Shire of Banana

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.

Shire of Banana
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population14,291 (2018)[1]
 • Density0.50056/km2 (1.29645/sq mi)
Established1879
Area28,550 km2 (11,023.2 sq mi)[1]
MayorNeville George Ferrier
Council seatBiloela
RegionCentral Queensland
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Flynn
WebsiteShire of Banana
LGAs around Shire of Banana:
Rockhampton Rockhampton Gladstone
Central Highlands Shire of Banana North Burnett
Maranoa Western Downs North Burnett

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, while the southern part was amalgamated into the Dalby Region (later renamed to the Western Downs Region).

Offices
Banana Shire Council offices, Taroom, 2014

The council has 3 offices:[7]

  • Shire Chambers, 62 Valentine Plains Road, Biloela
  • Administration Office, Gillespie Street, Moura
  • Administration Office, Yaldwyn Street, Taroom

Towns and localities

The Shire of Banana includes the following settlements:

1 – shared with the Western Downs Region

Services and resources

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]

It has an abundance of natural resources, especially undeveloped coal deposits present in the Theodore, Moura and Baralaba area. Being a large supplier of methane gas, Banana Shire provides this huge resource for power generation and industrial use. Liquified Natural Gas pipelines are being developed presently in the region, which has also become the largest commodity producer in the Fitzroy Statistical Area.[10]

Chairmen and mayors

The chairmen of the division and shire have been:

Robert Staines
Councillor
Robert Staines
Chairman of Shire of Banana
In office
1931–1937
Personal details
Born(1883-06-25)25 June 1883
Teven, New South Wales
Died8 January 1937(1937-01-08) (aged 53)
Goulburn, New South Wales
SpouseDaisy Emelie (née Gibb)
Children2 daughters, 1 son
EducationNewington College

Robert Staines was born on 25 June 1883 in Teven, New South Wales the son of Sarah Jane (née Crawford) and Joseph Staines.[16] He attended Alstonville Public School commencing in 1888 and Newington College commencing in 1901.[17] 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.[18]

At the 1926 Queensland state election, 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.[19] 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.[20][21]

He served as Chairman of the Shire of Banana in 1931.[22] He was a member of the Rockhampton Harbour Board.[23]

On 8 January 1937, Staines was killed in a motor vehicle accident near Goulburn, New South Wales, and was survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.[24][25] 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."[26]

References
  1. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. "Proclamation [Nogoa Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1004.
  3. "Shire Information". Banana Shire. Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  4. "Proclamation [Banana & Duaringa Divisions]". Queensland Government Gazette. 23 April 1881. p. 28:1068–1069.
  5. "MT. MORGAN". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 10 May 1930. p. 14. Retrieved 8 June 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Banana Shire". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  7. "Contact Us". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  8. "Library: Branches & Opening hours". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  9. "Banana Shire Mobile Library Timetable" (PDF). Banana Shire Council. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  10. "Shire Information". Banana Shire.
  11. "OBITUARY". The Courier-Mail. No. 1049. Brisbane. 9 January 1937. p. 21. Retrieved 5 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "2008 Banana Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  13. "2012 Banana Shire - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  14. "2016 Banana Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  15. "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  16. A Tribute to our Pioneering Ancestors Archived 20 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  17. Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 187
  18. Family History Archived 20 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  19. "CAPRICORNIA MAY DECIDE AUSTRALIA'S FATE". The Evening News. No. 2525. Queensland, Australia. 11 October 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. "PROSPECTS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 28, 346. 9 November 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. "PROSPECTS REVIEWED". The Brisbane Courier. No. 22, 094. 17 November 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. "Advertising". Morning Bulletin. No. 17, 658. Queensland. 18 August 1921. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. "OBITUARY". The Courier-Mail. No. 1049. Brisbane. 9 January 1937. p. 21. Retrieved 5 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. "MR ROBERT STAINES KILLED IN MOTOR ACCIDENT". The Evening News. No. 4530. Queensland, Australia. 8 January 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. "MR. R. STAINES". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 896. 11 January 1937. p. 5. Retrieved 6 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. "LATE MR R. STAINES Tribute by Mr F. M. Forde, M.H.R." Morning Bulletin. No. 22, 022. Queensland. 23 February 1937. p. 10. Retrieved 23 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.

Further reading
  • Perry, Betty; Banana Shire Council (2005), Two valleys – one destiny : a history of Banana, 'shire of opportunity', Banana Shire Council, ISBN 978-0-9750079-1-4
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