Type : Station
Line : Murwillumbah Branch
Distance from Sydney : 882.859km
Opened : 15 May 1894
Closed : 16 May 2004
Status : Closed (reused)
Name meaning : Named by Lieutenant James Cook for RN officer John Byron
Notes : Up platform is 152.4 metres long.
Steam excursion to Byron Bay, May 1970 (Byron Bay Visions)
Whaling was carried out in Byron Bay through the 1950s and 60s. (EJ Wright Collection, Byron Bay Library)
Halden Boyd:
"Usually taken by rail line from the old Byron Jetty to the whale works by the 8 tonne "Green Frog" loco which could pull 150 tonnes. The Green Frog is preserved in a shed on the remaining Byron rail line."
Greg Mashiah:
"Whaling did not commence at Byron Bay until 1954 with the first whale being taken on 29 July. Here is an article to a story about the whaling station being under construction in May 1954 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96392055"
An air of desolation attends this view of Byron Bay station, taken about 1896. The buildings are already in need of a coat of paint, subjected as they were to the harsh, humid climate of the area. The low-level 'passenger landing', provided in lieu of the standard-height platforms on this railway, is obvious, as is the abnormal height of the main building - a concession to the summer heat by providing taller ceilings, or a necessity to ensure that the verandah awning is still at a safe height above the carriage platforms?
Byron Bay - Jetty Goods Siding, around 1920 (Tweed Museum)
Railway station at Byron Bay, N.S.W. - early 1900s
44210+4417 N4 GCM Byron Bay 04-09-1976
Photo by Bob Richardson
Byron Bay (Undated)
Byron Bay station (1960s) (Ivor Jones)
Byron Bay Railway Station around the 1930s. Photo: Richmond Tweed Regional Library
Location of Byron Bay station (Six Maps)
Byron Bay jett, undated, Lyn Platt
Railway employees picnic train to Byron Bay mid 1980's (Kenneth Fagan)
Carolyn Woodeson:
Some of my best childhood memories are of the Railway Picnic. Getting up before the crack of dawn. Waiting out the front of our house ( which was right beside the tracks) while Dad lit the kero lantern to signal the train to stop and pick us up. The trip down with lollies and red seal chips and fruit being handed out to us. Mum always winning at least one ham and usually in the ' hammer and nail' comp. Catching up with other Railway families ( some of which you would only get to see at the picnic) But best of all, it was a whole day at the beach! For some of us living inland it was the only time during the year that you'd get to see the beach. You'd come home sunburnt and usually sick from all the junk food you ate and exhausted! But we didn't care and would st
Sydney-bound Gold Coast Motorail at Byron Bay, 1985
Byron Bay (undated)
Undated image of everyone's favourite amphibian at Byron Bay (SLNSW)
Byron Bay - Jetty Goods Siding, around 1920 (Tweed Museum)
Byron Bay, 1920s
Byron Bay, 1996 (Bill Blannin Collection)
Brian Parkes the custodian of the Jetty Engine aka The Green Frog at the Byron Bay Railway Station precinct before it got lowered into its new glass sided home located on the south end of the platform. Ballina Slipway did a full strip , sandblast and paint restoration over the past 5 months . I will be doing the interior lighting and audio system hopefully over the next few weeks (voluntary labor and materials) with an official opening to be announced later . Check out the Byron Bay Historical Society website for other items of interest .
http://byronbayhistoricalsociety.org.au/
Byron Bay (NSW Railway Archives)
Byron Bay, undated
Railwaymen's Annual Picnic, Byron Bay 7/11/1938
Simplex locomotive and C class tram 37 in the siding near the Byron Bay meatworks 4/11/1961(Lindsay Bridge)
The Jetty Engine aka Green Frog is having its new home built utilising the old luggage shed at the south end of the Byron Bay Railway Station.
Two sides will be glass giving residents and visitors a view 24/7 . Lighting and audio will bring our towns locomotive history alive .
(text and images from Byron Bay Museum)
Byron Bay Railway Station and precinct. 2021 (Geoff Bensley)
Byron Bay, undated, probably early 1900s
Byron Bay Railway Station, 1900.
Byron Bay jetty, c.1912 (Coffs Collection)
Byron Bay (Undated)
Byron Bay - after 1907 (Byron Bay Historical Society)
Original plans of various buildings at Byron Bay
The Green Frog at Byron Bay, undated (Records NSW)
Goods train in the loop at Byron Bay (undated) (Records NSW)
Byron Bay, 1923
Byron Bay, 7/6/1947 (Murphy Collection)
Simplex shunter at Byron Bay, May 1960, Simpson Collection
Several images of old Byron Bay, details and credits on each image.
Byron Bay. Photos from the Eric Marggraf collection, courtesy of Lee-ann Keefer.
XPT at Byron Bay (undated, Debbie Millgate)
The scene at Byron Bay in 1895, just after the railway's arrival, shows a few imposing buildings in the main street, Jonson Street, including the original Great Northern Hotel and some shops. This view looks south from the sand dune behind the wharf, across the goods yard towards the station, visible above the roof of the goods shed on the right. Above the far end of the goods shed is the circular, cast-iron water tank. A single covered van and a D wagon occupy the goods siding.
Byron Bay, circa 1915
Byron Bay 28/1/1919 (jetty)
"Porter" Bill Harris, Byron Bay station. (Chris Harrison)
News clipping from 22/2/38, of Byron bay station staff. (Chris Harrison)
Lance Ryan, Station Master at Byron Bay from Feb 1974-July 2004 (Melissa Ryan)