Although Banksia attenuata was the common banksia in Australian children's author May Gibbs' own childhood in Western Australia, the old flower spikes of Banksia aemula with their large follicles are thought to have been the inspiration for the villains of her Snugglepot and Cuddlepie books, the "Big Bad Banksia Men".
The original school site was covered in virgin Banksia scrub growing on low sand hills bordered by houses on Mitchell Street.
Banksia | Banksia integrifolia | Banksia prionotes | Banksia hookeriana | Banksia coccinea | Banksia spinulosa var. collina | Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii | Banksia speciosa | Banksia Park International High School | Banksia nivea | Banksia ilicifolia | Banksia attenuata | Banksia aemula | banksia | On a flowering ''Banksia | Idia aemula | Banksia splendida | ''Banksia spinulosa'' var. ''cunninghamii'' | ''Banksia spinulosa'' var. ''collina'' | Banksia spinulosa | Banksia rosserae | Banksia pulchella | ''Banksia ornata | Banksia nobilis | Banksia nana | Banksia integrifolia subsp. integrifolia | ''Banksia integrifolia'' subsp. ''integrifolia'' | Banksia 'Giant Candles' | ''Banksia'' 'Giant Candles' | Banksia gardneri |
Both this species and B. aemula have been credited with the inspiration behind May Gibbs' Big Bad Banksia Men; this species was familiar to Gibbs in her childhood and likely gave her the initial inspiration, although the depictions resemble the latter species.