WELCOME TO BILOELA
Biloela is located 650kms North West of Brisbane, 145kms South West of Rockhampton and 120kms South West of Gladstone.
Biloela's airport is located at Thangool 11kms south of Biloela. Only an hours flight from Brisbane. There are flights from Thangool daily with Qantas to Brisbane. The parking at the airport is free.
Biloela is the local aboriginal name for "White Cockatoo". Charles Archer was the first European to explore the Biloela area in 1850, but it wasn't until 1924 that the town was first gazetted.
Biloela is the main town in the Banana Shire. The town accomodates smaller towns around the Banana Shire such as Moura, Theodore, Goovigen, Wowan, Thangool and Banana.
The shire's population is approximately 13,600 with the population of approximately 6,000 living in Biloela.
CHILDCARE & EDUCATION
Biloela has an abundance of education centres. From childcare centres to prep classes through to Year 12.
CHILDCARE
Biloela Child Care Centre: 96-98 Grevillea Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 3777
Biloela Early Learning Centre: 4 Heaton Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 4290
Biloela PCYC: Valentine Plains Road, Biloela. Phone: 4992 3186 (before and after school care & vacation care)
KINDERGARTENS
Biloela Kindergarten: 93 Kariboe Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 1327
Coo-Inda Kindergarten: Lawrence Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 2604
PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Redeemer Lutheran Primary School: Collard Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 1813 (Prep to Year 7)
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School: Rainbow Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 2353 (Kindergarten to Year 7)
Biloela State Primary School: Rainbow Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 8888 (Prep to Year 7)
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
Biloela State High School: Scoria Street, Biloela. Phone: 4992 8666 (Year8 to Year 12)
CHURCHES, HEALTH SERVICES & SPORTING
CHURCHES
Biloela is home of 13 church groups, these include: Anglican Church; Assembly of God; Baptist Church; Christian Outreach Centre; Church of Nazerene; Jehovah's Witness; Living Word Fellowship; Lutheran (Redeemer) Church; Presbyterian Church; Catholic Church; Salvation Army; Seventh Day Adventist; Uniting Church.
HEALTH SERVICES
Biloela's hospital provides acute inpatient care, medical, surgical, maternity, high dependancy unit, gerontology, accident & emergency, general outpatients clinics, physiotherapy, radiography, specialist outpatients (obstertrics & gynaecology), general surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedics & mental health. Biloela also offers private and public dental services.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
Social Worker, occupational therapist, community health nurse, youth centre, public library & toy library, civic centre, school of arts, various clubs (Rotary, Apex, Legacy, Lions & RSL), State Emergency Services Depot, Fire & ambulance.
SPORTING & RECREATION
Local theatre groups, music & cultural attractions, guides & scouts, rugby league, soccer, cricket, tennis, netball, martial arts, golf, athletics,lawn bowls, swimming pools, touch football, pony clubs.
BUSINESSES
BILOELA SHOPPING WORLD
Biloela Shopping World offers a number of speciality shops inlcuding - Woolworths Supermarket, speciality clothing stores, chemist, newsagency, bottle shop, optometrists, discount store, photo shop, telstra shop plus many more. It also has an eatery for a quick lunch or even a Subway for the health conscience.
BANKS
Biloela has a number of banks and building societies for your convenience - these include
Commonwealth Bank; National Australia Bank; ANZ Bank; Westpac Bank; The Rock Building Society; Bank of Queensland; Suncorp. The majority of the banks do have ATM Services for easy access to your accounts.
Trading hours in Biloela are generally 9.00am to 5.00pm weekdays and 9.00am to 12.00 Noon on Saturday's.
Biloela also has a choice of haridressers, appliance stores, takeaway outlets and restaurants.
When it comes to tax time or you just need some advice, Biloela also offers you several accountants and solicitors to choose from.
Biloela has a 24 Hour RACQ service for breakdowns and any other car emergencies. An abundance of service stations are also available in Biloela including a 24 Hour service.
Biloela has 2 hardware stores who both operate until 12 Noon on the weekends.
Biloela also has a Taxi Service.
RESTAURANTS
Anzac Memorial Club; Apollo Motel; Domino's Pizza; Grazzo Pizza's; Biloela Centre Motel; Biloela Palms Motor Inn; Commercial Hotel; Dragon Chinese Restaurant; KFC; Settlers Motor Inn; Silo Motor Inn; Subway; Hotel Thangool; Red Steer Hotel Thangool; 2 Thai Restaurants
EVENTS
Biloela's show is held in May, it runs on a Friday and Saturday with Friday being a public holiday for the Banana Shire. The show has many spectacular features such as a Crash-A-Rama, motorbike night and rodeo. Many of the local businesses support the show and there is also horse, cattle and wood chopping events throughout the 2 days.
Biloela also holds a Food and Comedy Festival which runs over a weekend in October.
If music is more your scene then in March, there is a Rockfest held at the Silo's amphitheatre.
Callide Dawson Machinery Club also hold weekend events including the Old Wheels in Motion.
For the muscian and talented members of the family. Biloela Eisteddfod is held through a week in May and Biloela Dance Eisteddfod is held in September of each year.
If fishing is your forte then the CV Native Fish Stocking Assoc holds an annual fishing competition on our renowned Lake Callide in October.
There is always plenty to do in Biloela with these and many more events held throughout the year.
