Ballina is located on the ancestral land of the Bundjalung people, who are its traditional owners and original inhabitants.

This theory argues that the Aboriginal name reminded the predominantly Irish settlers of "Ballina", so the name's origin could be an accidental or deliberate corruption.

Another view is that town's name comes from the Irish placename Ballina (Béal an Átha, "mouth of the ford"), which is found in several parts of Ireland.

[9] Ballina was established in the 1840s on the northern shore of the Richmond River, 20 kilometres south of Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point.

In 1842, more settlers arrived on a ship called Sally, forming a settlement at what is now East Ballina on Shaws Bay.

[9] A lighthouse, Richmond River Light, was first constructed in Ballina in 1866, which served as a significant port in the region.

[1][20] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.3% of the population; compared with the national and state average of 2.9%.

[23][24] On 24 September 2009, Ballina Shire Council voted to allow the demolition of the Big Prawn,[25] but this permission was never acted upon.

[26][27] The Ballina Prawn festival ran from 2013–2017,[28] featuring performances from Kav Temperley[29] of Eskimo Joe, Simon Doe and Painted Dice, indie-rock band Hot Compost, and the late Howie Hughes singing his 'Prawn Song, For The Ballina Prawn Festival'.

[33] The town of Ballina experiences a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cfa), typical of the central part of Australia's eastern coast.

Ballina's wetness is due to the town's coastal location and proximity to Cape Byron, the easternmost point in Australia, which means that exposure to moisture-laden frontal systems that develop throughout the year in the Tasman Sea follows accordingly.

The Northern Rivers Echo is a free weekly community newspaper with 27,000 copies distributed to Lismore, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Ballina, Casino, Nimbin and Evans Head.

[citation needed] Ballina receives TV channels from SBS and ABC and the regional affiliates of Seven, Nine and WIN Television’s 10 Northern NSW.

The Cumbalum to Ross Lane section opened in 2011[41] (the bypass was extended an extra 0.5 km to allow for a better connection to the Tintenbar to Ewingsdale Project) with full completion in mid-2012.

It has links to Newcastle, Melbourne and Sydney with FlyPelican, Jetstar, Rex Airlines and Virgin Australia operating services.