| Shire of Mareeba Queensland |
|||||||||||||
Location within Queensland |
|||||||||||||
| Population: | 18,212(2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1879 | ||||||||||||
| Area: | 53610.8 km² (20,699.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Council Seat: | Mareeba | ||||||||||||
| Region: | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
The Shire of Mareeba was a Local Government Area at the base of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, inland from Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mareeba, covered an area of 53,610.8 square kilometres (20,699.2 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several councils in the Atherton Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
Contents |
Woothakata Divisional Board, based in the mining town of Thornborough on the Hodginson goldfield, was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. Woothakata is a Wakaman and Kuku Djungan Aboriginal word which describes the way (the journey) they traveled to Ngarrabullgan Mount Mulligan an important meeting place. The name Woothakata lives on as the name of a property at Chillagoe.
On 18 May 1889, Walsh Division centred on Irvinebank was created, and on 20 December 1890, the Barron Division was created closer to Cairns.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, all three Divisions became shire councils on 31 March 1903. A fourth Shire, based at Chillagoe, was established on 16 December 1908.
In 1919, Woothakata's seat of administration moved to Mareeba. Thornborough had declined steadily in importance, having a population of 58 in 1921 and 29 in 1933. The same year, on 20 December, the Shire of Barron was abolished, with its area being split between the Shire (later City) of Cairns and Shire of Woothakata.
On 25 June 1932, the Shires of Walsh and Chillagoe merged into the Shire of Woothakata,[2] which was renamed the Shire of Mareeba on 20 December 1947.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Mareeba merged with the Shires of Atherton, Eacham and Herberton to form the Tablelands Region.
Prior to 1996, Mareeba also included the localities of Barron Gorge, Lamb Range and Redlynch to the west of Cairns. These were incorporated into the City of Cairns.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1933 | 8,248 |
| 1947 | 6,312 |
| 1954 | 7,595 |
| 1961 | 10,212 |
| 1966 | 10,789 |
| 1971 | 11,676 |
| 1976 | 12,136 |
| 1981 | 14,003 |
| 1986 | 15,563 |
| 1991 | 17,129 |
| 1996 | 18,044 |
| 2001 | 17,961 |
| 2006 | 18,212 |