Shire of Maroochy

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2012}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = lga | name = Shire of Maroochy | state = qld | image = Maroochy LGA Qld.png | image_upright = 0.81 | caption = Location within [[Queensland]] | pop = 151,599 | pop_year = {{CensusAU|2006}} | pop_footnotes =<ref>{{Census 2006 AUS | id = LGA34900 | name = Maroochy (S) (Local Government Area) | accessdate=2008-03-18|quick = on}}</ref> | area = 1162.7 | est = 1890 | seat = [[Nambour, Queensland|Nambour]] | region = [[Sunshine Coast, Queensland|Sunshine Coast]] | logo = Maroochy Shire Council (old) logo.png | url = http://www.maroochy.qld.gov.au/ | near-nw = [[Shire of Cooloola|Cooloola]] | near-n = [[Shire of Noosa|Noosa]] | near-ne = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]'' | near-w = [[Shire of Cooloola|Cooloola]] | near-e = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]'' | near-sw = [[Shire of Kilcoy|Kilcoy]] | near-s = [[City of Caloundra|Caloundra]] | near-se = ''[[Pacific Ocean]]'' }}

The '''Shire of Maroochy''' was a [[Local government in Australia|local government area]] about {{convert|100|km|mi|0}} north of [[Brisbane]] in the [[Sunshine Coast, Queensland|Sunshine Coast]] region of [[South East Queensland|South East]] [[Queensland]], [[Australia]]. The shire covered an area of {{convert|1162.7|km2|sqmi|1}}, and existed as a local government entity from 1890 until 2008, when it amalgamated with its neighbours to the north and south to form the [[Sunshine Coast Region]].

== History == [[File:Maroochy Division, March 1902.jpg|thumb|Map of Maroochy Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902]] In 1842, [[Andrew Petrie]] explored the coast north of Brisbane and discovered the [[Mary River (Queensland)|Mary River]] with a small party including two [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] men from the [[Brisbane River]] region who spoke the Yuggera language. Their name for the local black swan was "Muru-kutchi" or "red-bill". Petrie hence named the area Maroochy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maroochy.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=Fact_File|title=Place Name Origins|author=Sunshine Coast Regional Council|date=19 February 2008|access-date=2008-03-19 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080307084211/http://www.maroochy.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=Fact_File  |archive-date = 2008-03-07}}</ref>

The area was originally incorporated as part of the [[Shire of Caboolture|Caboolture Divisional Board]] on 11 November 1879 under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879''. On 5 July 1890, Maroochy split away and was proclaimed as a [[Maroochy Division]] in its own right, with an area of {{convert|1265|km2|sqmi|0}} and headquarters at [[Nambour, Queensland|Nambour]].<ref>''Queensland Government Gazette'', 5 July 1890, p. 658.</ref><ref>{{cite QSA Agency|1377|Maroochy Divisional Board|20 September 2013}}</ref> It did not initially contain [[Buderim]] or [[Kenilworth, Queensland|Kenilworth]]. The first elections were held on 13 September for three councillors, each of whom represented one subdivision. By 1895, council chambers had been erected firstly on Blackall Terrace and then at Station Square adjacent to the [[Nambour railway station]], where they were to continue meeting until 1978.

With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', Maroochy became a shire council on 31 March 1903. The first land sale in [[Maroochydore]] in 1908 allowed {{convert|8.1|km2|acre|0}} along the coast to be opened up, allowing for the development of the towns of [[Alexandra Headland, Queensland|Alexandra Headland]] and [[Mooloolaba, Queensland|Mooloolaba]]. The council commenced supplying electricity in 1927, and a hospital was opened in 1930. With the start of major development in [[South East Queensland]] in the late 1950s, Maroochy Airport (now [[Sunshine Coast Airport]], the major regional facility) was opened in 1961. The Shire grew rapidly from this point onwards.

Fires were a persistent problem in the hinterland region, and on [[Anzac Day]] in 1948, a fire significantly damaged the Shire Chambers. In 1978, the Shire moved its offices to a new location in Bury Street, Nambour, with the old facility in Civic Square remaining as a civic hall. On 15 August 1986 a fire damaged this beyond repair—it was bulldozed three years later to make way for the new Centenary Square development.

In 2000, Queensland police arrested a man for using a computer and a radio transmitter to take control of the Maroochy Shire wastewater system and release sewage into parks, rivers and property.

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 Maroochy merged with the [[Shire of Noosa]] and the [[City of Caloundra]] to form the [[Sunshine Coast Region]].

== Structure == The Shire was subdivided into 12 numbered divisions, each of which returned one councillor, and an elected mayor.

== Towns and localities == The Shire of Maroochy included the following settlements:

