- Source: Shire of Atherton
The Shire of Atherton was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Atherton, covered an area of 623.1 square kilometres (240.6 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1881 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
History
The Tinaroo Division was created on 3 September 1881 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 out of parts of the Cairns, Hinchinbrook and Woothakata Divisions, and was responsible for a large area which took in Herberton and Lake Eacham.
On 20 December 1890, part of the Tinaroo Division was excised to create the new Barron Division.
In 1894, Tinaroo Division's headquarters transferred from Tinaroo to Atherton. On 11 May 1895 it decreased somewhat in size as it lost some areas in the south and southwest which incorporated separately as the Herberton Division.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Tinaroo Division became Shire of Tinaroo on 31 March 1903. On 18 November 1910 it lost the area around Lake Eacham to the new Shire of Eacham, and in 1935, the Shire of Tinaroo was renamed Shire of Atherton.
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 Atherton merged with the Shires of Eacham, Herberton and Mareeba to form the Tablelands Region.
Towns and localities
The Shire of Atherton included the following settlements:
Atherton
Barrine
Carrington
Kairi
Lake Tinaroo
Tinaroo
Tolga
Upper Barron1
Walkamin
Wongabel
1 - split with the former Shire of Eacham
Population
Chairmen and mayors
1884: Mr Selig
1906: T. Swan
1908: Thomas Rose
1927: Fred Gran
1988-2008: Jim Chapman
Other notable council members include:
1916—1917: Harold Henry Collins, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the electorates of Cook and Tablelands
References
Further reading
Price, Gwen (2008), From there to here : development of the Atherton Shire, Atherton Shire Council
External links
"Atherton Shire and Tableland". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.