{{short description|Local government area of Queensland, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} thumb|Map of Highfields Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902. Legend: Toowoomba Municipality (4), Drayton Shire (6), Middle Ridge Division (7), Gowrie Division (12) The '''Shire of Highfields''' is a former local government area on the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia. It existed between 1879 and 1949.

==History== On 11 November 1879, the Highfields Division was created as one of 74 divisions within Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' with a population of 1998.<ref name=dba1879>{{Gazette QLD|title=Proclamation [Highfields Division constituted]|volume=25|page=996|date=11 November 1879}}</ref><ref name=qp>{{cite web|title=Highfields and Highfields Shire|url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/highfields-and-highfields-shire|work=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|access-date=20 September 2013}}</ref> It was divided into three sub-divisions with estimated populations of 480, 891 and 627 for Sub-divisions 1, 2 and 3 respectively, a total of 1989.<ref name=tall>{{Citation | author1=Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association | title=From tall timbers : a folk history of Crow's Nest Shire, 1988 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8443407 | publication-date=1988 | publisher=Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association Inc | isbn=978-0-7316-3402-6 }}</ref>

On 18 January 1884, there was an adjustment of boundaries between Highfields Division's subdivisions Nos. 1 and 2 and Esk Division.<ref>{{Gazette QLD | title = Proclamation [Highfields Division amended] | volume = 34 | page = 167-168 | date = 19 January 1884}}</ref><ref>{{Gazette QLD | title = Proclamation [Esk Division amended] | volume = 34 | page = 169 | date = 19 January 1884}}</ref>

In 1886, the Highfields Division was extended to incorporate the areas of Perseverance, Ravensbourne, Crows Nest, Djuan, Emu Creek, and Cooyar.<ref name=tall/>

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

In 1910–11, there was considerable pressure to persuade the shire council to relocate their office from Cabarlah to Crows Nest.,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19649818 |title=REMOVING A SHIRE OFFICE. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=10 August 1910 |access-date=21 January 2014 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19683332 |title=HIGHFIELDS SHIRE COUNCIL OFFICE. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=19 December 1910 |access-date=21 January 2014 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19654980 |title=Highfields Shire Council Office. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=22 February 1911 |access-date=21 January 2014 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> but the shire council did not wish to put the issue to a referendum.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19660352 |title=HIGHFIELDS SHIRE COUNCIL. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=17 February 1911 |access-date=21 January 2014 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> This led to further agitation to create a new shire with Crows Nest at its centre.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19732060 |title=HIGHFIELDS SHIRE. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=10 January 1912 |access-date=21 January 2014 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

On 25 January 1913, part of the Shire of Highfields was excised to create the Shire of Crows Nest.<ref name=qpcn>{{cite web|title=Crows Nest Shire|url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/crows-nest-shire|work=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|access-date=20 September 2013}}</ref>

On 19 March 1949, the Shire of Highfields was abolished and split between the Shire of Crows Nest and the Shire of Gatton.<ref name=qp/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49929287 |title=DOWNS SHIRE APPROVED. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=18 March 1949 |access-date=20 September 2013 |page=6 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50100728 |title=READER SAYS:. |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |location=Brisbane |date=17 April 1951 |access-date=20 September 2013 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117114501 |title=Gatton Shire Loses—But Will Gain. |newspaper=Queensland Times |location=Ipswich, Queensland |date=8 December 1948 |access-date=20 September 2013 |page=6 Edition: DAILY |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Chairman== The following men were the chairmen of the Highfields Divisional Board and the Highfields Shire Council.<ref name=tall/> * 1880–1888: F. T. Gregory * 1888–1913: D. Munro * 1914: J. Leane * 1915–1917: D. Munro (again) * 1917–1919: John Kynoch<ref>{{cite news |date=31 March 1917 |title=ALL ABOUT PEOPLE. |volume=LI |page=5 |newspaper=Toowoomba Chronicle |issue=77 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article252897111 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref> * 1920–1921: B. J. Yaldwin<ref name=":0">{{cite news |date=15 May 1930 |title=PERSONAL |volume=LXIX |page=6 |newspaper=Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette |issue=125 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article254127470 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref> * 1921–1939: John Kynoch (again),<ref name=":0" /> died in office<ref>{{cite news |date=24 May 1939 |title=OBITUARY |volume=LXXIX |page=8 (DAILY.) |newspaper=Queensland Times |issue=16,380 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article114155051 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=8 June 1939 |title=COUNCILLOR'S GREAT RECORD |volume=27 |page=5 |newspaper=North West Champion |issue=41 |location=New South Wales, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article179254940 |via=National Library of Australia |accessdate=29 July 2022}}</ref> * 1939–1947: H. Franke * 1947–1948: W. F. Quinn * 1948–1949: S. Purtill

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{Queensland former LGAs}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Highfields Shire}} Category:Former local government areas of Queensland Category:1879 establishments in Australia Category:1949 disestablishments in Australia Category:Darling Downs