The Scenic Rim Region is a local government area in

West Moreton West Moreton is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, consisting of the entire rural western portion of South East Queensland. It sits inland from both the Brisbane metropolitan area and the Gold Coast and to the east of the Darling D ...

region of

South East The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

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. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond. The main town of the region is Beaudesert. It has an estimated operating budget of A$33 million.

History

Prior to 2008, the new Scenic Rim Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas: * the

Shire of Boonah The Shire of Boonah was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia, about southwest of Brisbane. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1880 until its merger with parts of the Shire of Beaudesert and City of Ipswich t ...

; * the southern part of the

Shire of Beaudesert The Shire of Beaudesert was a local government area located in South East Queensland, Australia, stretching from the New South Wales border, along the Gold Coast hinterland to the urban fringes of the cities of Brisbane and Ipswich. The Shire ...

; * and the Harrisville and Peak Crossing areas from the

City of Ipswich The City of Ipswich is a local government area in Queensland, Australia, located within the southwest of the Brisbane metropolitan area, including the urban area surrounding the city of Ipswich and surrounding rural areas. Geography The C ...

StateLibQld 2 232926 Upper Logan Terminal Station on the Beaudesert Tramway, 1903

StateLibQld 2 390897 Bullock team in George Street, Kalbar, 1915

StateLibQld 2 192539 Yard of the Standply Timber Company, Canungra, 1935

In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released its report and recommended that the areas amalgamate. It identified a rural community of interest as well as ecotourism potential from the

Scenic Rim The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range, located south of Brisbane agglomeration, straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia. In 2021, the Sce ...

, a group of mountain ranges forming part of the Great Dividing Range, and recommended the transfer of the entire urban growth corridor previously within Beaudesert to

Logan City Logan City is a local government area situated within the south of the Brisbane metropolitan area in South East Queensland, Australia. Situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and the City of Gold Coast to the south, the City also bo ...

. Along with

Lockyer Valley The Lockyer Valley is an area of rich farmlands that lies to the west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and east of Toowoomba. The Lockyer Valley is rated among the top ten most fertile farming areas in the world, and the intensively cultiv ...

and

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, it was expected to provide a rural hinterland for urban

South East Queensland South East Queensland (SEQ) is a bio-geographical, metropolitan, political and administrative region of the state of Queensland in Australia, with a population of approximately 3.8 million people out of the state's population of 5.1 million. T ...

. The arrangement was Boonah's second preference (its first was simply absorbing the rural areas of Ipswich) while Beaudesert opposed splitting or amalgamation. The legislation passed to effect the merger on 10 August 2007. A Local Transition Committee made up of staff and councillors of the dissolving entities was formed to manage the process. On 15 March 2008, the Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and a mayor to the Regional Council.

Geography

The region is mostly rural, with Beaudesert and Boonah the main towns. It lies within the catchment areas of the Bremer River, the

Logan River The Logan River ( Yugambeh: ''Dugulumba'') is a perennial river located in the Scenic Rim, Logan and Gold Coast local government areas of the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The -long river is one of the dominant waterways in So ...

/ Albert River and the

Coomera River The Coomera River is a perennial river located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim Region local government areas and covers an area of . Course and features Rising in L ...

Nerang River The Nerang River is a perennial river located in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of . The river is approximately in length. Course and features The Nerang R ...

. The centre of the area is dominated by the

Flinders Peak Group The Flinders Peak Group is an unnamed range of hills located on the northern edge of the Scenic Rim Region, south west of Logan City and south east of the City of Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia. The summit in the Range is Flinders ...

and broad sweep of mountainous terrain forming a southern boundary with the local government area on Queensland's southern border with New South Wales. Many high-altitude areas are covered by forests and protected in national parks (including World Heritage listings) at

Tamborine Mountain Tamborine Mountain is a plateau and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tamborine Mountain had a population of 7,506 people. Geography The plateau is a , . The name is from the of Yugumbir language of the Wanger ...

McPherson Range The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra, Queensland, Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border ...

Main Range National Park The Main Range is a mountain range and national park in Queensland, Australia, located predominantly in Tregony, Southern Downs Region, southwest of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia (formerly kno ...

Mount Barney National Park Mount Barney National Park is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 90 km southwest of Brisbane. It amalgamated the adjacent Mount Lindesay National Park in 1980. It is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by ...

and landforms including

Cunninghams Gap Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and the Fassifern Valley in Queensland, Australia. The Gap is the major route over the Main Range along the Great Dividing Range, between Warwick and Brisbane. ...

and

Fassifern Valley Fassifern Valley is a valley of the Scenic Rim in South East Queensland. Towns found in the valley include Harrisville, Kalbar, Roadvale, Warril View and Aratula. Fassifern Valley is known as a carrot-producing area, as well as for growin ...

