The Shire of Murweh is a local government area in the Maranoa district, which is part of South West Queensland, Australia. The administrative centre and largest town in the shire is Charleville.
Shire of Murweh Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Location of the shire within Queensland | |||||||||||||||
Population | 3,971 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.09757/km2 (0.2527/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1879 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 40,700 km2 (15,714.4 sq mi)[2] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Shaun Radnedge | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Charleville | ||||||||||||||
Region | South West Queensland | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
Website | Shire of Murweh | ||||||||||||||
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In the 2021 census, the Shire of Murweh had a population of 3,971 people.[1]
History
editBidjara (Bidyara, Pitjara, Peechara) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bidjara people. The Bidjara language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Murweh Shire Council, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall as well as the properties of Nive Downs and Mount Tabor.[3]
Murweh Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions of Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 1286.[4]
On 11 October 1883, there was an adjustment of boundaries between Tambo Division and Murweh Division.[5][6]
On 5 February 1889, the western part of Murweh Division was separated to create the new Adavale Division.[7][8][9]
On 21 March 1894, under the "Local Government Act 1878", Subdivision 2 of the Murweh Division was separated to create a municipality called Borough of Charleville.[10]
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Murweh Division became the Shire of Murweh on 31 March 1903.[11]
On 10 September 1960, the Town of Charleville (the successor of the Borough of Charleville) which had been separated from Murweh Division in 1894, was absorbed back into the Shire of Murweh .[11][12]
Towns and localities
editThe Shire of Murweh includes the following towns and localities:
Amenities
editMurweh Shire Council operates public libraries in Augathella, Charleville and Morven.[13] all three of these libraries have access to the internet through a high speed ISDN Broadband Internet Connection (provided through the National Broadband Network) to Brisbane.
The Murweh Shire Council operates the Charleville Airport and the aerodromes in Augathella, Morven and Cooladdi.
Murweh Shire Council also owns and operates these parks and recreational facilities throughout the shire
Augathella
- Brassington Park, Bendee Street, Augathella
- Meat Ant Park, 73 Main Street, Augathella
- Warrego Park, Corner Welch and Main Streets, Augathella
Charleville
- Graham Andrews Parkland, Sturt Street (Mitchell Highway), Charleville
- Baker Street Reserve, Baker Street, Charleville
- King Edward Park (original Charleville Showgrounds), Parry Street, Charleville
- Charleville Showgrounds, Partridge Street, Charleville (near Charleville State High School)
- Anzac Park, Wills Street, Charleville
Morven
- Memorial Park, Albert Street, Morven
- Morven Recreation Grounds (encompassing Sadlier's Waterhole), Corner Nebine Road and Old Charleville Road, Morven
Demographics
editYear | Population | Notes |
---|---|---|
1879 | 1,286 | [citation needed] |
1933 | 6,141 | [citation needed] |
1947 | 5,930 | [citation needed] |
1954 | 7,532 | [citation needed] |
1961 | 7,845 | [citation needed] |
1966 | 7,483 | [citation needed] |
1971 | 6,053 | [citation needed] |
1976 | 5,585 | [citation needed] |
1981 | 5,338 | [citation needed] |
1986 | 5,287 | [citation needed] |
1991 | 5,291 | [citation needed] |
1996 | 4,962 | [citation needed] |
2001 census | 4,962 | [14] |
2006 census | 4,580 | [15] |
2011 census | 4,619 | [16] |
2016 census | 4,307 | [17] |
2021 census | 3,971 | [1] |
Shire Chambers
editThe first Murweh council chambers were built in the 1880s but were destroyed by fire in the 1930s.[18]
The new Murweh Shire Council Chambers were opened in Alfred Street in February 1938 by the shire chairman William Herbert Corbett.[18] The architects were Hall and Phillips and the contractor was T. E. Woollon of Brisbane.[19]
The chambers suffered extensive damage during the 1990 flood which devastated Charleville. Repairs were carried out by Q-Build in late 1990.[18] These repairs held fast in the 1997 flood that hit Charleville, but suffered moderate damage during the 2010 flood that hit Charleville.[citation needed]
Chairmen and mayors
edit- 1911 - 1934: J.W.S Gildea Esq.
- 1935 - 1946: William Henry Corbett
- 1946 - 1955: Arthur Carruthers Little
- 1955 - 1958: Reginald Bowen Lynch
- 1958 - 1965: Mr. F.O Elliott
- 1965 - 1976: Clement Edmund Francis O.B.E
- 1976 - 1978: John Albert Aiken
- 1978 - 1982: Frances Muriel Hayden
- 1982 - 1985: Michael Phillip Gordon
- 1985 - 2001: Graham Andrews
- 2001 - 2004: Wendy Choice-Brooks
- 2004 - 2012: Mark Arthur O'Brien
- 2012 - 2016: Denis Michael Cook
- 2016 - 2020: Annie Liston
- 2020 - Present: Shaun Radnedge
References
edit- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Shire of Murweh (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- ^ "Bidjara". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^ "Proclamation [Murweh Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1000.
- ^ "Proclamation [Tambo Division amended]". Queensland Government Gazette. 13 October 1883. p. 33:1018.
- ^ "Proclamation [Murweh Division amended]". Queensland Government Gazette. 13 October 1883. p. 33:1018-1019.
- ^ "Proclamation [Adavale Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 9 February 1889. p. 46:469.
- ^ "Country News". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 2 February 1889. p. 198. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 287, Adavale Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 2098, Charleville Municipal Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ a b "Agency ID 1435, Murweh Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 560, Charleville Town Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Murweh Shire Council". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Shire of Murweh (LGA)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Shire of Murweh (LGA)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Shire of Murweh (LGA)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Shire of Murweh (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ a b c "OFFICIAL OPENING". The Charleville Times. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 11 February 1938. p. 7. Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- ^ "CHARLEVILLE NOTES". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 28 December 1937. p. 2. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2014.