum is housed in the original Tweed Shire Hall at Murwillumbah and features fascinating displays of farm equipment, geological specimens, household items and military memorabilia.

The museum also features a Radio Room dedicated to civilian and military radio equipment and other technological collections including cameras, clocks and gramaphones. 

The museum houses an extensive collection of publications and photographs recording the lives of the pioneer families and agricultural and industrial development of the area.