Bulahdelah, New South Wales

Bulahdelah is a small township in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Great Lakes Council LGA.

Geography
The town is situated 239 km north of Sydney along the eastern bank of the Myall River appoximately 480 m east of the confluence of the Myall and Crawford River rivers. In the eastern sector of the township sits the rocky outcrop of the Alum Mountain. Leading into the town from the South is the Bulahdelah Bridge which forms part of the Pacific Highway.

History
The mountain next to Bulahdelah was first recorded in 1818 by John Oxley, a crown surveyor who named it "Bulladella Mountain".

After the discovery of alunite on the mountain, the mountain was mined from 1878 to 1927, and was managed by the Department of Mining from 1897 onwards. A refinery "The Alum Works" was created to facilitate the extraction of alum from the mined alunite. Another period of mining was then again from 1934 to 1950. Decreasing profitability meant mining had ceased by 1953 and in 1979 the State Forests took over control of the mountain.

Construction of the timber bridge across the Myall River was completed in 1892 and the bridge was formally opened on the 28th of July that year. A 2-lane concrete bridge over Myall River was completed in 1969.

In 1970 the Bulahdelah tornado swept through the nearby forests, just north of Bulahdelah in what was Australia's most destructive tornado on record.

On 3 May 2006 funding was approved (project approval was granted in 11 October 2007) for a project that would cause the Pacific Highway to bypass Bulahdelah, providing complete dual carriageway conditions from Sydney to the Oxley Highway exit, for travellers and reducing traffic flow from 18,000VPD to 3,000VPD (vehicles per day) passing through Bulahdelah. Minor construction south of Myall River commenced in November 2007, no other dates have been set.

Weekly road conditions on Pacific Highway

 * Weekly road conditions

Demographics
At the 2006 census, the entire state suburb of Bulahdelah had a population of 1,593 although only a portion of the inhabitants live in the township.

Alum Mountain
Overlooking the town of Bulahdelah, Alum Mountain (sometimes known as Bulahdelah Mountain) provides some spectacular views of the area from Cabbage Tree Mountain to the coastline. A lookout is accessible via walking trails and car access extends about two thirds of the way up. Abandoned mining equipment from the mining operations up until 1953 is found in parts of the mountain as are blast caves. A disused mining cart trail directly up the mountain (known by the locals as "the trolley tracks") forms part of the local and regional level cross country running trail.

Cabbage Tree Mountain
An area of State forest, open to tourists for camping and hiking this bushland set of ranges is visible from the town of Bulahdelah and Alum Mountain.

Seal Rocks
Within a short drive from Bulahdelah, Seal Rocks boasts empty pristine beaches, several camping grounds, small community and a lighthouse. Popular with local surfers.

Tops to Myall Heritage Trail
The Tops to Myall Heritage Trail passes through the area surrounding Bulahdelah.

Logging Industry
Logging was a traditional industry of Bulahdelah until 1994 when political pressure from conservation groups resulted in the conversion of much of the Forestry Commission land to National Parks.

In the nearby Myall Lakes area lies Mayers Point. This was the centre of a timber industry established by Allen Taylor and Company Limited. To assist in the transport of the logs from the forests to the lake, an extensive light railway system was constructed.

It still contributes significantly to the economy of Bulahdelah.

Tourism
Tourism remains a consistent source of income for Bulahdelah. Camping, fishing, bushwalking and house boating are popular activities.