Shire of Banana

Shire of Banana
Queensland

Location within Queensland
Population 15,209 (2015 est)[1]
 • Density 0.96531/km2 (2.50014/sq mi)
Established 1879
Area 15,755.6 km2 (6,083.3 sq mi)
Mayor Nev Ferrier
Council seat Biloela
Region Central Queensland
State electorate(s) Callide
Federal Division(s) Flynn
Website Shire of Banana
LGAs around Shire of Banana:
Rockhampton Rockhampton Gladstone
Central Highlands Shire of Banana North Burnett
Maranoa Western Downs North Burnett

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.

Major industries in the shire include coal mining, beef production, power generation, dryland cropping and irrigation cropping such as lucerne and cotton.

History

Map of Banana Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902

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.[2] The name Banana does not relate to the fruit, but rather the area was named after a dun-coloured bullock called Banana.[3]

On 20 April 1881 part of Banana Division was separated to create Duaringa Division.[4]

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Banana Division became Shire on Banana on 31 March 1903.

Shire Council building, Rannes, circa 1930

The shire's administrative centre was in Banana until 1930, when the building was physically relocated to Rannes.[5] In 1946, the shire headquarters moved to Biloela.[6]

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

Banana Shire Council offices, Taroom, 2014

The council has 3 offices:[7]

Towns and localities

The Shire of Banana includes the following settlements:

1 - shared with the Western Downs Region

Services

Banana Shire Council operate libraries at Biloela, Moura, Taroom, and Theodore.[8] The council operates a fortnightly mobile library service to Banana (and Banana School), Baralaba, Goovigen (and Goovigen School), Jambin (and Jambin School), Mount Murchison School and Prospect Creek School.[9]

Chairmen and mayors

The chairmen of the division and shire have been:

Robert Staines

Robert Staines was born on 25 June 1883 in Teven, New South Wales the son of Sarah Jane (née Crawford) and Joseph Staines.[14] He attended Alstonville Public School commencing in 1888 and Newington College commencing in 1901.[15] Staines married Daisy Emelie Gibb on 24 May 1911 at the bride's family home at John Street Stanmore, New South Wales. The union produced two daughters and a son.[16]

At the Queensland state election, 1926, he was the Country and Progressive National Party candidate for the Electoral district of Mount Morgan. Following that he was a candidate in the 1928, 1929 and 1931 federal elections unsuccessfully contesting the seat of Capricornia.[17] In 1928 when Staines first ran for Capricornia against Frank Forde from the Labor Party, Country Party ministers in the Bruce conservative coalition government were said to be confident of his ability to win the seat. Whilst mentioning this in coverage of non-NSW seats the Sydney Morning Herald ultimately considered Forde to be the likely winner. At the time Forde was the only non-conservative Commonwealth Queensland member of the House of Representatives and so Staines campaign was closely monitored by the press.[18][19]

He served as Chairman of the Shire of Banana in 1931.[20] He was a member of the Rockhampton Harbour Board.[21]

On 8 January 1937, Staines was killed ln a motor vehicle accident near Goulburn, New South Wales, and was survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.[22][23] At the time of Staines death Frank Forde, Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and future Prime Minister of Australia, said of him: "although opposed to me politically, I learnt to respect him for his manly qualities and for his inherent sense of fair play. He did not at any time descend to personalities, nor did he take an unfair advantage of a political opponent. He gave able service in local authority affairs in Central Queensland for a number of years. His ability and enthusiasm merited further promotion in public life; and he would have been in the State Parliament as member for Fitzroy if he had accepted the invitation of his party to run for the seat in 1930."[24]

References

  1. ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014–15". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "Proclamation [Nogoa Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1004.
  3. ↑ "Shire Information". Banana Shire. Banana Shire Council. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Proclamation [Banana & Duaringa Divisions]". Queensland Government Gazette. 23 April 1881. p. 28:1068-1069.
  5. 1 2 "MT. MORGAN.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 10 May 1930. p. 14. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Banana Shire". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Contact Us". Banana Shire Council. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Library: Branches & Opening hours". Banana Shire Council. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "Banana Shire Mobile Library Timetable" (PDF). Banana Shire Council. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "OBITUARY". The Courier-mail (1049). Queensland, Australia. 9 January 1937. p. 21. Retrieved 5 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "2008 Banana Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 31 August 2010. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  12. ↑ "2012 Banana Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  13. ↑ "2016 Banana Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 19 April 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  14. ↑ A Tribute to our Pioneering Ancestors Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  15. ↑ Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 187
  16. ↑ Family History Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  17. ↑ "CAPRICORNIA MAY DECIDE AUSTRALIA'S FATE.". The Evening News (2525). Queensland, Australia. 11 October 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ "PROSPECTS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (28,346). New South Wales, Australia. 9 November 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ↑ "PROSPECTS REVIEWED.". The Brisbane Courier (22,094). Queensland, Australia. 17 November 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ↑ "Advertising". Morning Bulletin (17,658). Queensland, Australia. 18 August 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ↑ "OBITUARY". The Courier-mail (1049). Queensland, Australia. 9 January 1937. p. 21. Retrieved 5 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ↑ "MR ROBERT STAINES KILLED IN MOTOR ACCIDENT". The Evening News (4530). Queensland, Australia. 8 January 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ↑ "MR. R. STAINES.". The Sydney Morning Herald (30,896). New South Wales, Australia. 11 January 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ↑ "LATE MR R. STAINES Tribute by Mr F. M. Forde, M.H.R.". Morning Bulletin (22,022). Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.

Further reading

Media related to Shire of Banana at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 24°23′52″S 150°30′40″E / 24.39778°S 150.51111°E / -24.39778; 150.51111

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