The Shire of Woocoo was 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 ...

located 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, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The shire covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1914 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Maryborough,

City of Hervey Bay The City of Hervey Bay was a Local government in Australia, local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the urban centre of Hervey Bay as well as the northern half of Fraser Island. The Cit ...

and the 1st and 2nd divisions 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 ...

to form the

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. ...

. Industry in the shire consisted of beef cattle, sugar, timber and light industry servicing Maryborough.

History

Woocoo was proclaimed a shire under the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'' on 4 December 1914, with its centre of administration at

Brooweena Brooweena is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Brooweena had a population of 91 people. Geography The town is located in the Wide Bay–Burnett area and is north of the state ...

. It had previously been part of the

, and also included parts of the Shires of

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

and

Howard Howard is a masculine given name derived from the English surname Howard. ''The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names'' notes that "the use of this surname as a christian name is quite recent and there seems to be no particular reason for ...

. The shire was named for Mount Woocoo, which itself was probably named for the local Aboriginal word for "

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the Family (biology), family Tachyglossidae , living in Australia and New Guinea. The four Extant taxon, extant species of echidnas ...

". It held its first meeting on 30 January 1915. BrooweenaWarMemorial

In 1922, the residents of the Woocoo Shire erected a war memorial outside St Mary's Church of England on the Maryborough-Biggenden Road in Teebar (now within Boompa). The Woocoo Shire War Memorial was unveiled on Saturday 6 January 1923 by Major-General

Thomas William Glasgow Major General Sir Thomas William Glasgow (6 June 1876 – 4 July 1955) was a senior Australian Army officer and politician. Glasgow rose to prominence during the First World War as a brigade and later divisional commander on the Western Fron ...

. In 1992 the memorial was relocated to the Woocoo Historical Museum in

due to concerns about vandalism and is now known as the Brooweena War Memorial. On 27 March 1976, the Shire of Woocoo grew by when the Shire of Burrum was renamed

Shire of Hervey Bay Shire () is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries. It is generally synonymous with county (such as Cheshire and Worcestershire). British counties are among the oldes ...

and recast as a local government area centred on the

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 ...

urban area. The ''Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993'', which took effect on 31 March 1994, resulted in Maryborough's annexation of about of Woocoo's area. At this time, Woocoo was resubdivided into three divisions each electing two councillors. On 15 March 2008, under the ''Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007'' passed by the

Parliament of Queensland The Parliament of Queensland is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature, legislative body of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists o ...

on 10 August 2007, Woocoo merged with the

, City of Maryborough and part of

Tiaro Tiaro ( ) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Tiaro had a population of 778 people. Geography The town is on the Mary River (Queensland), ...

to form the

Towns and localities

The Shire of Woocoo included the following settlements: *

Aramara Aramara is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Aramara had a population of 71 people. Geography The Maryborough–Biggenden Road (State Route ...

* Bidwill * Boompa *

* Dunmora * Grahams Creek *

Mungar Mungar is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mungar had a population of 328 people. Geography Mungar is north of the state capital Brisbane and south west of the regional centre of Maryborough. The ...

* Oakhurst * Owanyilla * Tinana South * Woocoo * Yengarie

Population

* The population for the 1976 boundaries was 2,938. * The 1991 census population of the revised Woocoo area was 2,562.

Chairmen and mayors

* 1915-1916: George Smyth Mant * 1917: Laurence Stevens Smith * 1918: J. Bourke * 1919-1926: George Smyth Mant * 1927-1929: W C Mathison aryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1930-1935: George Smyth Mant nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1936-1948: J C "Cliff" Irons nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1949-1955: Charles Ronald Sutton "Ron" Smith nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland (also personal family history - my uncle) *1955-1959: ???? *1960: L.L. "Len" Harvey 1961-1973: Charles Ronald Sutton "Ron" Smith rticle in the Maryborough Chronicle early 1973 (also personal family history - my uncle) *1973-1988: ???? *1988–1992: David Braddock *1992-2000: ???? *2000–2007: Kevin Mahoney *2007: Iain Lewis (Acting) *2007–2008: Gloria Banting

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woocoo Shire Former local government areas of Queensland Populated places established in 1914 2008 disestablishments in Australia Populated places disestablished in 2008