Banana
Postcode: 4702
Banana is a small town located in Central Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire, a Local Government Area. The shire’s population is approximately 14,300 persons. Banana is located at the intersection of the Dawson and Leichhardt highways, 46 kilometres west of the shire’s administrative centre, Biloela.
It gets its unusual name from the glory days of bullock droving through Central Queensland. There was a yellow coloured bull who came to be known as Banana the bull who helped to pull bullock drays through the area. Banana the bull came to an untimely death in the creek just outside of town and so, the township took on his name. We in fact have no association with the fruit what-so-ever.
Banana was once the hub of the Banana Shire with council and most facilities being situated here, but with the development of the railways services were relocated to Biloela, 45 kms away.
Banana is in the heart of the central valleys farming area. Crops grown in the area include sorghum, wheat, cotton, mung beans and leukena. The area is also part of the cattle producing belt, with breeds such as Brahman, Santa Gertrudis, Braford , Hereford and Charolais being regularly bought and sold at the cattle sales.
The township of Banana itself, consist of approximately 200 people, but it services many more people on outlying properties. It stands at the crossroads leading to Rockhampton, Biloela, Theodore and Moura and daily, many travellers stop at the town’s Hotel/Motel or two petrol stations to rest and refuel.