Shire of Cloncurry

The Shire of Cloncurry is a local government area in North West Queensland, Australia. It covers an area of 47,971 square kilometres (18,521.7 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1884. The major town and administrative centre of the shire is Cloncurry.

Shire of Cloncurry
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population3,091 (2018)[1]
 • Density0.064435/km2 (0.166885/sq mi)
Established1884
Area47,971 km2 (18,521.7 sq mi)[1]
MayorGreg Campbell
Council seatCloncurry
RegionNorth West Queensland
State electorate(s)Traeger
Federal Division(s)Kennedy
WebsiteShire of Cloncurry
LGAs around Shire of Cloncurry:
Burke Carpentaria Carpentaria
Mount Isa Shire of Cloncurry McKinlay
Boulia Boulia Winton

Prior to European settlement the area was home to the Mitakoodi, Kalkadoon and Pitta Pitta Aboriginal people.

The ghost town of Mary Kathleen, a town servicing a uranium mine since closed, is in the shire.

History

Wanamarra (also known as Maykulan and Wunumura is an Australian Aboriginal language in North West Queensland. The language region includes areas within the Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Cloncurry and Shire of Richmond, including the Flinders River area, and the towns of Kynuna and Richmond.[2]

Yulluna (also known as Yalarnga, Yalarrnga, Jalanga, Jalannga, Wonganja, Gunggalida, and Jokula) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Gulf Country. The Yulluna language region includes the local government boundaries of the Shire of Cloncurry.[3]

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

The first Europeans to visit the area were Wills and Burke in 1861, and the latter named the river Cloncurry after his cousin. In 1867, Ernest Henry wandered to this site in search of a grazing land and found copper. He is considered the founder of the town as well as its vast mineral deposits. In 1876, the town was named Cloncurry after the river. It is regarded as the place of innovations as Qantas began its operations here and the Royal Flying Doctor Service was established in Cloncurry in 1928.[4]

The Doonmunya Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 396.[5] However, the divisional board appeared to be completely inactive, perhaps because the division was so large (being the area surrounding the southern part of the Gulf of Carpentaria) and was very sparsely settled.[6] Nonetheless some of the citizens were unhappy about this.[7] Consequently, on 11 January 1883, the Doonmunya Division was abolished and a new Carpentaria Division was created to replace it.[8][9][10]

Given the size of the Carpentaria Division, the distance to its headquarters in Normanton was an issue for residents in the Cloncurry area, leading to a desire to create their own local division.[11] On 7 February 1884, part of Carpentaria Division was separated to create the new Cloncurry Division.[12][13][14]

On 30 January 1885, adjustments were made to boundaries of the Cloncurry Division when the Burke Division was also split off from the Carpentaria Division.[15][16][17]

On 31 March 1903, Cloncurry Division became the Shire of Cloncurry.[14][18]

Libraries

The Cloncurry Shire Council operates a public library in Cloncurry.[19]

Towns and localities

The Shire of Cloncurry includes the following settlements:

Population
Year Population
19336,184
19476,267
19543,052
19614,869
19663,348
19713,623
19764,036
19813,651
19863,194
19913,382
19963,878
20014,795
20063,970
20113,229
20163,032

Chairmen and mayors
  • 1884: George Seymour[20]
  • 1919: J. Hedleffe[21]
  • 1927: Walter Angus Rose[22]
  • 2008–2016 : Andrew Daniels[23]
  • 2016: Gregory Vincent (Greg) Campbell[24][25]

Other notable members of the council included:

References
  1. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Wanamarra". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  3. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yulluna". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  4. "Our History". Cloncurry Shire Council.
  5. "Proclamation [Doonmunya Division constituted]". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1007.
  6. "Local Government Practically Applied". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 15 January 1881. p. 71. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  7. "NORMANTON". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 12 January 1883. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  8. "Proclamation [Doonmunya Division abolished]". Queensland Government Gazette. 13 January 1883. p. 32:98.
  9. "Proclamation [Carpentaria Division constituted]". Queensland Government Gazette. 13 January 1883. p. 32:98.
  10. "Agency ID 556, Carpentaria Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  11. "CLONCURRY". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 23 January 1884. p. 6. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  12. "Proclamation [Cloncurry Division constituted]". Queensland Government Gazette. 9 February 1884. p. 34:326-327.
  13. "Proclamation [Carpentaria Division amended]". Queensland Government Gazette. 9 February 1884. p. 34:326.
  14. "Agency ID 578, Cloncurry Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  15. "Proclamation [Burke Division constituted]". Queensland Government Gazette. 31 January 1885. p. 36:328-329.
  16. "Proclamation [Carpentaria Division amended]". Queensland Government Gazette. 31 January 1885. p. 36:328.
  17. "Proclamation [Cloncurry Division amended]". Queensland Government Gazette. 31 January 1885. p. 36:327-328.
  18. "Agency ID 579, Cloncurry Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  19. "Cloncurry Shire Council". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  20. "Memorable Jubilee". The Longreach Leader (Qld. : 1923 – 1954). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 12 February 1944. p. 12. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  21. Consolidated Index to Queensland Government Gazette 1859–1919. Queensland Family History Society. 2004. ISBN 1 876613 79 3.
  22. Pugh, Theophilus Parsons (1927). Pugh's Almanac for 1927. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  23. "Elected Representatives". Cloncurry Shire Council. Cloncurry Shire Council. Archived from the original on 15 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  24. "2016 Cloncurry Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 20 April 2016. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  25. "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  26. "Aikens, Mr Thomas (Tom)". Re-Member Database. Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  • "Cloncurry Shire". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.

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