Giru, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Giru
state = qld


caption =
lga = Burdekin Shire Council
postcode = 4809
est =
pop = 375 (2001 census)
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Burderkin
fedgov = Dawson
dist1 = 1310
location1= Brisbane
dist2 = 54
location2= Townsville
dist3 = 42
location3= Ayr

Giru is a small town in Queensland, Australia, situated on the Haughton River 56km south-east of Townsville. The Bruce Highway bypasses the town. Giru is noted for its sugar mill, crushing some three million tonnes of sugar cane annually, the highest in the Southern Hemisphere. During the Second World War, Giru was the site of an airbase used by the Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) and United States Army Air Forces (U.S.A.A.F.).

Culture

The Palm Creek Folk Festival is an annual event held in Giru on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, and stretches over the four days. It commonly features known and up-and-coming bands from several genres, ranging from folk to alternative. The festival-goers pitch tents on the site and live off the food and drink stalls for the four days as most travel from Townsville which is 40 km to the north of Giru. Any one can set up a stall as all that is needed is the merchandise and it can be sold anywhere along the main track. Frequent vendors at the festival include Hare Krishnas and the Boy Scouts of Australia.

ee also

*Burdekin Shire