The Shire of Tara was 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 ...

in the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generall ...

region of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The shire, administered from the town of Tara, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1912 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the

Town of Dalby The Town of Dalby was a local government area of Queensland, Australia which managed the affairs of Dalby. It was located north-west of Toowoomba. It was amalgamated into the Western Downs Region in 2008. History Following a petition of resid ...

and the Shires of

Chinchilla Chinchillas are either of two species (''Chinchilla chinchilla'' and ''Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha. They are slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mount ...

, Murilla and Wambo and the southern part of

Taroom Taroom is a town in the Shire of Banana and locality split between the Shire of Banana and the Western Downs Region in Queensland, Australia. At the , Taroom had a population of 869 people. Geography The town is located on the Dawson River ...

to form the

Western Downs Region Western Downs Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia. The Western Downs Regional Council manages an area of , which is slightly smaller than Switzerland, although with a population of 34,467 in June 2018, it is over 228 ti ...

. Important industries in the area include wheat, beef and wool. In recent years there have been large scale rural subdivisions developed in the area. Prickly pear infestation in the early 1900s had a devastating effect on the area that was only alleviated by the introduction of the cactoblastis moth. Attractions in Tara include Southwood National Park, a remnant area of the southern

brigalow ''Acacia harpophylla'', commonly known as brigalow, brigalow spearwood or orkor, is an endemic tree of Australia. The Aboriginal Australian group the Gamilaraay peoples know the tree as Barranbaa or Burrii. It is found in central and coast ...

belt.

History

The Shire of Tara was established on 12 January 1912 by severance from the

Shire of Wambo The Shire of Wambo was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The shire surrounded but did not include the town of Dalby – which had its own municipal government. It covered an area of , and existed as a ...

. On 15 March 2008, under the ''Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007'' passed by the

Parliament of Queensland The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. As provided under the Constitution of Queensland, the Parliament consists of the Monarch of Australia and the Legislative Assembly. It has been the only unicameral s ...

on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Tara merged with the

and the Shires of

, Murilla and Wambo and the southern part of

to form the

Towns and localities

The Shire of Tara included the following settlements: Towns: * Tara *

Glenmorgan Glenmorgan is a rural town in the Western Downs Region and a locality split between the Western Downs Region and the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Glenmorgan had a population of 148 people. Geography The Town i ...

* Moonie * The Gums Localities: * Flinton * Goranba *

Meandarra Meandarra is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Meandarra had a population of 262 people. Geography The town is located on Brigalow Creek, west of the state capital, Brisban ...

* Weranga * Westmar

Chairmen

* 1927: Andrew Watt Adams

Population

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tara Shire Former local government areas of Queensland Darling Downs 2008 disestablishments in Australia Populated places disestablished in 2008