Banana

Banana is a small town and rural locality in the Shire of Banana, Central Queensland, Australia.

Banana is a small town and rural locality in the Shire of Banana, Central Queensland, Australia.

Gangalu (Gangulu, Kangulu, Kanolu, Kaangooloo, Khangulu) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Gangula country. The Gangula language region includes the towns of Clermont and Springsure extending south towards the Dawson River.In 1853, James, Norman and Charles Leith-Hay established the Rannes pastoral lease and Banana was an outstation of this property. Banana became its own squatting leasehold sheep station property in 1855 with the Leith-Hays and Thomas Holt holding the licence. In 1855 a group of Aboriginal people attacked Banana Station wounding five people and carrying off 3,000 sheep. In April 1858, a number of Aboriginal people in an unprovoked attack, murdered 4 men at Camboon and had stolen a carbine, gun powder and balls, and some axes. They then proceeded to attack the sheep station at Banana resulted in three shepherds being wounded. While the shepherds were defending themselves, an Aboriginal man was killed. Native Police troopers were deployed to patrol the area and a 1859 map shows a police station marked on the planned site for Banana.The name Banana derives from an old dun-coloured working bullock, called Banana, used by local stockmen to help them when herding some of the wilder cattle into the yards.The post office at Banana was established on 1 September 1861, and the first township allotments were offered for sale in that same year.In 1887 there was a minor gold rush at Banana, increasing the population by a few hundred people.Banana Provisional School opened on 18 September 1871 and was upgraded to Banana State School on 16 February 1874. The school closed in 1935, but reopened on 25 January 1960.In 1880, the local government area Banana Division (later the Shire of Banana) was established with its headquarters in Banana (taking its name from the town). However, in 1930 the shire headquarters became Rannes and the shire offices were physically relocated from Banana to Rannes. Since 1946, the shire has its headquarters in Biloela.The mobile library service commenced in 2004.At the 2006 census, Banana had a population of 627.In the 2011 census, Banana had a population of 377 people.