RESOURCES
Coal Mining, beef production, power generation, dryland cropping and irrigation cropping such as lucerne and cotton area the Shire's major industries.
A variety of soil types suitable for the production of a wide range of crops, together with some of the best grazing, farming and irrigation land in the state, give the shire enormous agricultural potential.
ANGLO COAL - CALLIDE
Callide Mine's southern area consists of three major mining areas: Dunn Creek, Trap Gully and The Hut. Boundary Hill, the mines fourth pit is located 20 kilometres to the North West. Callide mine is a leading QLD domestic coal producer providing low sulphar, sub bituminous thermal coal primarily for domestic power generation. The coalfields cover an area of 176 square kilometres and contain up to 26m thick. Callide Mine operates as an intergrated open cut operation which utilises both dragline and truck and shovel methods of overburden removal. Coal is transported to the Callide Power Station via overland conveyer or by train to Gladstone.
ANGLO COAL - DAWSON
Dawson Mine is located approximately 45 minutes west of Biloela and only 10 minutes east of Moura. Dawson mine is one of QLD's leading export coal operations. It is owned by the Moura Joint Venture, comprising Anglo Coal Australia Pty Ltd (51%) and Mitsui Coal Holdings Pty Ltd (49%). The mine is operated by Anglo Coal Australia.
Dawson mine produces in excess of 7 Mt of coking, soft coking and thermal coal annually using open cut and high wall mining. The coal is transported via train to Gladstone port where it is exported to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
QUEENSLAND NITRATE PLANT (QNP)
QNP is a fully integrated ammonnium facility near Moura which is designed to produce 185,000 tonnes per year of explosive grade ammonium nitrate. The location of the facility was selected because of the availability of feedstock gas, water & electricity.
CRACOW NEWCREST GOLD MINE
The development proposal for the Cracow Mining Project was presented and approved by both Newcrest and a joint venture partner Sedimentary Holdings in 2002. Development involved the establishment of an underground mine and infrastructure and the refurbishment and upgrading of pre-existing treatment plant. Mining commenced in December 2003 and the first gold production was in November 2004.
CS ENERGY POWER STATION
Callide Power Station provides electricity to the national electricity market from Biloela. Callide Power Station generates 1720 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 2 million homes. Callide Power Station comprises of Callide A and Callide B stations, and the Callide Power Plant.
TEYS BROS BILOELA
The Biloela Meatworks was purchased by the Tey's Group in 1984 and has been successfully operated ever since as one of the main beef processing plants in Central Queensland. Located on the outskirts of Biloela, in the heart of the Callide Valley, the plant employs over 300 people and processes some 700 prime cattle per day.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
MT SCORIA
Located 16kms south of Biloela "Mt Scoria" is a rare 150m high rock formation (one of only 3 types in the world). Formerly the core of a volcano, long six sided basalt columns on the top of the mountain project outwards like fingers. When struck with another rock or object, unique musical notes are like natures xylophones. Also known as the "Musical Mountain" this small tourist park is complete with walking tracks, picnic and toilet facilities.
THE SILO
"The Silo" (Simulated Interactive Learning Opportunities Exhibition) which was based at Expo 88 is the place to discover and learn about the shires pioneering heritage, industiral growth, diverse economy and reputation.
CALLIDE LOOKOUT
If you want a birds eye view of the operations of the open cut coal mine of Callide Coalfields, the power station and Lake Callide then a visit to the "Callide Lookout" is essential. Just past the Callide Power Station this lookout offers you the impressive views of the industrial giants, the enormity of the power station and the water of our very own Lake Callide.
LAKE CALLIDE
If catching a huge barramundi is on your agenda, then throwing a line in "Lake Callide" is a must. It is fast becoming one of Australia's most popular inland fisheries. Other species that you may catch are: yellow belly, sleepy cod & redclaw. But you do require a fishing licence to fish on these waters. "Lake Callide" also offers you the convenience of BBQ's and picnic tables and only a 10 minute drive from Biloela's town centre.
KROOMBIT TOP TOURIST PARK
If you want to do some 4WDriving then pack up the car and head to the untouched "Kroombit Tops Tourist Park". Situated 85kms from Biloela, you will enjoy the spectacluar views of the Gladstone Region. The park features a wide variety of vegetation, gorges & plenty of flora & fauna. This is the perfect place for bushwalking, camping, bird watching & photography. "Kroombit Tops Tourist Park" became fate of a World War II B42D liberator bomber when it crashed in the rugged terrain on a rainy night in 1945. It took lives of all the men on board. The wreck is open to the public.
CANIA GORGE NATIONAL PARK
"Cania Gorge National Park" is found about 100kms south of Bloela. Whether you want to go bushwalking on one of the many tracks, or you wish to go bass fishing in the Cania Dam you will enjoy the peace and tranquility that this national park has to offer. If you wish to stay for a night or two the choice of 2 tourist parks will make for a great weekend!
GREYCLIFEE HOMESTEAD
Visit "Greycliffe Homestead" and step into the past. The Homestead has been moved to it's present position on the corner of Gladstone Road and Lawrence Street from Greycliffe Station where it was once the family home of the pioneering Nott family. The slab building is over a century old and is heritage listed. Inside there are all the relics of the past that tell the story of life in the pioneering days. Inspections by appointment.