{{col-begin|width=50%}} {{col-break}} * [[Alexandra Headland, Queensland|Alexandra Headland]] * [[Belli Park, Queensland|Belli Park]] * [[Bli Bli, Queensland|Bli Bli]] * [[Bridges, Queensland|Bridges]] * '''[[Buderim (suburb)|Buderim]]''' * [[Burnside, Queensland|Burnside]] * [[Chevallum, Queensland|Chevallum]] * [[Coes Creek, Queensland|Coes Creek]] * [[Coolabine, Queensland|Coolabine]] * [[Cooloolabin, Queensland|Cooloolabin]] * [[Coolum Beach, Queensland|Coolum Beach]] * [[Cotton Tree, Queensland|Cotton Tree]] * [[Diddillibah, Queensland|Diddillibah]] * [[Doonan, Queensland|Doonan]]1 * [[Dulong, Queensland|Dulong]] * [[Eerwah Vale, Queensland|Eerwah Vale]]1 * [[Eudlo, Queensland|Eudlo]] * [[Eumundi, Queensland|Eumundi]] * [[Flaxton, Queensland|Flaxton]] * [[Forest Glen, Queensland|Forest Glen]] * [[Gheerulla, Queensland|Gheerulla]] * [[Highworth, Queensland|Highworth]] * [[Hunchy, Queensland|Hunchy]] {{col-break}} * [[Ilkley, Queensland|Ilkley]] * [[Image Flat, Queensland|Image Flat]] * [[Kenilworth, Queensland|Kenilworth]] * [[Kiamba, Queensland|Kiamba]] * [[Kidaman Creek, Queensland|Kidaman Creek]]2 * [[Kiels Mountain, Queensland|Kiels Mountain]] * [[Kulangoor, Queensland|Kulangoor]] * [[Kuluin, Queensland|Kuluin]] * [[Kunda Park, Queensland|Kunda Park]] * [[Kureelpa, Queensland|Kureelpa]] * [[Landers Shoot, Queensland|Landers Shoot]] * [[Mapleton, Queensland|Mapleton]] * [[Marcoola, Queensland|Marcoola]] * [[Maroochy River, Queensland|Maroochy River]] * '''[[Maroochydore (suburb)|Maroochydore]]''' * [[Mons, Queensland|Mons]] * [[Montville, Queensland|Montville]] * '''[[Mooloolaba, Queensland|Mooloolaba]]''' * [[Mount Coolum, Queensland|Mount Coolum]] * [[Mountain Creek, Queensland|Mountain Creek]] * [[Mudjimba, Queensland|Mudjimba]] * '''[[Nambour, Queensland|Nambour]]''' * [[Ninderry, Queensland|Ninderry]] {{col-break}} * [[North Arm, Queensland|North Arm]] * [[Obi Obi, Queensland|Obi Obi]] * [[Pacific Paradise, Queensland|Pacific Paradise]] * [[Palmwoods, Queensland|Palmwoods]] * [[Parklands, Queensland|Parklands]] * [[Peregian Beach, Queensland|Peregian Beach]]1 * [[Peregian Springs, Queensland|Peregian Springs]] * [[Perwillowen, Queensland|Perwillowen]] * [[Point Arkwright, Queensland|Point Arkwright]] * [[Rosemount, Queensland|Rosemount]] * [[Sippy Downs, Queensland|Sippy Downs]] * [[Tanawha, Queensland|Tanawha]] * [[Towen Mountain, Queensland|Towen Mountain]] * [[Twin Waters, Queensland|Twin Waters]] * [[Valdora, Queensland|Valdora]] * [[Verrierdale, Queensland|Verrierdale]] * [[West Woombye, Queensland|West Woombye]] * [[Weyba Downs, Queensland|Weyba Downs]] * [[Woombye, Queensland|Woombye]] * [[Yandina Creek, Queensland|Yandina Creek]] * [[Yandina, Queensland|Yandina]] * [[Yaroomba, Queensland|Yaroomba]] {{col-end}}

1 - split with the [[Shire of Noosa]] 2 - split with the [[City of Caloundra]]

==Population== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Population |- | 1933 || 12,918 |- | 1947 || 15,014 |- | 1954 || 17,869 |- | 1961 || 19,071 |- | 1966 || 21,455 |- | 1971 || 25,522 |- | 1976 || 35,266 |- | 1981 || 53,428 |- | 1986 || 61,629 |- | 1991 || 84,442 |- | 1996 || 111,798 |- | 2001 || 129,429 |- | 2006 || 151,599 |}

==Chairmen and mayors== * 1927: J. T. Lowe<ref name=pughs1927>{{cite book|last1=Pugh|first1=Theophilus Parsons|title=Pugh's Almanac for 1927|date=1927|url=http://www.textqueensland.com.au/pughs-almanac|access-date=13 June 2014}}</ref> * 1952–1967: David Low * 1967–1982: Eddie De Vere * 1982–1985: Don Culley * 1985–1994: Fred Murray * 1994–1997: [[Bob King (Queensland politician)|Bob King]] * 1997–2000: Don Culley * 2000–2004: Alison Grosse * 2004–2008: [[Joe Natoli]]

==Sister cities== *{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Tatebayashi]], [[Japan]] *{{flagicon|China}} [[Xiamen]], [[China]]

==See also== * [[List of tramways in Queensland]]

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book|title= Making Maroochy : a history of the land, the people and the shire | last = Gregory | first = Helen |publisher = Maroochy Shire Council | year = 1991 | isbn = 0-646-04469-9}} (196 pages) * {{cite book|title= Maroochydore to Mooloolaba: then and now | author = Maroochy Shire Library Service (Local Studies Section) | publisher = Maroochy Shire Council | year = 1994 | isbn = 0-646-21239-7}} (79 pages) * {{cite book|title= Maroochy voices : an anthology celebrating 100 years of federation in Maroochy Shire | last = Armstrong | first = Esme |publisher = Maroochy Shire Council | year = 2001}} (120 pages)

==External links== * [http://queenslandplaces.com.au/maroochy-and-maroochy-shire University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Maroochy and Maroochy Shire] * [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/dls06p/alma996923884702061 Annual reports Maroochy Hospitals Board], [[State Library of Queensland]]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Maroochy Shire}} [[Category:Sunshine Coast, Queensland]] [[Category:Former local government areas of Queensland]] [[Category:Local government areas of Queensland disestablished in 2008]]