The Gympie Region 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 the

Wide Bay–Burnett Wide Bay–Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more ...

region of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia, about north of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, the state capital. It is between the

Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...

and

Hervey Bay Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the bay of the same name open to ...

and centred on the town of

Gympie Gympie ( ) is a city and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. Located in the Greater Sunshine Coast, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River ( ...

. It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Shires of Cooloola and Kilkivan and part of the

Shire of Tiaro The Shire of Tiaro was a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, between the regional cities of Gympie and Hervey Bay about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The shire covered an area of , and existe ...

. The Regional Council, which governs the Region, has an estimated operating budget of A$50 million. In the , the Gympie Region had a population of 53,242 people.

History

Gubbi Gubbi The Kabi Kabi people, also spelt Gubbi Gubbi, Gabi Gabi, and other variants, are an Aboriginal Australian people native to South Eastern Queensland. During the Australian frontier wars of the 19th century, there were several mass killings o ...

(Kabi Kabi, Cabbee, Carbi, Gabi Gabi)'' is an

Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

spoken on Gubbi Gubbi country. The Gubbi Gubbi language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

Sunshine Coast Region The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia, from which it takes its name. It was created by the amalgamation in 2008 of the City of Caloundra and the Shires o ...

and Gympie Region, particularly the towns of

Caloundra Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the town of Caloundra had a population of 96,305 people. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is acce ...

Noosa Heads Noosa Heads is a coastal town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. It is a popular holiday destination. In the , the suburb of Noosa Heads had a population of 5,120 people. Geography ...

and extending north towards Maryborough and south to

Caboolture Caboolture () is a town and suburb in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the northern side of the Caboolture River. In the , the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 29,534 people. Geography Caboolture is ...

''.'' Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Gympie Region existed as four distinct local government areas: * the Shire of Cooloola; ** the

City of Gympie The City of Gympie is a former local government area in the south-east of Queensland, Australia, responsible for governing Gympie. History On 11 November 1879, the Gympie Division was created as one of 74 divisions within Queensland under the ...

; ** the

Shire of Widgee The Shire of Widgee is a former local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett area of Queensland, Australia. It was located in the rural areas around the town of Gympie but did not include the town itself, which was always in a separate local g ...

; * the

Shire of Kilkivan The Shire of Kilkivan was a local government area about north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1886 until its merger with several other local government areas to ...

; * and Division 3 (

Theebine Theebine is a rural town and locality split between the Gympie Region and the Fraser Coast Region, both in Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Theebine had a population of 145 people. Geography The town is located north of the ...

/ Gunalda areas) of the

The Gympie area was originally settled for grazing purposes. The discovery of gold in 1867 led to a

gold rush A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, ...

and the development of the Mary River valley for closer agricultural pursuits. The Widgee Divisional Board was incorporated on 11 November 1879 under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879''. On 3 July 1886, its western part separately incorporated as the Division of Kilkivan. With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', both Widgee and Kilkivan became shires on 31 March 1903. On 21 November 1940, the Widgee Shire Council moved into new premises formerly occupied by the

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia. It was established in 1817 in Sydney. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and New Zealand, expanding into Oceania ...

at 242 Mary Street, Gympie. The Municipal Borough of Gympie was incorporated on 25 June 1880, holding its first elections on 25 August. A town hall was built in 1890. It became a town under the new Act on 31 March 1903, and on 7 January 1905 was proclaimed a city by the

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the state of Queensland. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia, governor-general at the national level, the governor Governors of ...

. On 2 November 1993, the

and the

merged under the terms of the ''Local Government (Shire of Cooloola) Regulation 1993'' to form the Shire of Cooloola. The first elections were held on 27 November 1993 and Adrian McClintock, the former Widgee chairman, was elected for a four-year term. In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that Cooloola and Kilkivan amalgamate with part of the

. The first two councils opposed amalgamation, but in the event of amalgamation, thought the commission's proposal the best option. Tiaro wished to amalgamate with the

Shire of Woocoo The Shire of Woocoo was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The shire covered an ...

and opposed the plan. On 15 March 2008, the three shires ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect eight councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council. Ron Dyne, the former mayor of Kilkivan, was elected as the region's first mayor. The former Cooloola Shire Council Chambers is now used as the Gympie Regional Council Chambers.

Wards

The council remains undivided and its elected body consists of eight councillors and a mayor, elected for a four-year term.

