Site 12: First Permanent Resident
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An 1865 account records no white settlers’ dwellings in the Byron Bay area. But by the late 1860’s the first cedar-cutters were operating in the Byron Bay area and gold miners arrived in September 1870. Their numbers grew during the 1870’s but they lived in temporary tent camps or bark huts moving frequently following the timber or gold.
Although there is a long history of Aboriginal occupation and use of land at Byron Bay, such as the 900 year old shell midden at “The Pass”, the first permanent white dwelling in Byron Bay dates to 1883 – at Palm Valley the flat area behind the carpark at The Pass. It was a timber slab building erected by David Jarman, probably in 1882.
First described as a hut, very soon after it became a hotel and accommodation house and Jarman had become the
first white resident in Byron Bay. Jarman selected the Palm Valley site as it was one of few permanent fresh water sources close to shore. Also this corner of the bay was the most sheltered and safest place to land small boats bringing people and goods ashore. He provided`surf boats for ferrying people and goods between ship and shore for the first farmers and the gold miners. Until inland tracks and roads were built in the mid 1880’s all land travel between Ballina on the Richmond River and Brunswick Heads on the Brunswick River was along the beaches. As the shortest crossing between Main Beach and Tallow Beach was from Palm Valley to Cosy Corner all travellers passed his door. The cedar-getters launched their logs into the sea at The Pass or Cosy Corner to be towed by row boats to waiting ships. Jarman provided meals, drink and accommodation for travellers and sailors; and stores and liquor for the cedar-getters, gold miners and first settler-farmers. However, his construction was illegal, erected on land reserved from selection and settlement and if he was selling alcohol it was without a licence.
The building was destroyed by fire in 1934 long after Jarman had sold it in the mid 1880’s. Jarman licenced the Byron Hotel in 1886 and the Pier Hotel in Byron Bay town in 1888 just shortly before the first jetty was completed. He became the first President of the Byron Shire Council in 1906; and died in May 1908.