The Shire of Quilpie is a local government area in

South West Queensland South West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of Queensland which covers . The region lies to the south of Central West Queensland and west of the Darling Downs and includes the Maranoa district and parts of the Channel Countr ...

, Australia. It covers an area of , and its administrative centre is the town of

Quilpie Quilpie ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , Quilpie had a population of 595 people. The town is the administrative centre of the Quilpie Shire local government area. The town of Toompine is ...

. The dominant industry is grazing.

Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

fields are also worked within the shire. In June 2018, the Shire of Quilpie had a population of 790, having fallen by -3.5 per cent over the preceding year, the second fastest decline in the state.

History

Margany (also known as Marganj, Mardigan, Marukanji, Maranganji) 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 by the Margany people. The Margany language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Quilpie Shire, taking in

Cheepie Cheepie is a town in the locality of Adavale in Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 2 people. History Margany (also known as Marganj, Mardigan, Marukanji, Maranganji) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken ...

and Beechal extending towards Eulo and Thargomindah, as well as the properties of Dynevor Downs and Ardoch. The Shire was created on 17 July 1930 from parts of the Shires of Barcoo,

Murweh Murweh is a rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = A ...

and Paroo and part of the abolished Shire of Adavale and all of the abolished Shire of Bulloo. However, on 4 July 1931, the Shire of Bulloo was re-instated.

Chairmen and mayors

Chairmen

* 1930-1933 H. J. Pegler

Mayors

* 1997–2012: P. David Edwards * 2012–present: Stuart Alexander Mackenzie

Towns and localities

The Shire of Quilpie includes the following settlements: *

* Adavale *

* Eromanga *

Toompine Toompine is a town in the locality of Quilpie in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. History The town of Toompine was surveyed in 1870. The name is believed to derive from the Aboriginal name Thaumpine, meaning ''leech''. Toompine Pr ...

Amenities

Quilpie Shire Council operates a public library at Quilpie.

Population

Notable people from Quilpie

* Vaughan Johnson, Queensland state politician * Ewen Jones, Australian federal politician * Professor Don Markwell, social scientist and educational leader *

Sandy McPhie Alexander Carpendale "Sandy" McPhie (10 February 1929 – 5 December 2015) was an Australian politician. He was a National Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1983 to 1989, representing the electorate of Toowoomba North. ...

, former Queensland state politician *

Justine Saunders Justine Florence Saunders, (20 February 1953 – 15 April 2007) was an Australian stage, television and film actress. She was a member of the Woppaburra, an Australian Aboriginal people, from the Kanomie clan of Great Keppel Island in Queensl ...

, late Australian actor

References

External links

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Quilpie and Quilpie Shire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quilpie Shire Local government areas of Queensland South West Queensland 1930 establishments in Australia