Boydtown

Postcode: 2551

Boydtown is a village on Twofold Bay, on the far south coast of New South Wales. It was the original settlement in the bay, founded by Benjamin Boyd, and the remains of whaling stations and the local landmark Boyd's Tower, a stone spotting tower used to look for whales, are all nearby. In modern times, Boydtown is the smaller of the two towns in the bay, comprised mainly of housing and the refurbished Boydtown Hotel. With most residents working in nearby Eden, Boydtown is more an historic tourist attraction than anything.

The principal relic of Boyd's adventures is the Sea Horse Inn.Symbolic of Boydtown itself the hotel was built of convict labour and never fully completed. For the first thirty years of this century it was left vacant, reduced to a mere shell due to vandalism and deterioration, but was renovated by the Whiter brothers who purchased it in 1936, later adding a second storey. Full restoration occurred in the 1980s.

18 km south of Eden, via the Princes Highway, there is a turnoff on the left into Edrom Rd (look for the sign marked 'Greencape Lighthouse'). If you follow it for 11 km and turn left into Boyd Rd it is 4 km to Davidson Whaling Station, located at the mouth of the Towamba River. The station, proclaimed an historic site in 1986, is now under the authority of the National Parks and Wildlife Service who have restored existing materials and developed visitor facilities.

Return to Edrom Rd and turn left, continuing north for 4 km. Near the end of the road is a sign, marked 'Ben Boyd National Park - Tower', which directs you to turn right onto a gravel road which leads to the extremity of the promontory on Twofold Bay's southern shore. Here you will find a solid, monolithic structure built of Pyrmont sandstone from Sydney. It was intended as a prominent landmark to reflect upon the glory of Boyd's good name and enterprises, as well as a whaling lookout and a lighthouse.

If you wish to find out more about the area's forests you might consider going on the Fisheries Beach Walk, an instructive one to two-hour ranger-guided tour along beach, sand dune and rock face and through the adjacent state forest on the southern shore of Twofold Bay. For more information on charges, bookings and preparations, or for general information on the area's state forests contact The Forest Shop, 44 Bass St, Eden, tel: (02) 6496 1500.

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