Denomination: Anglican Church
The Bellinger Parish is located within the stunningly beautiful Mid North Coast of New South Wales, halfway between Brisbane and Sydney and approximately 30 km south of Coffs Harbour. Comprised of three centres: Bellingen (St Margaret’s), Urunga (St Barnabas) and Raleigh (Prince of Peace), the parish is set amidst the lush green valleys of the Bellinger and Kalang rivers and the blue seascapes around Urunga and neighbouring villages. The majestic blue Dorrigo mountains form a beautifully dramatic backdrop to this idyllic setting and balmy sub-tropical climate.
Bellingen has its origins firmly planted in its rural beginnings but is also now a popular tourist destination and known for its relaxed lifestyle of cafés and restaurants. Creative occupations abound in Bellingen including artists and craftspeople, writers, musicians and horticulturalists. It is an economy in transition from traditional timber, dairying and meat processing industries to the creative sectors of tourism and events such as Camp Creative, Bellingen Music Festival and the Readers and Writers Festival. The Bellinger River wends its way gently through the town as does the Waterfall Way, a tourist road leading from the Pacific Highway through to the Dorrigo plateau and beyond.
In contrast to Bellingen, Urunga is a seaside town nestled between the coastline and the Kalang River. Many people choose to live in Urunga and neighbouring villages of Raleigh, Repton and Mylestom for the milder climate and village lifestyles. There are boardwalks and scenic trails, wonderful birdlife and wildlife to enjoy and explore. The name “Urunga” comes from the local aboriginal language and means “a long spit of sand.”
Historically, this area became colonised by early settlers when in 1841 a government surveyor led an exploration party into the area and named the main river the ‘Bellinger’, an aboriginal word meaning ‘clear water’ and the smaller river he called ‘Odalberrie’, now known as the Kalang River. Cedar cutters moved into the Bellinger Valley, taking advantage of the rivers to carry the logs downstream. Farmers soon followed from Kempsey, using the rich alluvial soil to grow maize and dairy cattle.
A flourishing shipping trade was developed in Urunga until, in 1923, the railway reached this town. The historical past can still be glimpsed throughout the charming main street in Bellingen (Hyde St) and in many of the old cottages and houses. In Urunga, the Ocean View Hotel and early cottages speak of a bygone era. The famous Urunga boardwalk has been is a great tourist attraction where migrating whales can be seen on their journey south.
In the local paper, The Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun, dated June 26th, 2019 says “research conducted by local government experts has confirmed Bellingen Shire is an extraordinary place to live ….”. In the same report the paper states that 94 per cent of people living here strongly agree/agree with the statement: “There is something about the landscape that makes me feel good”, as opposed to 77 per cent nationwide
Bellingen has its origins firmly planted in its rural beginnings but is also now a popular tourist destination and known for its relaxed lifestyle of cafés and restaurants. Creative occupations abound in Bellingen including artists and craftspeople, writers, musicians and horticulturalists. It is an economy in transition from traditional timber, dairying and meat processing industries to the creative sectors of tourism and events such as Camp Creative, Bellingen Music Festival and the Readers and Writers Festival. The Bellinger River wends its way gently through the town as does the Waterfall Way, a tourist road leading from the Pacific Highway through to the Dorrigo plateau and beyond.
In contrast to Bellingen, Urunga is a seaside town nestled between the coastline and the Kalang River. Many people choose to live in Urunga and neighbouring villages of Raleigh, Repton and Mylestom for the milder climate and village lifestyles. There are boardwalks and scenic trails, wonderful birdlife and wildlife to enjoy and explore. The name “Urunga” comes from the local aboriginal language and means “a long spit of sand.”
Historically, this area became colonised by early settlers when in 1841 a government surveyor led an exploration party into the area and named the main river the ‘Bellinger’, an aboriginal word meaning ‘clear water’ and the smaller river he called ‘Odalberrie’, now known as the Kalang River. Cedar cutters moved into the Bellinger Valley, taking advantage of the rivers to carry the logs downstream. Farmers soon followed from Kempsey, using the rich alluvial soil to grow maize and dairy cattle.
A flourishing shipping trade was developed in Urunga until, in 1923, the railway reached this town. The historical past can still be glimpsed throughout the charming main street in Bellingen (Hyde St) and in many of the old cottages and houses. In Urunga, the Ocean View Hotel and early cottages speak of a bygone era. The famous Urunga boardwalk has been is a great tourist attraction where migrating whales can be seen on their journey south.
In the local paper, The Bellingen Shire Courier-Sun, dated June 26th, 2019 says “research conducted by local government experts has confirmed Bellingen Shire is an extraordinary place to live ….”. In the same report the paper states that 94 per cent of people living here strongly agree/agree with the statement: “There is something about the landscape that makes me feel good”, as opposed to 77 per cent nationwide
