Population 15,209 (2015 est) State electorate(s) Callide Shire of Banana North Burnett Founded 1879 Region Central Queensland Federal division Division of Flynn | Established 1879 Website Shire of Banana Area 15,756 km² Mayor Nev Ferrier Council seat Biloela | |
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The Shire of Banana is a local government area located in the Capricorn region of Queensland, Australia, inland from the regional city of Gladstone. The shire was named after the first township in the region (Banana), which in turn was named for the burial site of a huge dun coloured bullock named 'Banana'. The council sits in the town of Biloela, which is the largest town in the Shire.
Contents
Map of Banana, QLD, Australia
Major industries in the shire include coal mining, beef production, power generation, dryland cropping and irrigation cropping such as lucerne and cotton.
History
Banana Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 2155. The name Banana does not relate to the fruit, but rather the area was named after a dun-coloured bullock called Banana.
On 20 April 1881 part of Banana Division was separated to create Duaringa Division.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Banana Division became Shire on Banana on 31 March 1903.
The shire's administrative centre was in Banana until 1930, when the building was physically relocated to Rannes. In 1946, the shire headquarters moved to Biloela.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Banana absorbed the northern part of the neighbouring Shire of Taroom, including the town of Taroom itself (the southern part was amgalmated into the Dalby Region later renamed Western Downs Region).
Offices
The council has 3 offices:
Towns and localities
The Shire of Banana includes the following settlements:
1 - shared with the Western Downs Region
Chairmen and mayors
The chairmen of the division and shire have been: