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 The Maranganji (also rendered Margany, Mardigan) were an indigenous Australian people of the state of Queensland. Country Norman Tindale's estimate of Maranganji tribal lands was . They were the original people of Quilpie, Cheepie and Beehchal, a ...

(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 Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the , Thargomindah had a population ...

, 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 and Paroo and part of the abolished

Shire of Adavale The Shire of Adavale is a former local government area in the south-east of Queensland, Australia, centred on the town of Adavale. It existed from 1879 to 1930. History On 11 November 1879, the Murweh Division was created as one of 74 division ...

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 Adavale is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Adavale had a population of 93 people. Geography Adavale is in South West Queensland, west of the state capital, Brisbane. Between ...

* Eromanga * Toompine

Amenities

Quilpie Shire Council operates a public library at Quilpie.

Population

Notable people from Quilpie

Vaughan Johnson Vaughan Monroe Johnson (March 24, 1962 – December 12, 2019) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles. He also was a member of ...

, Queensland state politician *

Ewen Jones Ewen Thomas Jones (born 7 March 1960) is a former Australian politician representing the division of Herbert for the Liberal National Party from the 2010 federal election until the 2016 federal election. Jones won the division of Herbert in ...

, 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