The Shire of Woocoo 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 ...

located in the

Wide Bay–Burnett Wide Bay–Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more ...

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, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The shire covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1914 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Maryborough,

City of Hervey Bay The City of Hervey Bay was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the urban centre of Hervey Bay as well as the northern half of Fraser Island. The City covered an area of , and exi ...

and the 1st and 2nd divisions of the

Shire of Tiaro The Shire of Tiaro was a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, between the regional cities of Gympie and Hervey Bay about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The shire covered an area of , and exist ...

to form the

Fraser Coast Region The Fraser Coast Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains Fraser I ...

. Industry in the shire consisted of beef cattle, sugar, timber and light industry servicing Maryborough.

History

Woocoo was proclaimed a shire under the ''Local Authorities Act 1902'' on 4 December 1914, with its centre of administration at

Brooweena Brooweena is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Brooweena had a population of 104 people. Geography The town is located in the Wide Bay–Burnett area and is north of the state capital, Brisban ...

. It had previously been part of the

, and also included parts of the Shires of

Antigua Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...

and

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

. The shire was named for Mount Woocoo, which itself was probably named for the local

Aboriginal Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to: *Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology * Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area *One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...

word for "

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

". It held its first meeting on 30 January 1915. BrooweenaWarMemorial

In 1922, the residents of the

Woocoo Shire The Shire of Woocoo was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the rural residential area to the west of the town of Maryborough, and surrounding countryside. The shire covered an ...

erected a war memorial outside St Mary's Church of England on the Maryborough-Biggenden Road in Teebar (now within Boompa). The

Woocoo Shire War Memorial Brooweena War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at Smith Crescent, Brooweena, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1922 by F W Webb. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. History The ...

was unveiled on Saturday 6 January 1923 by Major-General

Thomas William Glasgow Major General Sir Thomas William Glasgow (6 June 1876 – 4 July 1955) was a senior Australian Army officer and politician. Glasgow rose to prominence during the First World War as a brigade and later divisional commander on the Western Front ...

. In 1992 the memorial was relocated to the Woocoo Historical Museum in

due to concerns about vandalism and is now known as the

Brooweena War Memorial Brooweena War Memorial is a heritage-listed memorial at Smith Crescent, Brooweena, Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1922 by F W Webb. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. History The ...

. On 27 March 1976, the Shire of Woocoo grew by when the Shire of Burrum was renamed

Shire of Hervey Bay Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...

and recast as a local government area centred on the

Hervey Bay Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the Hervey Bay (Queensland), bay of ...

urban area. The ''Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993'', which took effect on 31 March 1994, resulted in Maryborough's annexation of about of Woocoo's area. At this time, Woocoo was resubdivided into three divisions each electing two councillors. 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, Woocoo merged with the

, City of Maryborough and part of

Tiaro Tiaro is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Tiaro had a population of 758 people. Geography The town is on the Mary River. It is situated on the Bruce Highway south of Mar ...

to form the

Towns and localities

The Shire of Woocoo included the following settlements: *

* Aramara * Bidwill * Boompa *

* Dunmora * Grahams Creek *

Mungar Mungar is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Mungar had a population of 309 people. Geography Mungar is north of the state capital Brisbane and south west of the regional centre of Maryborough. The ...

* Oakhurst * Owanyilla * Tinana South * Woocoo *

Yengarie Yengarie is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Yengarie had a population of 460 people. Heritage listings Yengarie has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * Old Mill Road: Central Sugar Mill Ru ...

Population

* The population for the 1976 boundaries was 2,938. * The 1991 census population of the revised Woocoo area was 2,562.

Chairmen and mayors

* 1915-1916: George Smyth Mant * 1917: Laurence Stevens Smith * 1918: J. Bourke * 1919-1926: George Smyth Mant * 1927-1929: W C Mathison aryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1930-1935: George Smyth Mant nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1936-1948: J C "Cliff" Irons nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland ref. ASK65230 rec'd 11/07/2019* 1949-1955: Charles Ronald Sutton "Ron" Smith nformation in the Maryborough Chronicle received from State Library of Queensland (also personal family history - my uncle) *1955-1959: ???? *1960: L.L. "Len" Harvey 1961-1973: Charles Ronald Sutton "Ron" Smith rticle in the Maryborough Chronicle early 1973 (also personal family history - my uncle) *1973-1988: ???? *1988–1992: David Braddock *1992-2000: ???? *2000–2007: Kevin Mahoney *2007: Iain Lewis (Acting) *2007–2008: Gloria Banting

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woocoo Shire Former local government areas of Queensland Populated places established in 1914 2008 disestablishments in Australia Populated places disestablished in 2008