S.S.Wollongbar, grounded...On Saturday afternoon, May 14th 1921, about 200 metres off shore and getting ready to depart at 5 pm, the S.S.Wollongbar was tied to the jetty at Byron Bay after loading a cargo of butter, bacon and bananas, it was low tide and there were strong wind and waves.  Waiting to board the passengers and crew,  the captain could feel the keel bumping on the seabed.  He tried to head into deeper water but when the moorings were freed the Wollongbar was caught on a sandbar and it turned broadside to the waves.  The wind and waves kept pushing the ship closer to land.  The cargo was unloaded and furniture was saved off the ship. I used to sit on one of the beautiful swivel timber dining chairs when I was working in the office at Norco Co-operative Ltd. 

RAY & COLIN HENDERSON. photo. E.J.Wright collection...No.70845

BYRON BAY MEAT INSPECTORS, COMMONWEALTH AND STATE AT WALKERS ABBATOIR. BERT HINDLE, HARRY ROSE, GARRY DAVIDSON, RONNIE SMITH, BILL REILLY, DICK KISS, PETER KELLY, STAN NOLAN, ARTHUR GHIONI. 0401832912 if you have more names please...No.70785

REW BALSILLIE, COMPANY MANAGER OF BYRON WHALING CO. LTD. REW AND HIS FAMILY, WIFE MARJORIE AND CHILDREN JOHN & PATSY CAME FROM MELBOURNE AND LIVED IN THE SUNSHINE FLATS ON THE CORNER OF BAY LANE AND FLETCHER STREETS FROM ABOUT 1952-1959.Photo:Patsy Balsillie...No.70769

WHALING BOAT. Photo:Syl Reid Know What I Miss About Byron Bay...No.70745

BYRON BAY FIRST JETTY 1888. NOTE THE PEOPLE ON THE BEACH AND THE SAND HILLS BEHIND.Photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70623

JETTY SHED / SHOP... AT THE SECOND JETTY. INFORMATION FROM FACEBOOK....THE WHALING BUILDING SHOP. MARY SHEPHERD 1954 55. BUBS McCOMB SOLD 1959 TO ERIC WALKER & LEN AND RUTH SUMMERS. TO DEWYERS AT THE END OF WHALING ABOUT 1963. THERE WAS AN AWNING OUT TO THE GUTTER. GEORGE GINGER HAD A DWELLING AT THE REAR. ...No.70245

MY GRANDMOTHER (NELLIE THOMPSON) TOLD ME - FOR AN OUTING, LISMORE PEOPLE TRAVELLED ON THE TRAIN TO BYRON BAY TO SEE THE WOLLONGBAR ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY...No.70606

BYRON BAY WHALING STATION, SLICING THE WHALES...No.70302

A HARPOONED WHALE BEING PULLED ALONG BY THE GREEN FROG LOCOMOTIVE, WHICH IS STILL SITTING IN A SHED IN BYRON BAY. ..No.70067

FIRST JETTY WITH S.S.WOLLONGBAR BEACHED...No.70057

S.S.WOLLONGBAR REMAINS AT MAIN BEACH...No.70010

S.S.WOLLONGBAR REMAINS AT MAIN BEACH...No.70009

S.S.WOLLONGBAR GROUNDED AT MAIN BEACH...No.70005

BYRON BAY JETTIES, HARD TO SEE BUT BOTH JETTIES ARE IN THIS PHOTO...No.70006

BYRON BAY JETTY.Photo:Jan Hackett...No.70007

BYRON BAY LIFE RAFT. K & Co.THE CRANES CAN STILL BE SEEN UNDER THE WATER AT THE END OF THE JETTY.Photo:Supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70618

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WHALE WAITING TO BE SLICED...No.70846

PIECES OF CUT UP WHALE...No.70299

"WOLLONGBAR" BERTHED AT BYRON BAY.Photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70622

BYRON BAY'S SECOND JETTY, BUILT 1929.Photo:Locals only byron bay...No.70688

BYRON BAY MAIN BEACH...No.70143

AS A YOUNG PERSON I WOULD GO DOWN TO WATCH AND SEE PEOPLE VOMITING WITH THE HORROR OF IT ALL...No.70093

APRIL 1967...No.70014

WAITING TO BE SLICED...No.70303

DINNER. CONSOMME CRECY - POTAGE A LA REINE BOILED FILLETS OF BREAM, FARSLEY SAUCE - LAMBS BRAINS enCAISSES - MACEDOINE VEGETABLES - ROAST SIRLOIN OF BEEF AND HORSERADISH - ROAST LAMB AND MINT SAUCE- CORNED OX TONGUE AND CARROTS- BOILED FOWL AND SAUCE HOLLANDAISE- CABBAGE- CAULIFLOWER- ROAST AND BOILED POTATOES- PLUM PUDDING AND SWEET SAUCE= APPLE PIE- HOCK JELLY- SAVOURY ANCHOVY TOAST- APPLES- PINEAPPLE- BANANAS- CHEESE AND BISCUITS. 19??..No.70288

INFORMATION FROM ARTHUR MALIN...1939. HAROLD (CHARPOT) MALIN BUILT THIS BOAT IN HIS BACK YARD IN CAVANBAH STREET. HE WAS TOLD HE COULD NEVER BUILD IT SO HE CALLED THE BOAT 'TOO BAD'. THE BOAT AT THE RIGHT WAS THE SS WOLLONGBAR 2 WHICH WAS TORPEDOED WITH A LOSS OF ALL HANDS EXCEPT 1 (THE APRENTICE) OFF SMOKEY CAPE AT CRESCENT HEAD IN 1942. HAROLD AND ARTHUR WERE CALLED OUT OF BED AT 2AM TO HELP RESCUE PEOPLE BUT COULDN'T BECAUSE OF ROUGH SEAS.Photo:Arthur Malin...No.70187

PLENTY OF SAND AT MAIN BEACH BYRON BAY...No.

