Cape Byron is the easternmost point of the mainland of
Australia. It is located about northeast of the town of
Byron Bay and projects into the
Pacific Ocean. The cape was named by
British explorer Captain
James Cook, when he passed the area on 15 May 1770, to honour British explorer
John Byron who circumnavigated the globe in the
HMS Dolphin from 1764 to 1766. The Cape is home to Cape Byron State Conservation Area.