Named after "billai billai" - Aboriginal for swamp oak
The area now known as Bli Bli was originally inhabited by the Kabi Kabi people, who lived along the Maroochy River for thousands of years. The name "Bli Bli" is derived from the Kabi word bilai, meaning she-oak tree, with repetition indicating abundance, reflecting the prevalence of these trees in the area. Aboriginal middens, particularly near Muller Park, indicate that oysters and other local foods were part of their diet, and the region held cultural significance for burials and ceremonies.
Bli Bli became a sugarcane-growing region by the early 20th century. A cane tramway was built in 1912, and by 1915 sugarcane was grown commercially. The tramway extension in 1936 solidified sugarcane as the staple agricultural crop in the locality. After the closure of the Nambour sugar mill in 2004, cane farmers shifted to producing cattle fodder from sugarcane.