Shire of Peak Downs

The Shire of Peak Downs was a local government area in the Central Highlands of Queensland, Australia, 320 km west of both Rockhampton and Mackay. On 15 March 2008 the shires of Duaringa, Emerald, Bauhinia and Peak Downs were amalgamated to form the Central Highlands Region.[2]

Shire of Peak Downs
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Population3,188 (2006 census)[1]
Council seatCapella
RegionCentral Queensland
WebsiteShire of Peak Downs
LGAs around Shire of Peak Downs:
Belyando Broadsound Broadsound
Belyando Shire of Peak Downs Broadsound
Jericho Emerald Emerald

History

Yambina (also known as Jambina and Jambeena) is an Australian Aboriginal language of Central Queensland. Its traditional language region is the local government area of Central Highlands Region, including Peak Downs, Logan Creek, south to Avon Downs, east to Denham Range and Logan Downs, west to Elgin Downs and at Solferino.[3]

Map of Peak Downs Division and adjacent local government areas, March 1902

On 11 November 1879, the Belyando Division was established as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879.[4]

On 20 September 1884, Peak Downs Division was separated from the southern part of Belyando Division.

On 31 March 1903, Peak Downs Division became the Shire of Peak Downs.

Peak Downs cemetery in Capella, 2016

In 1927, the shire's offices were located in Capella.[5]

In 2008, the shire's offices were located at 24 Conran Street.[6] The Peak Downs Cemetery was also located in Capella.

Towns and localities

The Shire of Peak Downs included the following settlements:

Towns:

Economy

It had about 4,000 inhabitants, the primary economic activities in the shire are coal mining, farming and grazing.

The Shire is part of the Bowen Basin, a major coal deposit. Mining began in the shire in the late 1970s with the opening of Gregory coal mine in 1979, which was followed by Mount Isa Mines' Oaky Creek coal mine in 1983. Oaky Creek was also the reason behind the construction of the township of Tieri, whose sole purpose was to house the workforce that was required to operate Oaky Creek. Three more mines were opened in the 1990s – Ensham/Yongala, Crinum and Gordonstone (later purchased by Rio Tinto and renamed Kestrel coal mine).

Peak Downs is also an area of intensive agricultural production, which is made possible by its black soil plains and is typified by the abundance and variety of grains in the Shire. Grains planted include sorghum, wheat, barley, sunflower and more recently chickpeas.

Chairmen and mayors

Chairmen
  • 1927: Percy Charles Allan [5]

Mayors

In 1993, the Local Government Act Number 70 was introduced; it included that all heads of local government councils should be known as mayors and all other elected representatives were to be known as councillors.[7]

  • 2008: John Brown[8]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Peak Downs (S)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  2. "Agency ID 11030, Central Highlands Regional Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  3. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yambina". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  4. "Proclamation [Belyando Division]". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1005.
  5. Pugh, Theophilus Parsons (1927). Pugh's Almanac for 1927. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  6. "Contact details". Peak Downs Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
  7. Welch, Melva A; Moreton Bay (Qld. : Shire). Council (2008), Not pineapples, not pine trees but-- Pine Rivers : revised chronicle of local government in Pine Rivers Shire, 1888 to 2008 (Revised and updated [ed.] ed.), Pine Rivers Shire Council, ISBN 978-0-9577523-5-1
  8. "Directory Contacts - Councillors". Peak Downs Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2017.

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