Shire of Noosa Queensland
Location withinSouth EastQueensland
Sunrise in Noosa
Population	56,298 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	64.7/km2 (167.6/sq mi)
Established	11 May 1910 – 15 March 2008 1 January 2014
Area	870 km2 (335.9 sq mi)[2]
Mayor	Frank Wilkie
Council seat	Tewantin
Region	South East Queensland
State electorate(s)	Noosa
Federal division(s)	Wide Bay
Website	Shire of Noosa
LGAs around Shire of Noosa: Gympie Gympie Pacific Ocean Gympie Shire of Noosa Pacific Ocean Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast Pacific Ocean

TheShire of Noosa (/ˈnuːsə/) is alocal government area about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north ofBrisbane in theSunshine Coast district ofSouth East Queensland,Australia. The shire covers an area of 870 square kilometres (335.9 sq mi). It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it wasamalgamated with theShire of Maroochy andCity of Caloundra to form theSunshine Coast Region. The shire was re-established on 1 January 2014. In the2021 census, the shire had a population of 56,298 people.^[1]

The Noosa Hinterland was formed during theOligocene era around 25-30 million years ago whenvolcanic activity created the ranges. By the beginning of theNeolithic era, Noosa's coast experienced a change in sea level rises when its beaches and waterways began to take shape.

The Noosa area was originally home to severalAboriginal groups. They primarily include theUndumbi tribe to the south, theDulingbara to the north, and theKabi Kabi (orGabbi Gabbi) to the west.

Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi, Cabbee, Carbi, Gabi Gabi) is anAustralian Aboriginal language spoken on Gubbi Gubbi country. The Gubbi Gubbi language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of theSunshine Coast Region andGympie Region, particularly the towns ofCaloundra,Noosa Heads,Gympie and extending north towardsMaryborough and south toCaboolture.^[3]

In 2003, theFederal Court of Australia determined (title claim QC2013/003) that the native title holders for the Noosa area are the Kabi Kabi First Nation.^[4]

Although much of the culture and presence of thetraditional owners of the Noosa district has been lost during the short period of white settlement, there still exist many subtle reminders. They include:

• bora rings, used during rituals.
• canoe trees, marks on trees where bark was removed for canoes.
• border/navigation trees, marks on trees used to mark paths and/or tribal borders.
• stone carvings
• burial trees
• middens, shell mound created by thousands of years of discarded shells.
• stone axes
• spoken legends, many local legends which were traditionally passed through the generations survive today.
• place names, many local names are versions of the original Aboriginal names.

It is widely accepted that the name Noosa comes from the localAboriginal word "Noothera" or "Gnuthuru", in theKabi Kabi language, for shadow or shady place.^[5] However this is unlikely as a 1870 map of Noosa by Royal Navy captain and marine surveyorGeorge Poynter Heath shows the Noosa River written as Nusa River^[6] and a notice to mariners published 1873 refers to Nusa Head and the Nusa River in Laguna Bay.^[7] Nusa is the Indonesian word for island. The Noosa River contains Makepeace Island, Sheep Island and Goat Island. Laguna Bay was previously known as Nusa Bay and Lagoona Bay.^[8]

A Keeping Place of indigenous cultural and sacred objects is maintained at the Noosa Shire Museum, Pomona.

Although reports of the area can be traced back toCaptain Cook's voyages in May 1770, European settlement in the region did not proceed until almost a century later. The difficulty of transport in the region, which persisted to the 1920s and beyond, was one major reason for that. European settlement was initially driven bytimberlogging, and then by agold rush in theGympie area, north of Noosa.

In 1871, the Government laid out a port at Tewantin. The surrounding land was duly surveyed and, by 1877, contained two hotels, a boarding house, school, police station and telegraph office. In 1872, the Noosa Heads and coastal region south to Peregian Beach was set aside as anAboriginal Mission, but that was cancelled in 1878, and land was opened for selection on 15 January 1879. With the construction of theNorth Coast Railway inland from Tewantin, the port declined in importance after 1890.^[9]

Noosa is a region, not a town. It contains beaches and a beach national park, the cleanest river in South-East Queensland and an extensive trail network inland, linking a number of lifestyle villages, including Cooroy and Pomona. In the last 50 years, Noosa has been transformed from an isolated fishing village to atourist destination. Although that has had its costs, the shire is known for its generallygreener approach to development. Most development in Noosa has been restrained. There are no high-rise buildings, due both to local community pressure and to council planning action, and much remaining native forest. 34.8% of the Noosa district consists ofNational Parks,Conservation Parks,State Forests, and other generally protected land, including parts of thebiosphere reserve.

