The Tablelands Region is a local government area in

Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf ...

, Australia inland from the city of Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas which dated back more than a century. On 1 January 2014, one of those local government areas, the Shire of Mareeba, was re-established independent of the Tablelands Region. It has an estimated operating budget of A$62.2 million.

History

'' Yidinji'' (also known as ''Yidinj'', ''Yidiny'', and ''Idindji'') 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 ...

. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of

Cairns Region The Cairns Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Queensland, Australia, centred on the regional city of Cairns. It was established in 2008 by the amalgamation of the City of Cairns and the Shires of Douglas and Mulgrave ...

and Tablelands Region, in such localities as Cairns, Gordonvale, and the Mulgrave River, and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi. Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Tablelands Region consisted the entire area of four previous local government areas: * the

Shire of Atherton The Shire of Atherton was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Atherton, cov ...

; * the Shire of Eacham; * the Shire of Herberton; and * the Shire of Mareeba. On 11 November 1879, when the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' came into effect proclaiming 74 divisions around Queensland, the nature and distribution of the population in the Tablelands region was vastly different from today. Most of the area was divided between the Hinchinbrook and

Woothakata The Shire of Mareeba is a Local government in Australia, local government area at the base of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, Far North Queensland, inland from Cairns, Queensland, Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mar ...

divisions. On 3 September 1881, Tinaroo Division was proclaimed from part of Hinchinbrook, making the mining towns of

Tinaroo Tinaroo is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tinaroo had a population of 312 people. The town of Tinaroo Falls is on the eastern edge of the locality () beside Lake Tinaroo. Geography Tinaroo is located ...

and Thornborough the administrative centres of the region. A number of changes occurred from that point: * 15 September 1888 – Formation of the Borough of Herberton to manage the town of

Herberton Herberton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Herberton had a population of 855 people. Geography Herberton is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is situ ...

* 14 May 1889 – Walsh Division ( Irvinebank) separated from Woothakata * 20 December 1890 – Barron Division separated from Tinaroo * 11 May 1895 – Herberton Division separated from Tinaroo; amalgamated the Borough * 31 March 1903 – Under the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', Barron,

, Walsh and

became Shires. * 16 December 1908 –

Shire of Chillagoe The Shire of Chillagoe was a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. History On 16 December 1908, a small part of Shire of Woothakata was transferred to the Shire of Walsh The Shire of Walsh was a local government area in F ...

formed from part of Woothakata * 18 November 1910 – Shire of Eacham formed from part of Tinaroo * 20 December 1919 – Shire of Barron abolished and divided between Mulgrave and Woothakata * 1933 – Shires of Walsh and Chillagoe amalgamated into Woothakata * 1935 – Shire of Tinaroo renamed Shire of Atherton * 20 December 1947 – Shire of Woothakata renamed Shire of Mareeba In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the four areas amalgamate. Amongst its reasons given for this recommendation were that a community of interest revolved around the towns of Mareeba and Atherton, with residents travelling to Cairns for services not offered in the region. The opportunity for tourism and leisure promotion under a single banner, the close proximity of most major towns, the lack of natural barriers and similar economic interests including beef, dairy, fruit and sugar production. All councils opposed the amalgamation, although Atherton, Herberton and Eacham were willing to consider shared service delivery. On 15 March 2008, the Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a to the Regional Council. In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Mareeba from the Tablelands Region. On 9 March 2013, the citizens of the former Mareeba shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate. The Shire of Mareeba was re-established on 1 January 2014.

Wards and councillors

Tablelands Regional Council consists of: * Mayor: Rodney Donald (Rod) Marti * Division 1 Councillor: Kevin Cardew * Division 2 Councillor: Annette Haydon * Division 3 Councillor: Dave Bilney * Division 4 Councillor: David Clifton * Division 5 Councillor: Peter Hodge * Division 6 Councillor: Bernie Wilce

Mayors

* 2008-2012: Tom Gilmore * 2012–2016: Rosa Lee Long * 2016-2020: Joe Paronella * 2020–present: Rod Marti

Towns and localities

The Tablelands Region includes the following settlements: Atherton area: * Atherton * Barrine *

Carrington Carrington and Carington are surnames originating from one of the Carringtons in England, or from the town of Carentan in Normandy, France. It is also rarely a given name. Surname Scientists * Alan Carrington (1934–2013), British chemist *Benj ...

