The City of Toowoomba was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing the centre and inner suburbs of the regional city of Toowoomba. The City covered an area of 116.5 square kilometres (45.0 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity in various forms from 1860 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the surrounding area to form the Toowoomba Region.
| City of Toowoomba Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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 City CBD Looking South | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 119,714 | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 1,027.6/km2 (2,661.4/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1860 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 116.5 km2 (45.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Toowoomba | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Darling Downs, South East Queensland | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | City of Toowoomba | ||||||||||||||
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History
editThe Borough of Toowoomba was proclaimed on 19 November 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858,[1] a piece of New South Wales legislation inherited by Queensland when it became a separate colony in 1859.[2] William Henry Groom, sometimes described as the "father of Toowoomba", was elected its first mayor. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Toowoomba Municipality became the Town of Toowoomba on 31 March 1903.[3] On 29 October 1904, Toowoomba was proclaimed the City of Toowoomba.[4][5]
Toowoomba absorbed parts of the Shire of Middle Ridge and Town of Newtown on 23 February 1917.[6][7]
On 19 March 1949, following a major reorganisation of local government in South East Queensland,[8] Toowoomba grew its area to include parts of the Shires of Highfields and Drayton.
In 2006 the Mayor Dianne Thorley proposed a controversial plan to recycle sewage into Cooby Dam which is used for drinking water. The federal government agreed to provide partial funding subject to a number of conditions including a requirement to hold a referendum on the issue. On 29 July 2006, Toowoomba voted against the recycled sewage project with the 'No' vote winning by 62% to 38%.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the City of Toowoomba merged with the Shires of Cambooya, Clifton, Crows Nest, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth and Shire of Rosalie to form the Toowoomba Region. The former mayor of the Shire of Jondaryan won the mayoralty of the new council.
Suburbs
editThe City of Toowoomba included the following settlements:
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1 - split with the former Shire of Crows Nest
2 - split with the former Shire of Jondaryan
Population
edit| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 43,149 |
| 1961 | 50,134 |
| 1966 | 55,799 |
| 1971 | 59,524 |
| 1976 | 66,436 |
| 1981 | 66,698 |
| 1986 | 73,390 |
| 1991 | 81,043 |
| 1996 | 83,633 |
| 2001 | 86,642 |
| 2006 | 90,466 |
| 2011 | 108,933 |
| 2016 | 134,037 |
Mayors
editElection results
edit1933
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | John Robinson | 6,538 | |||
| Independent | Joseph Flatz | 6,430 | |||
| Independent | Job Eagles Stone | 5,748 | |||
| Independent | Con. Bowdler | 5,371 | |||
| Independent | Frank B. Colnmon | 5,197 | |||
| Independent | Richard C. Cavanough | 5,106 | |||
| Independent | Atherton A. Griffiths | 5,021 | |||
| Independent | Henry G. Webb | 4,819 | |||
| Independent | Charles G. Blair | 4,654 | |||
| Labor | Reginald Turnbull | 4,625 | |||
| Independent | August T. Parrot | 4,468 | |||
| Independent | Edward W. Cleary | 4,152 | |||
| Independent | Patrick J. Hickey | 3,663 | |||
| Labor | William James Cronin | 3,566 | |||
| Labor | James J. Strohfeld | 3,280 | |||
| Labor | John T. Buchanan | 2,809 | |||
| Labor | David J. Mohr | 2,668 | |||
| Labor | Henry J. Goldsworthy | 2,554 | |||
| Labor | Victor T. Cleary | 1,965 | |||
| Independent | Joseph Thomson | 1,797 | |||
| Independent | Albert T. Sussmilch | 1,612 | |||
| Labor | Jessie Schmidt | 1,569 | |||
| Communist | William A. Franklin | 1,250 | 1.41 | ||
| Total formal votes | 88,862 | 99.09 | |||
| Informal votes | 820 | 0.91 | |||
| Party total votes | |||||
| Independent | 64,576 | 72.67 | |||
| Labor | 23,036 | 25.92 | |||
| Communist | 1,250 | 1.41 | |||
References
edit- ^ 22 Vic No. 13 (Imp), assented 27 October 1858
- ^ "Agency ID 1899, Toowoomba Municipal Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 1900, Toowoomba Town Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ Queensland Government Gazette, Vol. LXXXIII, 29 October 1904, p.878.
- ^ "Agency ID 1897, Toowoomba City Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 1386, Middle Ridge Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ "Agency ID 1449, Newtown Town Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
- ^ Harris, C.P. (1978). Local government and regionalism in Queensland. Australian National University. p. 27. ISBN 0-7081-1355-9.
- ^ "Municipal Elections". Trove. The Telegraph.