One of the reasons for the popularity of Noosa Heads is that it is one of the few north-facing beaches on Australia's east coast, hence Noosa Beach is relatively protected from the prevailing on-shore wind and from storms.

The area was originally incorporated on 11 November 1879, under theDivisional Boards Act 1879, as part of theWidgee Divisional Board. Noosa was created as a separate shire in 1910, under theLocal Authorities Act 1902, with an initial population of 2,000. The first elections were held on 22 April 1910 and resulted in James Duke becoming the first shire chairman. The Noosa Shire Hall was constructed inPomona in 1911.^[9]

On 8 September 1917, an Honour Roll was unveiled at the Noosa Shire Hall in Pomona, to commemorate those from the district who had left Australia to serve in the armed forces duringWorld War I.^[10]

In the early 1970s, withQueensland Government backing, development commenced in the area around Noosa Sound. In December 1980, the shire headquarters moved to Pelican Street,Tewantin. The former shire hall in Pomona became theNoosa Museum, operated by theCooroora Historical Society.^[11][12]

In 1982, the Noosa community elected a pro-environment and pro-planning council. The Councillors who were most influential in that change were elected in a group called The Resident's Team.^[13] They laid the foundation for many of the planning and environmental-protection concepts for which Noosa is now well known.^[14] The 1982-1985 Noosa Council was the first to introduce the idea of a development/population cap. This idea was initially proposed by the Council’s first full time resident Town Planner, Alan Simes in September 1984.^[15] The 1982-1985 Noosa Council created draft development control plans for Hastings Street, Noosa Junction and Tewantin. These draft development control plans had a major focus on development in Noosa maintaining and enhancing the character of Noosa.^[16] The 1982-1985 Council also introduced a focus on community arts,^[17] and the use of design and landscape controls in development applications.^[18] The business lobby, supported by several local media personalities, were successful in replacing that council with a pro-development one in the 1985 election^[19] but the pro-development council was, in turn, largely removed by the Noosa community in 1988, at the next election.^{[citation needed]}

In 1995, mayor Noel Playford announced a "population cap" of 56,500 people for Noosa Shire, based on the initial concepts proposed during the 1982-1985 Council term by resident Town Planner Alan Simes .^[20] The population cap was the expected population under the planning scheme if all available land was developed in accordance with it. Noosa council had performed the calculation for all land in the shire and provided the results in strategic planning documents. Noosa was the first council in Australia to do so.^[21]

On 15 March 2008, under theLocal Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007, passed by theParliament of Queensland in August 2007, the Shire of Noosa wasmerged with theShire of Maroochy and theCity of Caloundra to form theSunshine Coast Region. Noosa's mayor, Bob Abbot, won the mayoralty of the new council over Maroochy's Joe Natoli, with 70% of the combined vote.^[22] The amalgamation occurred despite the2007 Queensland local government area amalgamation plebiscite in Noosa Shire, conducted by theAustralian Electoral Commission, in which 95% of voters rejected amalgamation.^[23]

In 2012, following a change of state government, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Noosa from the Sunshine Coast Region.^[24] On 9 March 2013, 81% of Noosa residents voted to de-amalgamate Noosa from the Sunshine Coast Region.^[25] On 18 March 2013, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council decided its new planning scheme should not apply to those areas that were part of the former Noosa Shire (different attitudes to planning and developments having been a major objection by residents of Noosa Shire to the amalgamation).^[26]

The Shire of Noosa was re-established on 1 January 2014,^[27][28] and the new councillors and mayor were sworn in the next day. In attendance wereWarren Truss,Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and member forWide Bay, as well asDavid Gibson, Member forGympie. The ceremony was followed by the first meeting of the council, held at the Cooroy Memorial Hall,Cooroy.^[29]

The Shire of Noosa includes the following settlements:

¹ - includes part ofGreat Sandy National Park
² - shared withSunshine Coast Region

