A Queensland town named for a bullock

@JudyEv (382240)
Rockingham, Australia
March 16, 2017 5:26am CST
I wonder how many other countries have a district and/or town named after a bullock? Banana is one such place, a small town and Shire (administrative district) in Central Queensland, Australia. In the early 1860s, a dun-coloured working bullock was used by stockmen to lead the wild station cattle into the stockyards. Because of his colouring, the bullock was called 'Banana'. In time, the area and subsequent town were also graced with his name. The Shire offices have since relocated in Biloela. Due to the discovery of gold nearby in 1858, Banana once had a population of over 2,000. In 2011, this had dropped to 377. Beef, coal and agriculture are the main industries and a life-size statue of Banana has been erected in the town. I guess it makes a nice change to name a town after a bullock rather than after a dignitary or politician. Photo: By Kerry Raymond (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)],
12 people like this
12 responses
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
16 Mar 17
Banana seems a rather odd name for a bullock.
2 people like this
Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
16 Mar 17
@JudyEv I cannot deny the colour, but it still sounds amusing to me.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
@Asylum I thought it was amusing too. That's why I wrote about it. We have other funny place names too but then England has a good few of her own.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
It's the right colour though. Actually working bullocks would have been called some very colourful names from time to time.
1 person likes this
Hazel Vee
@epiffanie (11327)
• Australia
17 Mar 17
Really interesting how town get their names..
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Mar 17
I shouldn't think there would be too many named after a bullock.
1 person likes this
Always smiling
@allknowing (153529)
• India
16 Mar 17
That shows there is no great story attached to names of places atleast this one surely has none but - indeed a funny story. But I must hand it to you how you collect all these stories.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
I just came across it looking for 'big icons'. :)
1 person likes this
Jekca
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
16 Mar 17
one would say many a town was named after the A word for donkey, lol
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Mar 17
Norseman in Australia was named for a horse. Perhaps I'd better write about that.
1 person likes this
Fiacre Banks
@xFiacre (14790)
• Ireland
16 Mar 17
@judyev At least being a bullock he shouldn't have a shady past that might come to light and cause the townsfolk to remove the statue.
2 people like this
John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Mar 17
Do the wonders down under ever cease? I have never heard of anyplace being named Banana.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
Other countries do have strange names too surely.
1 person likes this
KrauseHome
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
20 Mar 17
So far did not find one named after Bulls just ones that have Bulls maybe in their County name here in the US
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Mar 17
I think most countries have a few strange names for towns or districts.
allen0187
@allen0187 (59830)
• Philippines
17 Mar 17
A town named after a bullock named 'Banana'... now, that is something I don't hear often.
1 person likes this
allen0187
@allen0187 (59830)
• Philippines
19 Mar 17
@JudyEv true!
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Mar 17
For starters, Banana is a very strange name for a bullock, isn't it?
1 person likes this
Angie
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
16 Mar 17
I am liking this series you have going.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
Thanks. I'm glad. There are some interesting stories among the 'big' items. Not all have survived. Well, the stories have survived but not all the icons.
1 person likes this
DEV D
@abhinalstrikr (4110)
• India
16 Mar 17
With time everything changes
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
Yes, nothing stays the same for long.
1 person likes this
Ron Rybs
@Ronrybs (21497)
• London, England
16 Mar 17
Banana probably did the town more good than any politician or dignitary!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Mar 17
Isn't that always the way though? It's the workers that carry many of these places.
1 person likes this
Kandase
@Kandae11 (57231)
•
16 Mar 17
Imagine a town named Banana - - very interesting.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382240)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Mar 17
It's a bit different isn't it?