The Shire of Cardwell was a local government area of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

. It was located on the Coral Sea coast about halfway between the cities of Cairns and

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

. The shire, administered from the town of Tully, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1884 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the

Shire of Johnstone The Shire of Johnstone was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Coral Sea coast about south of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Innisfail, covered an area of , and existed as a local gover ...

to form the

Cassowary Coast Region The Cassowary Coast Region is a local government area in the Far North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, south of Cairns and centred on the towns of Innisfail, Cardwell and Tully. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shire ...

. The shire also had responsibility for some

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

islands, including

Dunk Island Dunk Island, known as ''Coonanglebah'' in the Warrgamay and Dyirbal languages, is an island within the locality of Dunk in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It lies off the Australian east coast, opposite the town of Missi ...

, Goold Island and

Hinchinbrook Island Hinchinbrook Island (or Pouandai to the Biyaygiri people) is an island in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, separated from the north-eastern coast of Queensland by the narrow H ...

. The area's economy is based on agriculture, in particular sugar and bananas, and tourism. Part of the

Wet Tropics of Queensland The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km2 of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range. The Wet Tropics of Queensland meets all f ...

and Great Barrier Reef

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s are located in Cardwell Shire.

History

The Hinchinbrook Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879''. On 18 January 1884, part of the Hinchinbrook Division was separated to create the new

Cardwell Division #REDIRECT Shire of Cardwell The Shire of Cardwell was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Coral Sea coast about halfway between the cities of Cairns and Townsville. The shire, administered from the town of Tully, cove ...

Cardwell Shire Council Chambers, Cardwell, 1911

In 1892, the Cardwell Divisional Board built the

Cardwell Divisional Board Hall Cardwell Divisional Board Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall at 51 Victoria Street, Cardwell, Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is also known as the Cardwell Shire Chambers, Cardwell Shire Hall, JC Hubinger Memorial Mu ...

(now heritage-listed) at 51 Victoria Street, Cardwell. At that time, Cardwell was regarded as the major town in the division (as reflected in the division's name). With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', Cardwell Division became the Shire of Cardwell on 31 March 1903. The divisional board hall then became known as the Cardwell Shire Council Chambers. To commemorate those who served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, an honour board was erected in the Cardwell Shire Council Chambers in 1922. Composed of marble, it lists 26 servicemen and 2 nurses from the local community. The inclusion of nurses is such a memorial is relatively uncommon.

Cardwell Shire Council Chambers, circa 1930

In 1929, the decision was taken to relocate the shire council's headquarters to the newer but more populous town of Tully. The first council meeting held in Tully was on 27 June 1929. A new shire chambers was built in 1930 on the south-east corner of Bryant and Morris Streets in Tully. The former shire chambers in Cardwell was then used by the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

(QCWA) and later by the Returned Sailors' Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia (RSSAILA). From 1989 to 2008, the building was used as a library. Later it became the J. C. Hubinger Memorial Museum. The presence of the honour board means that the building has been the community focus for Anzac Day ceremonies throughout the years. Given its historical and cultural significance, the building was listed on the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. A ...

on 21 March 2013. In 1978, the shire chambers in Tully were replaced with the present council chambers. 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 Cardwell merged with the

(also formerly part of the Hinchinbrook Division) to form the

Towns and localities

The Shire of Cardwell included the following settlements: Greater Tully area: * Tully ** Birkalla **

Silky Oak ''Grevillea robusta'', commonly known as the southern silky oak, silk oak or silky oak, silver oak or Australian silver oak, is a flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. It is a tree, the largest species in its genus but is not closely rela ...

Localities: * Cardwell * Bilyana * Bulgun * Cardstone * Carmoo * Coquette Point *

Damper Creek A damper is a device that deadens, restrains, or depresses. It may refer to: Music * Damper pedal, a device that mutes musical tones, particularly in stringed instruments * A mute for various brass instruments Structure * Damper (flow), a mechan ...

* Djiru *

Ellerbeck Ellerbeck is a small village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. The population of the parish was estimated at 50 in 2010. The population as taken at the 2011 Census remained less than 100. Details are mai ...

* Euramo * Feluga * Hull Heads * Jarra Creek * Jumbun * Kennedy * Lower Tully * Merryburn * Midgenoo * Murray Upper * Murrigal * Rockingham * South Mission Beach * Tully Heads * Wongaling Beach

Population

Chairmen

* 1884: James Thorn Senior * 1902: Peter Smith * 1903—1904: Johann Christian Hubinger (chairman 15 times) * 1908: Johann Christian Hubinger (again, but died September 1908) * 1909: Mr Hubinger * 1910: Mr Kennedy * 1914: Mr Stamp * 1915: Arthur Henry * 1921—1924: Brice Henry * 1924—1931: James Thorn * 1931—1933: Julius August Winter * 1933—1936: Chris Teitzel * 1936—1940: Brice Henry (died February 1940) * 1940: P. White * 1943—1954: Charles Dickinson * 1985—1991: Atte Raccanello (first and only female council leader) * 2004—2008: Giuseppe (Joe) Galeano Gladys Henry was the first female council member, serving between 1976 and 1982.

References

External links