S.S.ORARA . THIS SHIP SAILED FROM BYRON BAY TO SYDNEY WITH PASSENGERS AND SOMETIMES STOPPED AT NEWCASTLE.Photo:Bruce Robinson...No.70619

WHALES BEING SLICED AND READY TO BE BOILED. THE ODOUR ALL OVER TOWN WAS DREADFUL...No.70297

BYRON BAY JETTY.photo:Arthur Malin...No.70184

EVERYTHING WAS UNLOADED FROM THE WOLLONGBAR INCLUDING FURNITURE...photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70627

WHALE BEING DRAGGED UP THE RAMP UNDER THE JETTY...No.70692

WHALES AT BYRON BAY WHALING STATION...No.70301

WOLLONGBAR BEING LOADED AT BYRON BAY.photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70625

ORARA AT BYRON BAY.Photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70621

S.S.WOLLONGBAR CAPTAIN'S CHAIR. MY OFFICE CHAIR IN THE OFFICE AT NORCO WAS FROM THE DINING ROOM FROM THE S.S. WOLLONGBAR AND IT WAS MUCH MORE ELEGANT, IT SWIVELLED AND HAD PADDING ON THE SEAT AND BACK AND ELEGANT TIMBER WORK. ONE DAY THE SWIVELL BROKE AND I FELL TO THE FLOOR...No.70706

A UNIQUE SIGHT AT BYRON BAY ON MONDAY WAS THE SHIFTING OF THE N.C.B.N.O's OFFICE FROM WHERE IT STOOD TO THE NEW JETTY. IT WAS HAULED BY 40 BULLOCKS ON A BIG SLIDE AND IT WAS A GREAT FEAT WITNESSED BY A LARGE CROWD...No.70248

WOLLONGBAR REMAINS AT MAIN BEACH...No.70059

IT WAS ALWAYS FUN TO WALK ALONG THE RAILS TO SEE HOW FAR YOU COULD GO WITHOUT FALLING OFF... No.70304

A WHALE READY TO BE SLICED AND COOKED...No.70300

WHALE BEING TRANSPORTED ALONG THE JETTY...No.70296

JETTY AFTER A CYCLONE...No.

BYRON BAY JETTY WITH THE S.S.WOLLONGBAR...No.70157

WAVES CRASHING AGAINST THE WOLLONGBAR WHILE PEOPLE LOOK FROM THE JETTY...No.

WHALE MOUTH...No.70074

WOLLONGBAR GROUNDED.Photo:Compliments Byron Bay Services Club...No.70075

WOLLONGBAR 11/1/1923. NOTE ALL OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND A FENCE ON THE JETTY.photo:supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70628

WOLLONGBAR AT BYRON BAY 1923.Photo: supplied by Bruce Robinson...No.70624

THE EMBLEM ON THE GREEN FROG THAT PULLED THE WHALES ALONG THE JETTY...No.70307

GREEN FROG AS IT WAS CALLED, HAULED THE WHALES ALONG THE JETTY TO BE SLICED UP...No.70270

THE FIRST JETTY AT MAIN BEACH WAS BUILT IN 1888. DAMAGED BADLY IN A CYCLONE.  THE SECOND JETTY WAS BUILT IN 1929 (670 METRES LONG). IT ALSO WAS BADLY DAMAGED IN A CYCLONE.  THE BIG CRANES AT THE END ARE STILL UNDER THE OCEAN  IF YOU SNORKEL OVER THE AREA YOU CAN SEE THEM.  THE GREEN FROG LOCOMOTIVE THAT PULLED THE WHALES IN  IS STILL STORED IN A SHED AND KEPT IN GOOD ORDER. 

MARY SHEPHERD OWNED THE JETTY STORE IN 1954 OR 55, BUBS McCOMBE TOOK OVER THE SHOP UNTIL 1959, IT WAS THEN SOLD TO LEN AND RUTH SUMMERS WHO SOLD LATER TO DEWYERS. THE STORE WAS LATER FIRE DAMAGED AND CEASED TRADING....  THE WHALES WOULD BE TAKEN BY RAIL PAST THE STORE...  WHALING BARRACKS WERE OPPOSITE THE STORE TO HOUSE THE WORKERS FROM NORFOLK ISLAND... NEW JETTY ROAD WHICH RAN ALONG THE FRONT DISAPPEARD INTO THE SEA. 

LINKS TO OTHER OLD BYRON BAY IMAGES:

OLD BYRON BAY PAGE 1   

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​OLD SURF CLUB IMAGES  

SAND MINING
​
OLEANDER CARNIVAL 

OLD LIGHTHOUSE VIDEO