Current Councillors/Mayor

The mayor of the Gympie Regional Council is Glen Charles Hartwig. Mayor Glen Hartwig was elected in the Gympie Regional Council election on Saturday, 28 March 2020. The councillors are:, *Jess Milne – Division 1 *Nadine Jensen – Division 2 *Shane Warnes – Division 3 *Mick Curran – Division 4 *Allona Lahn – Division 5 *Warren McEwan – Division 6 *Warren Polley – Division 7 *Gordon Mausley – Division 8

Mayors

* 2008–2014: Ron Dyne * 2015–2020: Mick Curran * 2020–present: Glen Hartwig

Towns and localities

The Gympie Region includes the following settlements: Gympie area: *

* Araluen * Chatsworth *

Glanmire Glanmire () is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city, in the civil parish of Rathcooney, County Cork, Ireland. The greater Glanmire area encompasses the communities of Riverstown (Baile Roisín), Brooklodge (Cill Ruadhái ...

* Jones Hill *

Kybong Kybong is a rural Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Kybong had a population of 363 people. Geography Kybong is south-east of Gympie, Gympie's central business district along the ...

* Monkland * Nahrunda * Southside * Tamaree * The Dawn * Two Mile *

Veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

* Victory Heights * Woondum Widgee area: *

Amamoor Amamoor is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Amamoor had a population of 720 people. Geography Amamoor is south of Gympie. The Bruce Highway passes to the east of the town and the ...

* Bollier * Brooloo * Calico Creek * Canina * Carters Ridge * Cedar Pocket * Cooloola * Cooloola Cove * Dagun *

Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...

* Goomboorian * Greens Creek *

Imbil Imbil is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Imbil had a population of 1,071 people. Geography Imbil is in the Wide Bay–Burnett district in the Mary River valley, north of the st ...

Kandanga Kandanga is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kandanga had a population of 659 people. Geography The town is located on the Mary Valley Road (Lis ...

Kia Ora Kia ora (, approximated in English as or ) is a Māori-language greeting which has entered New Zealand English. It translates literally as "have life" or "be healthy", wishing the essence of life upon someone, from one speaker to the othe ...

* Lagoon Pocket * Langshaw * Melawondi * Mothar Mountain * Moy Pocket * North Deep Creek * Pie Creek * Rainbow Beach *

Tandur Tandur is a town, Municipality and Mandal in Vikarabad district in the Indian State of Telangana. It is a municipality consisting of 36 wards, as well as the headquarters of Tandur Mandal in the Tandur Revenue Division. It is known for its prod ...

* The Palms *

Tin Can Bay Tin Can Bay is a coastal town and locality in the Wide Bay–Burnett region in Queensland, Australia. The locality is split between the Fraser Coast Region (the northern part of the locality) and the Gympie Region (southern part of the locality ...

¹ *

Traveston Traveston is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Traveston had a population of 509 people. Geography Traveston is predominantly farm land with a small urban area to the west of the T ...

Wallu Harri Sakari Vaalio (born 1956 in Järvelä, Kärkölä, Finland), also known by his artist name Wallu, is a Finnish cartoonist. He is known for his strip '' Punaniska'' ( Finnish for "redneck") comic albums and his strips in Finnish magazines ...

* Wilsons Pocket Kilkivan area: * Kilkivan * Booubyjan *

Cinnabar Cinnabar (; ), or cinnabarite (), also known as ''mercurblende'' is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of Mercury sulfide, mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining mercury (element), elemental mercury and is t ...

Goomeri Goomeri ( ) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 677 people. Geography The town is located on the intersection of ...

* Johnstown * Kinbombi * Lower Wonga * Manumbar * Tansey *

Widgee Widgee is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Widgee had a population of 862 people. History The name is believed to have originated from the Aboriginal words ''Witchee Witchee'' meaning ''listen'' or ''hark' ...

* Woolooga South Tiaro - Division 3 area: * Anderleigh * Curra * Glen Echo * Gunalda * Miva * Neerdie * Scotchy Pocket *

¹ - split with

Fraser Coast Region The Fraser Coast Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains K'gari. ...

Libraries

The Gympie Regional Council operate public libraries at

, Kilkivan, Rainbow Beach, and

Local heritage register

The Gympie Regional Council established and maintains the

Gympie Local Heritage Register The Gympie Local Heritage Register is a list of heritage sites within the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. It is maintained by the Gympie Regional Council. The local heritage listings for the Gympie Region include: * Amamoor: ** 4 Busby St ...

Demographics

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008. Estimates for the Tiaro component, not included in the figures below, are: 1,315 (1991); 1,695 (1996); 1,789 (2001) and 2,197 (2006).

References

External links

Gympie Regional Council website
{{Coord, 26, 11, 23, S, 152, 39, 53, E, type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD, display=title

Wide Bay–Burnett 2008 establishments in Australia