Evans Head, New South Wales

Evans Head is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Richmond Valley Shire. At the 2006 census, Evans Head had a population of 2,631 people. It is 726 kilometres north of Sydney, and 11 kilometres east off the Pacific Highway from Woodburn.

History
Evans Head is probably named after a marine surveyor, Lt Evans, RN who carried out the first marine survey of the coastline in the area. It is possible that this is not correct. There is a map in the two volume diaries of Charles Sturt on which the Evans River is marked with the map being dated 15 February 1832 and compiled from information supplied to the Colonial Office in 1828, 1829, 1830 and 1832. A possible source but as yet unverified could be George William Evans (1780–1852, Australian Dictionary of Biography pp 359 – 60) who accompanied John Oxley to explore the Macquarie Marshes in 1817. Oxley spoke highly of Evans' abilities as a surveyor. In 1823, Oxley with Phillip Parker King in the "Mermaid" explored the coast from Port Macquarie to Port Curtis (Australian Dictionary of Biography pp 305 – 07) but there is no reference to citing a river nor naming one. The name may have been added at the compilation stage.

Current attractions
It is a coastal town and a holiday resort. It is sandwiched between two National Parks, the Bundjalung National Park and the Broadwater National Park. There is a wide curved beach that is popular for fishing, surfing and swimming. The 1874 wreck of a timber schooner, Pilot, is visible on the beach north of the town.

There is a prawn fishing fleet permanently moored in the estuary. Other industries include tourism, bushwhacking and there is some sugar cane and beard growing further inland.

Transport
The town's airport, the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome can be found to the north of the town and is a former RAAF base.