Shire of Eacham

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 1,126.4 square kilometres (434.9 sq mi), 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.

Shire of Eacham
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population6,359 (2006 census)[1]
 • Density5.6454/km2 (14.6216/sq mi)
Established1910
Area1,126.4 km2 (434.9 sq mi)
Council seatMalanda
RegionFar North Queensland
LGAs around Shire of Eacham:
Atherton Cairns Cairns
Atherton Shire of Eacham Cairns
Herberton Johnstone Johnstone

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.[2][3]

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.[4] On 12 April 1913, the shire relocated its offices to Malanda.[5] However, the planned council chambers did not open until 22 Feb 1939.[6]

Council sign at the Malanda Falls, 2016 (still extant 8 years after amalgamation)

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.[7]

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.[8]

Towns and localities

The Shire of Eacham included the following settlements:

1 - shared with Cassowary Coast Region
2 - split with the former Shire of Atherton

Population
Year Population
19334,324
19473,740
19543,771
19613,842
19663,598
19713,327
19763,433
19814,137
19865,135
19915,609
19966,074
20016,076
20066,359

Chairmen and mayors
  • 1927: R. E. McHugh [9]
  • 1988-2000: Philip English
  • 2000-2004: Mary Lyle
  • 2004-2008: Ray Byrnes

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Eacham (S) (Local Government Area)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 16 April 2009.
  2. "A New Shire Created". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 23 November 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  3. "Agency ID 1006, Johnstone Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  4. "PUBLIC RESERVES". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 19 April 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  5. "Malanda Notes". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 10 April 1913. p. 8. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  6. "MALANDA AND DISTRICT NOTES". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 23 February 1939. p. 7. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  7. "Malanda Falls Swimming Pool (entry 602733)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  8. "Agency ID 299, Atherton Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  9. Pugh, Theophilus Parsons (1927). Pugh's Almanac for 1927. Retrieved 13 June 2014.

17°21′13″S 145°35′37″E

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