The town is situated north of Sydney along the eastern and northern banks of the Myall River, approximately east of the confluence of the Myall and Crawford rivers. The eastern sector of the township is built on the foot of the Alum Mountain. Leading into the town from the south is the Bulahdelah Bridge which forms part of the Pacific Highway.
History
The mountain on which the south-eastern sector of the township is built was first named by the Aboriginal people of the area, the Worimi. They called their mountain "Boolah Dillah". In 1818 John Oxley, a crown surveyor added the word "Mountain" to its original name. The mountain is widely known by its long-term nickname, "the Alum Mountain", but is officially registered as Bulahdelah Mountain. After the discovery of alunite on the mountain, the mountain was mined from 1878 to 1927, and was managed by the Department of Mining from 1897 onwards. A refinery "The Alum Works" was created to facilitate the extraction of alum from the mined alunite. Another period of mining was then again from 1934 to 1952. Decreasing profitability meant mining had ceased by 1952 and in 1979 NSW State Forests took over management of the mountain. Construction of the timber bridge across the Myall River was completed in 1892 and the bridge was formally opened on 28 July 1892. A 2-lane concrete bridge over Myall River was completed in 1969. In 1970 the Bulahdelah tornado swept through the nearby forests, just north of Bulahdelah in what was Australia's most destructive tornado on record. On 3 May 2006 funding was approved for the relocation of the Bulahdelah section of Pacific Highway, to through the mid-slopes of Bulahdelah Mountain. Major construction of this highway deviation, known as the Bulahdelah Bypass, commenced in August 2010. The bypass was completed in July 2013.
Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 1,424 people in Bulahdelah. 83.8% of people were born in Australia and 91.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Anglican 30.3%, Catholic 23.3% and No Religion 21.9%.
Places of interest
The Alum Mountain
Overlooking the town of Bulahdelah, the Alum Mountain provides views of the area from Cabbage Tree Mountain to the coastline. A lookout is accessible via walking trails and car access extends about two thirds of the way up. Abandoned mining equipment from the mining operations up until 1952 is found in parts of the mountain as are blast caves. A disused mining cart trail directly up the mountain is part of the heritage mine-site complex.
The Tops to Myall Heritage Trail passes through the area surrounding Bulahdelah.
Logging industry
Logging was a traditional industry of Bulahdelah until 1994 when much of the Forestry Commission land was dedicated to National Parks. It still contributed significantly to the economy of Bulahdelah in the early 2000s.
