New book captures Byron’s bohemian spirit

A new coffee table book celebrates the unique bohemian spirit and creative culture of Byron Bay. Take a look.

A surfer in Byron Bay. Picture: Mark Morgan

In the opening pages of Byron Bay, the first Australian title in the publishing house Assouline’s iconic Travel Series collection, author Shannon Fricke recounts the pull she felt to relocate from Sydney to the Northern Rivers.

Cape Byron Lighthouse on Australia's most easterly point. Picture: Craig Parry

“The call of Byron Bay first came to me as a whisper,” the owner of Newrybar Merchants, the region’s beloved retail collective, tells Vogue Australia. At first, the call felt “fanciful” and far off, but “over time, the niggle became an echo, then a screech, then a loud bellow”. She rented a house in the hinterland, packed up her family’s lives and began anew. That was almost 20 years ago, and she’s never looked back. “Every day living here I’m reminded of the beauty that comes with spending time in nature and with this, a reminder that my life is simply a part of a greater whole.”

When compiling Byron Bay, Fricke sought to present a “collage” of life. “Not one person or a way of living, but rather a cross-section of community, nature and the built environment”.

Byron Bay by Shannon Fricke.

The title takes you into some of Byron’s most beloved establishments – the hotel Raes, the proud lighthouse standing tall on the cape – while also celebrating the surfers catching waves, artists, designers, restauranteurs and festival-goers who all make up the tapestry of Byron’s unique and creative community.

“I hope readers see Byron Bay as a joyful celebration,” Fricke concludes. “There’s a sense of inner freedom here that can be felt as you turn the pages of the book. I hope readers feel that joy and self-expression from wherever they are in the world.”

Byron Bay (Assouline, $185) by Shannon Fricke is on sale now.

This article appears in the August issue of Vogue Australia, on sale now.