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Lismore, a city of 30,000 people, is located on the Bruxner Highway and the Wilsons River, a tributary of the Richmond River. It is the larget population centre on the north coast of New South Wales. The area surrounding lismore is claimed to be the most closely settled and intensively cultivated rural area in Australia.
Where is it?: New South Wales: North Coast. Lismore 764 km north of Sydney and 91 km of Surfers Paradise. Brisbane is within a 2.5-hour drive to the north. The coastal town of Ballina is nearby.
Events:
- Easter Classic Tennis Tournament - April
- Autumn Orchid Show - April
- Lismore Gem Fest - May
- Lismore Lantern Festival - June
- Northern Rivers Herb Festival - August
- Spring Orchid Show - September
- Australian Stamp and Coin Fair - November
Lookouts: Robertsons Lookout has panoramic views of the city and river.
Surrounding area:
Lismore is close to numerous coastal resort towns. These include Ballina (31 km), Byron Bay (32 km), Evans Head (56 km) and Lennox Head (43 km).
There are a number of rainforest patches in the area, remnants of what was once known as the Big Scrub. These are preserved today, with a small remnant known as Boatharbour Reserve just east of town on the Bangalow road. The nearest national park is Nightcap National Park.
An important aboriginal bora ring can be seen a short distance to the south of Lismore.
Climate: Lismore experiences mild to warm temperatures all year round, with ample rainfall. Temperatures in summer range between 27 °C and 40 °C. The sub-tropical climate combined with geographical features means the urban area is unusually humid when compared with surrounding areas, especially in summer. Although no major environmental hazards affect the area, Lismore is renowned for the occasional flood, one of the worst having occurred in 1974, rising to a water height of 12.1 metres. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh whilst staying in the Gollan Hotel in 1954 were almost flood bound by one such inundation.
History: The Bundjalung people lived in the Lismore area before European occupation. In 1843, a pastoral run covering an area of 93 km2 was taken up by Captain Dumaresq covering the Lismore area. The run was stocked with sheep from the New England area. Ward Stephens took up the run in the same year, but the sub-tropical climate was unsuited to sheep grazing, so the run was eventually abandoned. In January 1845, William and Jane Wilson took over the run. Jane Wilson was responsible for naming it after Lismore, Scotland, where the couple honeymooned. The Wilsons were Scottish and arrived in NSW in May 1883. In 1855, a surveyor by the name of Frederick Peppercorne was instructed by Sir Thomas Mitchell to determine a site for a township in the area. The chosen site was William Wilson's homestead paddock, and the area was proclaimed the Town of Lismore in the NSW Government Gazette on 1 May 1856.
From the mid 1950s until the early 1960s Lismore hosted an annual Floral Carnival in early September. The week-long programme of events culminated in a street parade of decorated floats, crowning of the Floral Queen and a fireworks display.
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