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Whether it's the beach or the bush, coastal and rural villages
are a great base to
relax, unwind and enjoy the natural attractions of the region.
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Wollumbin
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In the 1840's, the activities of cedar getters in the region had opened up the dense subtropical rainforest. By the late 1860s a small community sprang up on the northern side of the junction of the Tweed and Rous (known locally as the North Arm) rivers, to service the timber trade and its hard toiling workers. |
Cane Fire sunset seen from North Tumbulgum. |
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Originally called the "Tweed Junction", or just "The Junction", the name was changed to the aboriginal derivation of "Tumbulgum" (proun. tum-BULgim not tumble-gum) in 1880 at the behest of residents, whose petition said the name meant "meeting place of the waters". This is contested in some quarters, with another translation being "a large fig" or "a wild fig tree". By this time, development was proceeding faster on the southern bank of The Junction. In 1885, the arrival of the telegraph saw the South Tumbulgum post office and telegraph office combine to be known as Tumbulgum, and the original post office became North Tumbulgum. The establishment of the first public school in the Tweed Valley, and a thriving commercial district including a bank, led many people to beleive that Tumbulgum might outshine Murwillumbah in importance, but an economic depression in the early 1890s dashed these hopes. |
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Today, Tumbulgum is a picturesque village with views over cane farms and to the foothills of the caldera, conveniently located just off the Tweed Valley Way, where you can pick up fresh produce direct from the grower at the Farmers Market on the corner of the Way and Tumblegum Drive. Popular with locals who come for the riverside picnic facilities, boat hire, public wharf and boat ramp, visitors can stretch their legs with a stroll along the heritage shop fronts or to partake of the enormously popular lunches and evening meals at the Tumbulgum Tavern. Browse for gifts and souvenirs at the local arts and crafts gallery or antique shop and visit the historic Tumbulgum Cemetry, the first in the Tweed Valley, and resting place of many of the area's European colonists from 1887 to 1947. North Tumbulgum also boasts a very active land and rivercare group made up of local landholders, and you can see the fruits of their labours in along the river bank and in various rainforest pockets. |
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Tumbulgum Accommodation |
Local Tours, Attractions & Services |
Nearby Towns and Villages |
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