Previous                 Philately Goes Bananas                 Next Norfolk Island Bananas were a part of the diet on Norfolk Island before European occupation. An export industry existed briefly from the mid-1920s until the early 1930s after a disease called "bunchy top" had destroyed banana crops in Queensland and New South Wales. Plantations were established on Norfolk Island to meet demand in Australia. The industry was undermined by transportation expenses, a shrinking market due to the Great Depression and the recovery of plantations on the Australian mainland. Date of Issue: December 16, 1986 Series: Bicentenary Issue: Life Before European Occupation Previous                                                Next Return to the Banana Stamps from Around the World Index Page.