. South East Queensland's highest mountain is

Mount Barney Mount Barney is a mountain within the Scenic Rim Region in south-east Queensland, Australia. It lies approximately south-west of Brisbane, not far from the Queensland - New South Wales border, and forms part of the McPherson Range. It is a ...

, reaching above sea level.

Wyaralong Dam The Wyaralong Dam is a mass concrete gravity dam with an un-gated spillway across the Teviot Brook that is located in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for supply of potable water for the Scenic ...

is the region's newest reservoir. In the south east of the local government area is the

Lamington National Park The Lamington National Park is a national park, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border in Australia. From Southport on the Gold Coast the park is to the southwest and Brisbane is north. ...

. It includes villages such as Canungra, Kooralbyn, Rathdowney, Beechmont and Harrisville. The peak at Mount French, part of

Moogerah Peaks National Park Moogerah Peaks is a National Park in the Fassifern Valley of South East Queensland, Australia, located approximately 70 km south west of the state capital Brisbane. The 676-hectare park consists of four separate protected areas which surr ...

is noted for its traditional rock climbing and does not have bolted climbing routes. The peak also boasts a '32' rated climb (one of the hardest in the world) which attracts international rock climbing visitors to the area. The area of Boonah is fairly flat with large areas of very productive soils for the growing of vegetables and other crops. Beechmont and O'Reillys are mountainous areas overlooking the Gold Coast hinterland. These areas attract visitors for camping, bushwalking and bird watching.

Divisions

The council is split into 6 divisions, each returning one councillor, plus a mayor.

Mayors

John Brent is one of the longest continuing serving elected members in Australia with almost 40 years of service and over twenty as mayor. He was first elected as a councillor in the Shire of Boonah in 1976 and was chairman of the Shire of Boonah since 12 April 1994, becoming mayor of the Scenic Rim Region following the amalgamation. Greg Christensen was elected mayor in 2016.

Mayors of Scenic Rim Region

Towns and localities

The Scenic Rim Region includes the following settlements: Beaudesert area: * Beaudesert * Beechmont * Benobble * Biddaddaba * Birnam *

Boyland Boyland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Ari Boyland (born 1987), New Zealand stage and television actor *Doe Boyland (born 1955), American baseball player *John Boyland (1874–1922), Australian trade unionist and politician ...

Bromelton Bromelton is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Bromelton had a population of 155 people. Geography The Beaudesert–Boonah Road (State Route 90) runs through from east to north. History Bromelton Post ...

Canungra Canungra is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Canungra had a population of 1,229 people. Geography Located in South East Queensland, Canungra is situated in the Gold Coast hint ...

Christmas Creek The Christmas Creek, a perennial stream that is part of the Macleay River catchment, is located in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Christmas Creek rises below Roses Knob, about east by north of the ...

* Cryna * Gleneagle *

Hillview Hillview or Hill View may refer to: Places Australia * Hillview, Sutton Forest, New South Wales * Hillview, Queensland Canada * Hillview, Edmonton, Alberta * Hillview, Newfoundland and Labrador * Hillview, Ontario Ireland * Hillview, Wate ...

* Innisplain * Josephville *

Kerry Kerry or Kerri may refer to: * Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name) Places * Kerry, Queensland, Australia * County Kerry, Ireland ** Kerry Airport, an international airport in County ...

Kooralbyn Kooralbyn is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Kooralbyn had a population of 1,725 people. Geography Kooralbyn is approximately south-west of Beaudesert, itself some south of Brisbane in South East Qu ...

Lamington A lamington is an Australian cake made from squares of butter cake or sponge cake coated in an outer layer of chocolate sauce and rolled in desiccated coconut. The thin mixture is absorbed into the outside of the sponge cake and left to set, ...

* Laravale *

Palen Creek Palen Creek is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. It borders New South Wales. In the , Palen Creek had a population of 280 people. Tylerville is a neighbourhood within Palen Creek (). Geography The terrain is ru ...

Rathdowney Rathdowney or Rathdowny () is a town in southwest County Laois, Ireland. It lies some 32 km southwest of Portlaoise in the Irish Midlands, at the point where the R433 regional road from Abbeyleix to Templemore is crossed by the R435 fr ...

* Tabooba * Tabragalba *

Tamrookum Tamrookum is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tamrookum had a population of 91 people. Geography The Mount Lindesay Highway traverses Tamrookum from north ( Laravale) to south ( Innisplain) and forms ...

* Tamrookum Creek *

Witheren Witheren is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Witheren had a population of 496 people. History Witheren State School opened on 21 August 1899. In 1936 tenders were called for a new school building. The ...

* Wonglepong Boonah area: * Boonah * Aratula *

Charlwood Charlwood is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. It is immediately northwest of London Gatwick Airport in West Sussex, close west of Horley and north of Crawley. The historic county boundary between Surre ...

