Shire of Douglas

Shire of Douglas Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population	14,024 (2006 census)[1]
• Density	5.7553/km2 (14.9062/sq mi)
Established	1880
Area	2,436.7 km2 (940.8 sq mi)
Council seat	Mossman
Region	Far North Queensland
Website	www.dsc.qld.gov.au
LGAs around Shire of Douglas: Cook Cook Coral Sea Mareeba Shire of Douglas Coral Sea Mareeba Cairns Cairns

The Shire of Douglas is a local government area in Far North Queensland. It is located on the coast north of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mossman, covers an area of 2,436.7 square kilometres (940.8 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1880 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Cairns to become the Cairns Region. Following a referendum in 2013, the Shire of Douglas was re-established on 1 January 2014.

The major industries are tourism and sugar production. Minor industries include tropical fruit, cocoa, and beef.

History

Map of Douglas Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902

On 11 November 1879, the Cairns Division was one of the initial 74 divisions created under the Divisional Boards Act 1879.^[2] On 3 June 1880, the northern part of Cairns Division was excised to create Douglas Division.^[3]

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Douglas Division became the Shire of Douglas on 31 March 1903.

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 Douglas merged with the City of Cairns to form the Cairns Region.

In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Douglas from the Cairns Region.^[4] On 6 December 2012, the Queensland Minister for Local Government, the Hon. David Crisafulli, granted the people of the former Douglas Shire a vote on possible de-amalgamation from the Cairns Regional Council, even though the Queensland Treasury Corporation had calculated the costs to be too high a burden on the few ratepayers of this small Shire, and the Shire to be unviable in the long term. Despite strong opposition from many parties, on 9 March 2013 the citizens of the former Douglas shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate.^[5] The shire was re-established on 1 January 2014.^[6][7]

Towns and localities

• Mossman
• Port Douglas

• Bamboo
• Bonnie Doon
• Bloomfield (shared with Shire of Cook)
• Cape Kimberley
• Cape Tribulation
• Cassowary
• Cooya Beach
• Cow Bay
• Craiglie
• Dagmar
• Daintree
• Dayman Point
• Dedin
• Degarra
• Diwan
• Ellis Beach (until 1995)
• Finlay Vale
• Forest Creek
• Four Mile Beach
• Killaloe
• Low Isles
• Lower Daintree
• Miallo
• Mossman Gorge
• Mowbray
• Newell
• Noah
• Oak Beach
• Rocky Point
• Shannonvale
• Spurgeon
• Stewart Creek Valley
• Syndicate
• Thornton Beach
• Upper Daintree
• Wangetti
• Whyanbeel
• Wonga

Population

Mayors

The following were mayors of the Shire of Douglas:^[8]

• Andrew Jack — 1900
• James Reynolds — 1901–1903
• R. A. Donnelly — 1904–1905
• W. Mackay — 1906
• D. J. Kirwan — 1907
• R. D. Low — 1908
• R. Walsh — 1909
• R. P. Tunnie — 1910
• Fred Thompson — 1911–1912
• J. P. Reynolds — 1913
• R. P. Tunnie — 1914
• J. P. Reynolds — 1915–1921
• John Quill — 1921–1927
• Barney Andreassen — 1927–1933
• Raymond Rex — 1933–1955
• E. D. Berzinski — 1955–1964
• George Quaid Jr. — 1964–1967
• J. S. Allen — 1967–1970
• O. R. Andrews — 1970–1981
• Anthony Mijo — 1982–1991
• Mike Berwick — 1991–2008

References

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Douglas Shire
• Douglas Shire Historical Society
• Pro amalgamation website Happy With Cairns
• Pro amalgamation website People Of Douglas
• De-amalgamation website Friends Of Douglas Shire