Shire of Eacham
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = lga
| name = Shire of Eacham
| state = qld
| image = Eacham LGA Qld.png
| image_upright = 0.81
| caption = Location within Queensland
| pop = 6,359
| pop_year = 2006 census
| pop_footnotes ={{Census 2006 AUS | id = LGA32900 | name = Eacham (S) (Local Government Area) | accessdate=2009-04-16|quick = on}}
| area = 1126.4
| seat = Malanda
| region = Far North Queensland
| logo = Eacham Logo.jpg
| url =
| near-n = Cairns
| near-ne = Cairns
| near-e = Cairns
| near-se = Johnstone
| near-s = Johnstone
| near-sw = Herberton
| near-w = Atherton
| near-nw = Atherton
| est = 1910
}}
The Shire of Eacham 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 Malanda, covered an area of {{convert|1126.4|km2|sqmi|1}}, and existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.
Despite its tropical latitude, the high altitude on the tableland allows a dairy industry to operate.
History
On 22 Nov 1910 the area around Lake Eacham was incorporated as the Shire of Eacham, taking in part of each of the Shires of Tinaroo, Johnstone and Cairns.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19654294 |title=A New Shire Created. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=23 November 1910 |access-date=26 September 2013 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite QSA Agency|1006|Johnstone Shire Council|26 September 2013}}
Its first meeting was held at Yungaburra's community hall on 22 February 1911. In April 1912, a site for a shire hall was reserved in Malanda.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19751159 |title=PUBLIC RESERVES. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |date=19 April 1912 |access-date=26 September 2013 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} On 12 April 1913, the shire relocated its offices to Malanda.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39931030 |title=Malanda Notes. |newspaper=The Cairns Post |location=Qld. |date=10 April 1913 |access-date=26 September 2013 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} However, the planned council chambers did not open until 22 Feb 1939.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62820527 |title=MALANDA AND DISTRICT NOTES. |newspaper=Townsville Daily Bulletin |location=Qld. |date=23 February 1939 |access-date=26 September 2013 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}
File:Malanda Falls Swimming Pool, Eacham Shire Council sign, 2016.jpg
Around 1920, the shire council began an active role in developing the Malanda Falls into the (now heritage-listed) Malanda Falls Swimming Pool and associated infrastructure, initially for local recreation but then increasingly to attract tourists to the area via Cairns.{{cite QHR|21286|Malanda Falls Swimming Pool|602733|access-date=1 August 2014}}
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Eacham merged with the Shires of Atherton, Herberton and Mareeba to form the Tablelands Region.{{cite QSA Agency|299|Atherton Shire Council|26 September 2013}}
Towns and localities
The Shire of Eacham included the following settlements:
- Malanda
- Yungaburra
- Butchers Creek
- Glen Allyn
- Jaggan
- Lake Eacham
- Maalan
- Millaa Millaa
- North Johnstone
- Palmerston1
- Peeramon
- Tarzali
- Upper Barron2
1 - shared with Cassowary Coast Region
2 - split with the former Shire of Atherton
Population
| class="wikitable" | |
| Year
! Population | |
|---|---|
| 1933 | 4,324 |
| 1947 | 3,740 |
| 1954 | 3,771 |
| 1961 | 3,842 |
| 1966 | 3,598 |
| 1971 | 3,327 |
| 1976 | 3,433 |
| 1981 | 4,137 |
| 1986 | 5,135 |
| 1991 | 5,609 |
| 1996 | 6,074 |
| 2001 | 6,076 |
| 2006 | 6,359 |
Chairmen and mayors
- 1927: R. E. McHugh {{cite book|last1=Pugh|first1=Theophilus Parsons|title=Pugh's Almanac for 1927|date=1927|url=http://www.textqueensland.com.au/pughs-almanac|access-date=13 June 2014}}
- 1988-2000: Philip English
- 2000-2004: Mary Lyle
- 2004-2008: Ray Byrnes
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://queenslandplaces.com.au/eacham-shire University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Eacham Shire]
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227204409/http://eachamshire.qld.gov.au |date=February 27, 2008 |title=Official website }}
{{Atherton Tableland nav box}}
{{Queensland former LGAs}}
{{coord|17|21|13|S|145|35|37|E|type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eacham Shire}}
Category:Former local government areas of Queensland