* Coulson * Fassifern * Harrisville¹ * Kalbar *

Maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

* Moogerah *

Mount Alford Mount Alford () is a flat-topped, ice-free mountain (1,480 m) at the south side of Boggs Valley in the Helliwell Hills. Mapped by United States Geological Survey (USGS) from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1960–63. Named by Advisory C ...

Mount Walker Mount Walker () is a snow-covered mountain which rises from the northeast part of Forbidden Plateau, 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) south of the head of Blanchard Glacier, in northern Graham Land, Antarctica. It was surveyed by Falkland Islands ...

* Roadvale * Rosevale * Silverdale * Tarome *

Templin Templin () is a small town in the Uckermark district of Brandenburg, Germany. Though it has a population of only 17,127 (2006), in terms of area it is, with 377.01 km2 (145.56 sq mi), the second largest town in Brandenburg (after Wittstock) and t ...

* Warrill View Other areas: * Allandale * Allenview *

Anthony Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

* Barney View *

Binna Burra Binna Burra is a parcel of private land and mountain lodge within the locality of Binna Burra and surrounded by Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia. It is also a locality in the Scenic Rim Region. The lodge lies in the north-e ...

Blantyre Blantyre () is Malawi's centre of finance and commerce, and its second largest city, with an enumerated 800,264 inhabitants . It is sometimes referred to as the commercial and industrial capital of Malawi as opposed to the political capital, Li ...

* Bunburra * Bunjurgen * Burnett Creek * Cainbable * Cannon Creek * Carneys Creek * Chinghee Creek * Clumber * Coleyville * Coochin * Croftby *

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town. In the 19th century, Darlington under ...

* Dugandan *

* Ferny Glen *

Flying Fox ''Pteropus'' (suborder Yinpterochiroptera) is a genus of megabats which are among the largest bats in the world. They are commonly known as fruit bats or flying foxes, among other colloquial names. They live in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Aust ...

* Frazerview * Frenches Creek *

Hoya Hoya may refer to: Places *Hoya, Germany, a city in Lower Saxony, Germany *County of Hoya, a former state in present Germany * Hoya, Tokyo, now incorporated within Nishi-tokyo, Tokyo, Japan * Hoya, Hpruso, a place in Hpruso Township, Kayah, Myanma ...

* Illinbah * Kagaru * Kents Lagoon * Kents Pocket * Knapp Creek * Kulgun * Limestone Ridges¹ * Lower Mount Walker * Merryvale * Milbong * Milford * Milora * Moorang * Morwincha *

* Mount Edwards *

Mount Forbes Mount Forbes is the seventh tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and the tallest within the boundaries of Banff National Park. It is located in southwestern Alberta, southwest of the Saskatchewan River Crossing in Banff. The mountain was n ...

¹ * Mount French * Mount Gipps * Mount Lindesay * Mount Walker West * Munbilla * Mutdapilly¹ * Nindooinbah * North Tamborine * Oaky Creek * Obum Obum *

O'Reilly O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred a ...

* Peak Crossing¹ *

Radford Radford may refer to: Places England * Radford, Coventry, West Midlands * Radford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire * Radford, Plymstock, Devon *Radford, Oxfordshire * Radford, Somerset *Radford, Worcestershire *Radford Cave in Devon *Radford Semele, ...

* Running Creek * Sarabah * Southern Lamington * Tamborine² * Teviotville *

Undullah Undullah is a rural locality split between the City of Logan and the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Undullah had a population of 45 people. Geography Undullah is dominated by the Flinders Peak Group which rises towards ...

² * Veresdale² *

Veresdale Scrub Veresdale Scrub is a locality split between the Scenic Rim Region and the City of Logan, both in Queensland, Australia. In the , Veresdale Scrub had a population of 481 people. History Veresdale Scrub Provisional School opened on 25 April 1899 ...

² * Wallaces Creek * Washpool * Wilsons Plains * Woolooman * Wyaralong ¹ - split with the

² - split with

Population

Panorama View from Mount Greville, Australia

The populations given relate to the component entities prior to 2008.

Heritage register

In 2014, the Scenic Rim Regional Council established its local heritage register as required by the

Queensland Heritage Act 1992 The ''Queensland Heritage Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland that establishes a legislative framework for registration protection of places of local and statewide significance. The Act established the Queensland Heritage Cou ...

. In February 2015, it listed 54 places based on criteria in the Australia ICOMOS Burra Charter 1999.

Libraries

The Scenic Rim Regional Council operate libraries in Beaudesert, Boonah,

and

. The council commenced a

mobile library A bookmobile or mobile library is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Bookm ...

service in 2008, which serves Beechmont, Harrisville,

, Kalbar,

, Peak Crossing,

and Tamborine.