Sir Thomas Mitchell supposedly named the Balonne River out of a little misunderstanding. An Aborigine apparently misunderstood his question, and told him what the hatchet that he was holding was called Surat in their language, rather than the name of the river. The situation isn�t very surprising, as many places in the continent-country seem to have been named in such a manner.

Though Surat is a small place, there are some good sites to see. First, there�s the Shire Hall. It is probably the most interesting site in Surat. It is an unusual sight, no doubt. A large wooden structure located on the road connecting the little town to St George. It is sort of a clock tower, with the regular numerals on the clock face being replaced by the name Alex J Simpson.

Then there�s the Memorial park. It�s a great picnic spot for the inhabitants of the little settlement and the travellers.The Surat Oil Fields operated by Bridge Oil is located around 80km to the south of the settlement.