Shire of Johnstone

The Shire of Johnstone was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Coral Sea coast about 90 kilometres (56 mi) south of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Innisfail, covered an area of 1,639.1 square kilometres (632.9 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1881 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the Shire of Cardwell to form the Cassowary Coast Region.

Shire of Johnstone
Queensland
Johnstone Shire Hall, circa 1940
Location within Queensland
Population18,256 (2006 census)[1]
 • Density11.1378/km2 (28.8468/sq mi)
Established1881
Area1,639.1 km2 (632.9 sq mi)
Council seatInnisfail
RegionFar North Queensland
LGAs around Shire of Johnstone:
Eacham Cairns Coral Sea
Eacham Shire of Johnstone Coral Sea
Herberton Cardwell Coral Sea

The Mamu tribal group are the traditional owners of much of the land in the shire. 47% of the shire is in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.[2]

History
Map of Johnstone Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902

The Hinchinbrook Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. On 28 October 1881, the Johnstone Division split away from it.[3]

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Johnstone Division became the Shire of Johnstone on 31 March 1903.[4]

On 22 November 1910 part of Johnstone Shire became Shire of Eacham.[4]

In December 1932, the Johnstone Shire Hall was destroyed by fire. Despite the desire to build a replacement quickly, it was not until 1938 that the new building was completed. The 1938 Johnstone Shire Hall is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.[5]

The election of councillors in May 1943 created a sensation with every elected councillor being a candidate of the Ratepayers Party, ousting 7 Labor Party councillors.[6]

In February 2007, the Johnstone Shire Council was sacked by the Queensland Local Government Minister, Andrew Fraser, claiming the shire council had become ineffective due to internal conflict, inappropriate behaviour and financial problems.

On 8 February 2007 the Johnstone Shire Council was sacked by the Queensland Government's Local Government Minister, Andrew Fraser claiming the shire council had become ineffective due to internal conflict, inappropriate behaviour and financial problems,[7] despite an issued show cause presented on 2 August 2006.[8][9]

Among the perceived gross misconduct were the following incidences:

  • The purchase of a $250,000 Steinway Model D Piano with insurance money from Cyclone Larry.[10]
  • Former Deputy Mayor George Pervan was quoted on commercial radio during an interview during the aftermath of Cyclone Larry requesting Southern Queenslanders to:

"Send up a truckload of piss so we can all get fucking drunk" – George Pervan – 2006[11]

While two councillors attempted to get the Queensland Government to revoke the decision Andrew Fraser stated that while the action was regrettable, it was indeed the correct decision.[12]

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 Johnstone merged with the Shire of Cardwell to form the Cassowary Coast Region.[4][13]

Towns and localities

The Shire of Cardwell included the following settlements:

1 - shared with Cairns Region
2 - shared with Tablelands Region
3 - shared with Cairns Region and Tablelands Region

Population
Year Population
193312,777
194712,265
195414,980
196115,784
196616,529
197115,878
197616,776
198117,438
198617,457
199119,184
199620,474
200119,511
200618,917

Chairmen
  • Mr and Mrs Charles Edward Jodrell née Earl, 1907
    1883 F. E. Nash[14]
  • 1901: Henry Lawrence Gill
  • 1903: Henry Lawrence Gill
  • 1904: Timothy Dempsey[15]
  • 1907: Charles Edward Jodrell[16]
  • 1908: John Harvey Payne[17]
  • 1922—1923: Leontine Joseph Duffy[18][19]
  • 1927: Robert David Bliss[20]
  • 1929—1943: Clarence Stanley Kopsen Page[6]
  • 1950: Andrew John Murray Laurie[21]

Other notable council members include:

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Johnstone (S) (Local Government Area)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  2. Johnstone Shire Council Archived 3 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine – Official website. Retrieved 14 December 2006.
  3. "Proclamation [Johnstone Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 29 October 1881. p. 29:1009.
  4. "Agency ID 1006, Johnstone Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  5. "Johnstone Shire Hall (entry 601579)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  6. "JOHNSTONE SHIRE". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 3 May 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  7. "'Ineffective' Johnstone Shire Council sacked". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 8 February 2007.
  8. "ABC – Sacking of JSC". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  9. "Queensland Government – Show Cause Issued". Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  10. "Innisfail splashes out on $250k piano with insurance money – The Courier Mail". Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  11. "News.com.au – Sacked Council gone bananas". Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  12. "ABC news story – 'Ineffective Council Sacked'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2006.
  13. "Agency ID 11042, Cassowary Coast Regional Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  14. "QUEENSLAND NEWS". The Brisbane Courier. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 11 April 1883. p. 5. Retrieved 31 October 2013.
  15. Consolidated Index to Queensland Government Gazette 1859–1919. Queensland Family History Society. 2004. ISBN 1-876613-79-3.
  16. "MR. C. E. JODRELL". Cairns Post. No. 13, 885. Queensland, Australia. 3 September 1946. p. 5. Retrieved 27 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "LICENSING AUTHORITIES". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 4 April 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  18. "New Sites for Sugar Mills". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 1 November 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  19. "INNISFAIL JUBILEE". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 25 August 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  20. Pugh, Theophilus Parsons (1927). Pugh's Almanac for 1927. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  21. "LATE S. THEODORE". The Cairns Post. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 27 October 1950. p. 11. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  22. "Kippin, Mrs Victoria Anne (Vicky)". Re-Member Database. Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
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