Shire of Burdekin

The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics region. The district is located between Townsville and Bowen in the delta of the Burdekin River. The shire covers an area of Template:Convert.<ref name=area>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It has existed as a local government entity since 1888. In the Template:CensusAU, the Shire of Burdekin had a population of 16,692 people.<ref name=Census2021/>

History

Yuru (also known as Juru, Euronbba, Juru, Mal Mal, Malmal) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuru country. The Yuru language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Burdekin, including the town of Home Hill.<ref>Template:Cite SLQ-CC-BY</ref>

File:Ayr Division, March 1902.jpg

Map of Ayr Division and its adjacent local government areas, March 1902

On 16 January 1888, the Ayr Division was created out of Subdivision 3 of the Thuringowa Division in 1888 under the Divisional Boards Act 1887.<ref>Template:Gazette QLD</ref>

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Ayr Division became the Shire of Ayr on 31 March 1903.<ref name=burdekins/>

On 12 June 1982, the Shire of Ayr was renamed the Shire of Burdekin, a change long desired by the residents of Home Hill.<ref name=burdekins>Template:Cite QSA Agency</ref><ref name=":0" />

Council members were elected to represent different divisions within the shire until the election of March 1994 at which all council members are elected by all shire residents. The title of Mayor replaced the former title of Shire Chairman and the title of Shire Clerk was replaced by Chief Executive Officer from that same election.<ref name=":0" />

New shire chambers were opened on 9 October 1999. The cost was $2.8 million.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref>

From 2000, council elections were held every four years to elect a mayor and ten councillors. From 2008, this was reduced to a mayor and six councillors.<ref name=":0" />

Facilities

The public library headquarters of the Burdekin Shire Council Library Services is located at 108 Graham Street, Ayr.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Burdekin Shire also operate a public library in Home Hill at 77-79 Ninth Avenue.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Both libraries opened in 1984.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Towns and localities

The Shire of Burdekin includes the following settlements:

• Airdmillan
• Airville
• Alva
• Ayr
• Barratta
• Brandon
• Carstairs
• Clare
• Colevale
• Cromarty
• Dalbeg
• Eight Mile Creek
• Fredericksfield
• Giru
• Groper Creek
• Home Hill
• Horseshoe Lagoon

• Inkerman
• Jarvisfield
• Jerona
• Kalamia
• Kirknie
• Maidavale
• Majors Creek
• McDesme
• Millaroo
• Mona Park
• Mount Kelly
• Mount Surround
• Mulgrave
• Osborne
• Parkside
• Rangemore
• Rita Island
• Shirbourne
• Swans Lagoon
• Upper Haughton
• Wangaratta
• Wunjunga

Demographics

Year	Population	Notes
1933	12,073	Template:Citation needed
1947	12,462	Template:Citation needed
1954	15,208	Template:Citation needed
1961	16,758	Template:Citation needed
1966	18,693	Template:Citation needed
1971	17,443	Template:Citation needed
1976	18,421	Template:Citation needed
1981	18,477	Template:Citation needed
1986	18,337	Template:Citation needed
1991	18,148	Template:Citation needed
1996	18,870	Template:Citation needed
Template:CensusAU	18,234	<ref name=Census2001>Template:Census 2001 AUS</ref>
Template:CensusAU	17,020	<ref name=Census2006>Template:Census 2006 AUS</ref>
Template:CensusAU	17,364	<ref name=Census2011>Template:Census 2011 AUS</ref>
Template:CensusAU	17,074	<ref name=Census2016>Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref>
Template:CensusAU	16,692	<ref name=Census2021>Template:Census 2021 AUS</ref>

Council

Below is the current council, elected in 2020:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Councillor	Party		Notes
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name	Mayor
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name
Template:Sortname	Template:Australian party style |	Template:Australian politics/name	Deputy Mayor

Chairmen and mayors

Dates	Chairman / Mayors	Notes
1896	James Henry Rae	<ref name="ggindex">Template:Cite book</ref>
1888	Charles Young	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1896	J. H. Rae	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1927	Herbert Barsby	<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
1952–1970	E.W. Ford	<ref name=":0" />
1970–1976	R. W. Rossiter	<ref name=":0" />
1976–1982	F.J. Mills	<ref name=":0" />
1982–1991	J.W. Trace	<ref name=":0" />
1991–1994	E.N. Honeycombe	<ref name=":0" />
1994–2004	John F. Woods	First to use the title "Mayor"<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2004–2012	Lynette Angela (Lyn) McLaughlin	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2012–2016	William Charles (Bill) Lowis	<ref name=":0" />
2016–present	Lynette Angela (Lyn) McLaughlin	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

• Visit Burdekin