As of 2021, Noosa has a relatively older population, with a median age of 52, considerably higher than the national median of 38.5.^[30] The majority of residents, 71.7%, are Australian-born, while 14.2% were born in the United Kingdom. Noosa's residents are primarily English-speaking, with 90.9% speaking only English at home.^[31] With regard to education, 22.3% of the population hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 26.2% of the community volunteer for a group or organisation, suggesting a high level of community engagement. The residents of Noosa enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, with a median weekly household income of $1,256, higher than the national median.^[32]

Noosa Shire Council consists of directly-elected mayor and six councillors. The council isunsubdivided.^[33][34]

As of the2024 election election, there are 44,127 enrolled voters in Noosa Shire.^[35]

The current council, elected in2024, is:

• James Duke (1910–1911)
• Frank Conroy (1911–1914)
• Eugene von Blankensee (1914–1915)
• Alexander Chapman (1915–1916)
• Charles Livingstone (1916–1917)
• Alexander Parker (1917–1918)
• Alexander Chapman (1918–1919)
• Charles Crank (1919–1920)
• Alexander Parker (1920–1921)

• William Ferguson (1921–1927)^[36]
• Frederick Bryan (1927–1930)
• Charles Crank (1930–1939)
• William Ferguson (1939–1946)
• Robert McAnally (1946–1955)
• Victor Gee (1955–1958)
• S.T. (Stanley) Adams (1958–1964)
• Ian MacDonald (1964–1980)
• Bert WansleyAM (1980–1988)
• Noel PlayfordOAM (1988–1997)
• Bob Abbot (1997–2008)
• For mayor during amalgamation (2008–2013) see:Sunshine Coast Region
• Noel PlayfordOAM (2014–2016)
• Tony Wellington (2016–2020)^[37]
• Clare Stewart (2020–2024)
• Frank Wilkie (2024–present)

The Noosa Film Festival was held in Noosa between 2 and 8 September in 1999.^[42] A number of other festivals are also held in Noosa, including theNoosa Festival of Surfing.

Noosa Arts Theatre is a flourishing and widely reputed centre for performing arts in the area. As well as various other food and cultural festivals, each year Noosa boasts the Noosa Long Weekend Festival, a 10-day (and night) multi-arts genre cultural festival. Theatre, dance, music, food, film, supper clubs, workshops and more are featured as part of the program of free and ticketed events. The festival attracts over 10,000 people each year.

The recently developedJ Centre inNoosa Heads has become another venue for live theatre and musical performances, as well as a secondary campus for theUniversity of the Sunshine Coast.

TheNoosa Country Show, established 1909, is a yearly event to showcase the shire's best cattle, horsemen etc. The show is held at the Pomona Showgrounds on the second weekend of every September.

TheKing of the Mountain is an annual festival and mountain challenge held in Pomona in the third week of July.

Pomona is also home to the Noosa Shire Museum, where European and indigenous history is displayed side by side, and The Majestic Theatre, a performing arts centre for the Noosa Northern Hinterland. An art gallery has been established in the old Pomona Railway Station.

The Shire of Noosa operates libraries inNoosaville andCooroy.^[43] A mobile library service visits the following districts on a weekly schedule:Noosa Heads,Sunrise Beach,Cooran,Federal,Kin Kin,Boreen Point,Peregian Beach andPomona.^[44]

• Noosa Biosphere Reserve
• Noosa Festival of Surfing
• Noosa Triathlon

• Wells, Robin A. (2003).In the Tracks of a Rainbow: Indigenous Culture and Legends of the Sunshine Coast. Gullirae Books.ISBN 0-9580854-0-4.
• Cato, Nancy (1979).The Noosa Story: a study in unplanned development. John Wiley & Sons.ISBN 0-7016-2635-6.
• Petrie, Tom (1904).Tom Petrie's reminiscences of Early Queensland. Angus & Robertson Publishers.ISBN 0-207-14629-2.

• Noosa Shire Council Home.
• Noosa News - Latest news, local stories and sport from Noosa, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
• Official Tourism Noosa Website - News, history, accommodation, activities, events & visitor information
• Noosa Arts Theatre Official Website
• Noosa Longweekend Annual Event Official Website
• National Library of Australia Trove Archive o

26°23′19″S153°02′05.3″E / 26.38861°S 153.034806°E /-26.38861; 153.034806

• Shire of Noosa
• Sunshine Coast, Queensland
• Local government areas of Queensland
• 1910 establishments in Australia
• 2008 disestablishments in Australia
• Populated places disestablished in 2008
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