Brandon

Brandon, a rural town, is 7 km west of Ayr and 70 km south-east of Townsville. It was named after Henry Brandon who was associated with the Pioneer sugar plantation in Mackay. Upon disposing of his Mackay interest, Brandon acquired land west of Sheep Station Creek and in 1883 set about installing a sugar mill, named Pioneer. There was a web of sugar plantation selections in the area, and one enterprising selector close to the site of the mill subdivided his land for a township in 1882. He named it Brandon.