| Shire of Laidley Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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 Location withinQueensland | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 14,311 (2006 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 20.4268/km2 (52.905/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1888 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 700.6 km2 (270.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Laidley | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Lockyer Valley | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | Shire of Laidley | ||||||||||||||
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TheShire of Laidley was alocal government area located in theLockyer Valley region between the cities ofToowoomba andIpswich, and about 70 kilometres (43 mi) west ofBrisbane, the state capital ofQueensland,Australia. The shire covered an area of 700.6 square kilometres (270.5 sq mi), and existed from 1888 until its merger with theShire of Gatton to form theLockyer Valley Region on 15 March 2008.
Prior to European settlement, the area aroundLaidley was home to the KitabulAboriginal people. Today, theUgarapul People are considered thetraditional owners of the Lockyer Valley region.[2][3]
The district initially became part of theTarampa Divisional Board, which was created on 15 January 1880 under theDivisional Boards Act 1879 in the colony of Queensland.[4] On 25 April 1888, the Laidley district broke away and separately incorporated as the Laidley Division, and on 25 January 1890, theForest Hill area moved from Tarampa to Laidley.[5] On 1 July 1902, the town ofLaidley was created as a separate municipality with its own Borough Council. With the passage of theLocal Authorities Act 1902, the borough became a Town and the division a Shire on 31 March 1903.[6][7] In 1917, Laidley Shire Council II was created with the amalgamation of Laidley Town Council, Laidley Shire Council I, and part of the Shire of Rosewood.[8] On 15 March 2008, under theLocal Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by theParliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, Laidley merged with theShire of Gatton to form theLockyer Valley Region.[8]
The Shire of Laidley initially had three divisions each electing three councillors, but from 1917 onwards had five divisions each electing two councillors. The chairman and clerk were chosen from amongst the councillors.
The Shire of Laidley included the following settlements:
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1933 | 5,100 |
| 1947 | 4,755 |
| 1954 | 4,617 |
| 1961 | 4,793 |
| 1966 | 4,847 |
| 1971 | 4,493 |
| 1976 | 4,635 |
| 1981 | 5,380 |
| 1986 | 6,812 |
| 1991 | 8,463 |
| 1996 | 12,116 |
| 2001 | 12,636 |
| 2006 | 14,311 |
27°38′07″S152°23′24″E / 27.6353°S 152.3901°E /-27.6353; 152.3901