* Kairi * Lake Tinaroo *

* Tolga * Upper Barron * Walkamin *

Wongabel Wongabel is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wongabel had a population of 221 people. History The locality takes its name from the Wongabel railway station, named on 20 October 1910 by the Queensland Ra ...

Eacham area: *

Malanda Malanda is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Malanda had a population of 1,985 people. The economy is based upon agriculture (particularly dairy) and tourism. Geography Malan ...

* Yungaburra * Butchers Creek *

Glen Allyn Glen Allyn is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Glen Allyn had a population of 157 people. Geography Lamins Hill is a mountain near the eastern edge of the locality () above sea level. History Gl ...

* Jaggan * Lake Eacham * Maalan *

Millaa Millaa Millaa Millaa is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Millaa Millaa had a population of 514 people. Geography Millaa Millaa is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, ap ...

* North Johnstone * Palmerston¹ * Peeramon *

Tarzali Tarzali is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Tarzali had a population of 398 people. Geography The locality is on the Atherton Tableland. It is bounded to the east by the Johnst ...

Herberton area: *

Evelyn Evelyn may refer to: Places * Evelyn, London *Evelyn Gardens, a garden square in London * Evelyn, Ontario, Canada * Evelyn, Michigan, United States * Evelyn, Texas, United States * Evelyn, Wirt County, West Virginia, United States * Evelyn ...

* Innot Hot Springs *

Kalunga The Kalungas are Brazilians that descend from people who freed themselves from slavery, and lived in remote settlements in Goiás state, Brazil. The Kalungas are one group of Quilombola, or people of African origin who live in hinterland s ...

* Millstream * Moomin * Mount Garnet * Ravenshoe *

Tumoulin Tumoulin is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tumoulin had a population of 109 people. Geography From south to north Tumoulin is a flat valley with Diddleluma Creek flowing through it, eleva ...

* Wairuna *

Wondecla Wondecla is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wondecla had a population of 638 people. Geography The Kennedy Highway roughly forms the south-east boundary of the locality. Longlands Gap Road passes thr ...

Others: *

Beatrice Beatrice may refer to: * Beatrice (given name) Places In the United States * Beatrice, Alabama, a town * Beatrice, Humboldt County, California, a locality * Beatrice, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Beatrice, Indiana, an unincorporated ...

* Danbulla * East Barron * Ellinjaa *

Gadgarra Gadgarra is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_na ...

* Glen Ruth * Gunnawarra *

Kaban __NOTOC__ Kaban may refer to: People * Kaban, a Khazar ruler; See Khalga and Kaban * An Israeli military psychologist; See Profile 21 * Jozef Kabaň, a Slovak automobile designer * Family name (Kabán). They live in Hungary. Places * Kaban ...

Kingsborough Kingsburgh may refer to: * Kingsburgh, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa * Kingsburgh, Skye, Highland, Scotland * Kingsburgh, California, former name of Kingsburg, California, United States * Kingsborough, Queensland, a former mining town in Australia { ...

* Kirrama *

Koombooloomba Koombooloomba is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Koombooloomba had a population of 0 people. The locality was used during the construction of the Kareeya Hydro Power Station. Geography There is a hyd ...

* Kureen *

Lake Barrine Lake Barrine is a freshwater lake on the eastern parts of Atherton Tableland in the locality of Lake Barrine, in the Tablelands Region of Far North Queensland, Australia, close to Lake Eacham. The lake and surrounds are protected within the ...

* Middlebrook *

Minbun Minbun is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Minbun had a population of 75 people. Geography Minbun railway station is an abandoned railway station () on the now-closed Millaa Millaa branch of the Tablel ...

* Minnamoolka * Moregatta *

Mungalli Mungalli is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

* Silver Valley *

Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al Si O( F, OH). It is used as a gemstone in jewelry and other adornments. Common topaz in its natural state is colorless, though trace element impurities can ma ...

Wooroonooran Wooroonooran is a locality split among the Cairns Region, the Cassowary Coast Region and the Tablelands Region in Queensland, Australia. In the , Wooroonooran had no population. Geography The locality is entirely within the Wooroonooran N ...

² ¹ - shared with

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 Shir ...

² - shared with

and

Population

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008.

Libraries

The Tablelands Regional Council operate public libraries in Atherton,

, Mount Garnet, Ravenshoe and Yungaburra.

References

{{Coord, 16, 59, 48, S, 145, 23, 59, E, type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD, display=title Tablelands Far North Queensland 2008 establishments in Australia