Shire of Cooloola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shire of CooloolaQueensland |
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Location within Queensland
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| Population | 36,956 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 12.4481/km2 (32.240/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1879 Shire of Widgee 1880 City of Gympie 1993 Shire of Cooloola (merged) |
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| Area | 2,968.8 km2 (1,146.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Gympie | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | Shire of Cooloola | ||||||||||||||
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The Shire of Cooloola was a special area in Queensland, Australia, that had its own local government. It was located about 170 kilometers (106 miles) north of Brisbane, which is the capital city of Queensland. This shire covered a large area of about 2,968.8 square kilometers (1,146.2 square miles).
The Shire of Cooloola was created in 1993. It was formed by joining two older local government areas: the City of Gympie and the Shire of Widgee. Both of these had been around since 1879 or 1880. Later, on March 15, 2008, the Shire of Cooloola joined with other local areas to become the Gympie Region.
Contents
History of the Cooloola Area
The Cooloola area was first used for raising animals like cattle. Then, in 1867, gold was found there! This led to a gold rush, where many people came hoping to find gold. Because of the gold rush, more people settled near the Mary River valley. They started farming the land more closely.
How Local Governments Started Here
The first local government in this area was called the Widgee Division. It was set up on November 11, 1879. A "division" was an early type of local government. Later, on July 3, 1886, a western part of Widgee became its own separate area called the Kilkivan Division.
In 1902, a new law called the Local Authorities Act was passed. Because of this law, the Widgee Division officially became the Shire of Widgee on March 31, 1903. The Shire of Widgee moved into a new office building on November 21, 1940. This building was the old Bank of New South Wales building in Gympie.
The town of Gympie also had its own local government. It was first called the Municipal Borough of Gympie. It started on June 25, 1880. Before that, it was known as the Gympie Division. The first elections for Gympie's local government were held on August 25, 1880. A town hall was built in Gympie in 1890. On March 31, 1903, Gympie became the Town of Gympie under the new law. Then, on January 7, 1905, the Governor of Queensland officially declared it the City of Gympie.
Forming the Shire of Cooloola
In 1992, a group called the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission suggested a big change. They recommended that the City of Gympie and the Shire of Widgee should join together. This idea became a reality on November 2, 1993. A new law created the new Shire of Cooloola.
The first elections for the Shire of Cooloola were held on November 27, 1993. Adrian McClintock, who used to be the chairman of Widgee, was elected as the first chairman of Cooloola. The old office building of the Widgee Shire Council was then used as the main office for the new Cooloola Shire Council.
Becoming the Gympie Region
The Shire of Cooloola did not last forever. On March 15, 2008, another big change happened. A new law from the Parliament of Queensland made Cooloola join with other areas. These areas were the Shire of Kilkivan and parts of the Shire of Tiaro. Together, they formed the new Gympie Region. Today, the old Cooloola Shire Council offices are used as the main offices for the Gympie Regional Council.
How Cooloola Was Organized
When the Shire of Cooloola was first created, it was divided into four sections called "divisions." Each division had a certain number of councillors. Division 1 had 2 councillors, Division 2 had 4, Division 3 had 3, and Division 4 had 3. There was also an elected mayor who led the whole shire.
Before the local government elections in the year 2000, some changes were made. Division 2 was reduced to 3 councillors. A new Division 5 was created, and it had one councillor.
Towns and Localities
The Shire of Cooloola included many towns and smaller communities. Here are some of them:
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Gympie area: |
Widgee area:
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1 - This area was partly in the Shire of Cooloola and partly in the Fraser Coast Region.
Population Changes Over Time
This table shows how the number of people living in these areas changed over many years.
| Year | Population (Cooloola) |
Population (Gympie) |
Population (Widgee) |
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| 1921 | 12,095 | 6,539 | 5,556 |
| 1933 | 16,435 | 7,749 | 8,686 |
| 1947 | 16,247 | 8,413 | 7,834 |
| 1954 | 18,103 | 9,964 | 8,139 |
| 1961 | 19,042 | 11,094 | 7,948 |
| 1966 | 18,769 | 11,279 | 7,490 |
| 1971 | 18,055 | 11,096 | 6,959 |
| 1976 | 19,520 | 11,280 | 8,240 |
| 1981 | 21,960 | 11,420 | 10,540 |
| 1986 | 24,400 | 11,430 | 12,970 |
| 1991 | 27,773 | 14,122 | 13,651 |
| 1996 | 31,736 | 15,099 | 16,637 |
| 2001 | 32,989 | 15,021 | 17,968 |
| 2006 | 36,070 | 16,454 | 19,616 |
* Numbers in italics show populations for areas that didn't exist yet or had already merged.
Leaders of the Cooloola Shire and its Predecessors
Local government areas are led by people called Mayors or Chairmen. Here are some of the people who held these important roles in Cooloola, Gympie, and Widgee.
Cooloola Shire Chairmen
Gympie City Mayors
- Joan Dodt (1988–1993)
- Mick Venardos (1976–1988)
- James Kidd (1970–1976)
- Ronald Witham (1941–1970)
- Luke Thomas (1937–1941)
- Dr Luther Morris (1931–1937)
- Alexander Glasgow (1930–1931)
- Luke Thomas (1927–1930)
- George Thomas (1924–1927)
- Luke Thomas (1920–1924)
- David Elder Reid (1903–1904)
Widgee Shire Chairmen
- Adrian McClintock (1979–1993)
- Kevin De Vere (1976–1979), he was the uncle of former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
- Michael MacDonnell (1973–1976)
- William Buchanan (1969–1973)
- William Hubbard Kidd (1924–1969)
- Joseph Tatnell (1921–1924)
