Shire of Woocoo

Infobox Australian Place | type = lga
name = Shire of Woocoo
state = qld


imagesize= 135
caption = Location within Queensland
pop = 3,351
pop_footnotes = (2006 census) [Census 2006 AUS | id = LGA37500 | name = Woocoo (S) (Local Government Area) | accessdate=2008-03-18|quick = on]
area = 2007.9
est = 1915
seat = Oakhurst
region = Wide Bay-Burnett

logosize = 172
url = http://www.woocoo.qld.gov.au/
near-nw = Biggenden
near-n = Isis
near-ne = Hervey Bay
near-w = Gayndah
near-e = Maryborough
near-sw = Kilkivan
near-s = Kilkivan
near-se = TiaroThe Shire of Woocoo was a Local Government Area located in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The City covered an area of convert|2007.9|km2|sqmi|1, and existed as a local government entity from 1915 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Maryborough, City of Hervey Bay and the 1st and 2nd divisions of the Shire of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Industry in the shire consisted of beef cattle, sugar, timber and light industry servicing Maryborough.

History

Woocoo was proclaimed a shire under the "Local Authorities Act 1902" in 1914, with its centre of administration at Brooweena. The shire was named for Mount Woocoo, which itself was probably named for the local Aboriginal word for "echidna". It held its first meeting on 30 January 1915.

On 27 March 1976, the Shire of Woocoo grew by convert|1269.00|km2|sqmi|2 when the Shire of Burrum was renamed Shire of Hervey Bay and recast as a local government area centred on the Hervey Bay urban area. The "Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993", which took effect on 31 March 1994, resulted in Maryborough's annexation of about convert|700|km2|sqmi of Woocoo's area. At this time, Woocoo was resubdivided into three divisions each electing two councillors.

On 15 March 2008, under the "Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007" passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, Woocoo merged with the City of Hervey Bay, City of Maryborough and part of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Regional Council.

Towns and Localities

* Aramara
* Bidwill
* Boompa
* Brooweena
* Dunmora
* Grahams Creek
* Mungar
* Oakhurst
* Owanyilla
* Tinana South
* Yengarie

Population

# The 1991 census population of the revised Woocoo area was 2,562.

Mayors

* Gloria Banting (2007–2008)
* Iain Lewis (Acting) (2007–)
* Kevin Mahoney (2000–2007)

References