Shire of Etheridge | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location withinQueensland | |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Queensland | ||||||||||||
| Region | Far North Queensland | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1879 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Georgetown | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Barry Gilbert Hughes | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 39,199 km2 (15,135 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 714 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.018215/km2 (0.04718/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of Etheridge | ||||||||||||
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TheShire of Etheridge is alocal government area inFar North Queensland, Australia in what is known as the Savannah Gulf region. Its economy is based on cattle grazing and mining.
It covers an area of 39,199 square kilometres (15,134.8 sq mi),[2] and has existed as a local government entity since 1882.
In the2021 census, the Shire of Etheridge had a population of 714 people.[1]
TheEinasleigh Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under theDivisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 720.[3][4] In 1891 it was reported that the divisional board had made no progress, perhaps because it covered a large area that was sparsely settled.[5]
With the passage of theLocal Authorities Act 1902, Einasleigh Division became theShire of Einasleigh on 31 March 1903.[4][6]
On 15 March 1919, it was renamed Shire of Etheridge.[6]
The Shire of Etheridge includes the following settlements:
The Etheridge Shire had many mines in the late 1800s. This gave rise to a number of communities that no longer exist today:
The Etheridge Shire Council operate a public library at Georgetown.[7]
| Year | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 1,085 | [citation needed] |
| 1947 | 860 | [citation needed] |
| 1954 | 815 | [citation needed] |
| 1961 | 828 | [citation needed] |
| 1966 | 936 | [citation needed] |
| 1971 | 974 | [citation needed] |
| 1976 | 940 | [citation needed] |
| 1981 | 1,010 | [citation needed] |
| 1986 | 1,210 | [citation needed] |
| 1991 | 1,377 | [citation needed] |
| 1996 | 1,273 | [citation needed] |
| 2001 census | 1,431 | [8] |
| 2006 census | 851 | [9] |
| 2011 census | 893 | [10] |
| 2016 census | 799 | [11] |
| 2021 census | 714 | [1] |
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18°17′27″S143°32′52″E / 18.29083°S 143.54778°E /-18.29083; 143.54778