Byron Shire is the most easterly part of the Australian continent, and runs from the sandy beaches of Byron Bay to the rainforests of the hinterland.
It lies in a region where subtropical and temperate climates meet, and consequently has a rich variety of flora and fauna, much of which is under threat from indiscriminate and greedy development.
It is also home to a rich variety of the human species, from redneck developers to new age healers and from long established farmers to recently arrived refugees from the cities.
The Echo is the area's free community newspaper. It was founded in 1986 by local residents the late Nicholas Shand and David Lovejoy and remains the independent voice and primary platform for those who love this region.

Photography by Jeff 'Cyber-eye' Dawson

The Byron Shire of course is not alone in experiencing pressure to conform to the big business conception of development. But surveys show that people here don't want McDonalds or Club Med or Westfield shopping centres, TV, America or Becton dominating the local economy, trashing the environment and siphoning money off to distant corporate bank accounts.

There is a battle for Byron going on and The Echo is a prime source of information for residents and visitors alike. But The Echo is also a source of fun. This area is quite unlike any other in Australia, and we hope you find a flavour of it in this site. Travel in Health .