The Shire of Carpentaria is a
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a federated state, state, province, division (politica ...
in
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns, Queensland, Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stret ...
, Australia on the
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia. It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea. The northern boundary ...
, for which it is named.
In the , the Shire of Carpentaria had a population of 2,090 people.
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Geography
The Shire of Carpentaria covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1883. Its two main population centres are the towns of Karumba, a fishing port, and Normanton, the administrative centre, both of which are located on the Norman River
The Norman River is a river in the Gulf Country, Queensland, Australia. The river originates in the Gregory Range, southeast of Croydon and flows northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is joined by three major tributaries, the Carron, C ...
.
History
The Doonmunya Division #REDIRECT Shire of Carpentaria
The Shire of Carpentaria is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia on the Gulf of Carpentaria, for which it is named.
In the , the Shire of Carpentaria had a population of 2,090 people.
Geogr ...
was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' with a population of 396.Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea off the northern coast of Australia. It is enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the eastern Arafura Sea, which separates Australia and New Guinea. The northern boundary ...
) and was very sparsely settled. Nonetheless some of the citizens were unhappy about this. Consequently, on 11 January 1883, the Doonmunya Division was abolished and a new Carpentaria Division was created to replace it.Cloncurry
Cloncurry is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. It is informally known by local people as The Curry. Cloncurry is the administrative centre of the Shire of Cloncurry.
Cloncurry is known as the ''Friendl ...
area, leading to a desire to create their own local division. On 7 February 1884, part of Carpentaria Division was separated to create the new Cloncurry Division.
However, once the Carpentaria Divisional Board became operational, the residents of the Burketown
Burketown is an isolated outback town and coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Cairns and west of Normanton, Queensland, Normanton on the Albert River (Gulf Sa ...
area became concerned that their rates were likely to be spent on the Normanton area rather than their own and began to agitate for their own division west of the Leichhardt River
The Leichhardt River is a river in north-west Queensland, Australia.
Course
The source of the river is in the Selwyn Range under Rifle Creek Hill and fed by Rifle Creek approximately south of the mining town Mount Isa. It runs in a generally n ...
. On 30 January 1885, the Burke Division was created from lands formerly within the Carpentaria Division with some adjustments to the Cloncurry Division.
With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', Carpentaria Division became the Shire of Carpentaria on 31 March 1903.Pormpuraaw
Pormpuraaw (pronounced ''porm-pure-ow'') is a coastal town and a locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Pormpuraaw, Queensland, Australia. Pormpuraaw is an Aboriginal community situated on the west coast of Cape York Peninsula approximately halfwa ...
) administered under Deed of Grant in Trust
A Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former Aboriginal reserves and missions. They came about through the enactment by the Queensland Government of the '' ...
by community councils since the mid-1980s, were part of the Shire's area, but they were formally excised and given a new status as Aboriginal Shires.
Towns and localities
The Shire of Carpentaria includes the following settlements:
* Normanton (pop 1,100)
* Karumba (pop 518)
* Carpentaria
''Carpentaria acuminata'' (carpentaria palm), the sole species in the genus ''Carpentaria'', is a palm native to tropical coastal regions in the north of Northern Territory, Australia.
It is a slender palm, growing to tall in the garden situ ...
* Fielding
* Howitt
* Maramie
* Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...
* Stokes
* Yagoonya
Chairmen and mayors
* 1927: J. K. Casey
Demographics
Prior to 1971, Aboriginal people who form a majority of the population were not counted in census statistics.
Until 1 July 2002, the Australian Bureau of Statistics included the Island and DOGIT councils within the Shire of Cook statistical local area. Information for the reduced Shire back to 1996 has been provided on the ABS website through the Time Series Profile.
Amenities
The Carpentaria Shire Council operates libraries in Normanton and Karumba.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpentaria Shire
Local government areas of Queensland
1883 establishments in Australia
Gulf of Carpentaria
North West Queensland