The Shire of Paroo is 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 State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

South West Queensland South West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of Queensland which covers . The region lies to the south of Central West Queensland and west of the Darling Downs and includes the Maranoa district and parts of the Channel Countr ...

, Australia. The administrative centre is the town of

Cunnamulla Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people. Geography Cunnamulla ...

. The Paroo Shire covers an area of . In the , the Shire had a population of 1,679. The region incorporates the towns of

Yowah Yowah is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yowah had a population of 141 people. The town is known for its opal mining and numerous opal fields that lie around the town as well as the "Yowah Nu ...

Eulo Eulo is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Eulo had a population of 95 people. It is known for its opal mining. Geography Eulo is west of Cunnamulla and west of Brisbane. The town is located ...

and

Wyandra Wyandra is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Wyandra had a population of 99 people. Geography The Warrego River flows from north to south through the locality. The Mitchell Highway also passes from n ...

, with

being the hub of the Shire and is centrally situated on the crossroads of the Balonne and Mitchell Highways.

, meaning “long stretch of water”, gets its name from the picturesque

Warrego River The Warrego River is an intermittent river that is part of the Darling River, Darling catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, which is located in South West Queensland and in the Orana (New South Wales), Orana region of New South Wales, Aus ...

which meanders past the town and is a popular spot for fishing and water sports. The Paroo Shire has an ever changing landscape, from the Open Mitchell Grass Flood Plains in the East to the Yowah opal fields where the

Yowah Nut Yowah is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yowah had a population of 141 people. The town is known for its opal mining and numerous opal fields that lie around the town as well as the "Yowah Nut ...

is found and the

Mulga lands The Mulga Lands are an interim Australian bioregion of eastern Australia consisting of dry sandy plains with low mulga woodlands and shrublands that are dominated by ''Acacia aneura'' (mulga). The Eastern Australia mulga shrublands ecoregion i ...

to the West. It is an area rich in history, eco systems,

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and fauna. The shire is highly regarded by birdwatchers as the diverse eco-systems lend themselves to ideal habitats for many species. Main industries within the Shire are

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

, fat

lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

, opal mining and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

. Located in a semi-arid zone, the region has temperatures in summer ranging from 15 degrees to 37 degrees Celsius and winter temperature ranges from 2 to 25 degrees Celsius.

History

Gunya (Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an

Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in

and extending north towards

Augathella Augathella is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. Geography Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is north of the town of Charleville, west of Roma and west of Brisbane (Queensland's capital). The to ...

, east towards Bollon and west towards

Thargomindah Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the , Thargomindah had a population of ...

. Paroo Division was established on 11 November 1879 as one of the original divisions proclaimed under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' with a population of 799. On 3 June 1880, the western part of the Paroo Division was separated to create the Bulloo Division. With the passage of the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'', Paroo Division became the Shire of Paroo on 31 March 1903. In 1924, a new shire hall was being built, but it was wrecked in a violent dust storm on 5 February. However, they were able to straighten and strengthen the building and it was finally opened on 6 December 1924 by the Minister for Public Instruction, Frank Brennan. In 2018, an inspection revealed the foundations of the building had shifted and the building was unsafe; it was demolished in 2019. In 2020, construction commenced on a new civic centre, which was officially opened on 28 April 2021 by the Queensland Deputy General for Local Government, Natalie Wilde, and Paroo Shire Mayor, Suzette Beresford.

Towns and localities

The Shire of Paroo includes the following settlements: * Barringun *

* Coongoola *

* Humeburn * Tuen *

Amenities

Paroo Shire Hall and Council Chambers, Cunnamulla, circa 1930

The Paroo Shire Council Civic Centre is located on the corner of Stockyard Street and Louise Street in Cunnamulla. Cunnamulla library operated by the Paroo Shire Council, 2019

Cunnamulla library operated by the Paroo Shire Council, 2019

Paroo Shire Council operates public libraries at Cunnamulla, Wyandra and Yowah.

Population of the shire

Chairmen and mayors

* 1907: William Duncan Rankin * 1924: Mr Mackay * 1927: John Henry Kerr *1952: Jack Tonkin * 1965 - 1988: Darby Land *2006: Ian Tonkin * 2008 - 2012: Jo Sheppard * 2012 - 2020: Lindsay Godfrey *2020–present: Suzette Catherine Beresford

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Paroo Shire Local government areas of Queensland 1879 establishments in Australia