Shire of Livingstone Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Population | 39,398 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 3.35074/km2 (8.6784/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 2014 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 11,758 km2 (4,539.8 sq mi) [2] | ||||||||||||||
Mayor | Andrew Darryl Ireland | ||||||||||||||
Council seat | Yeppoon | ||||||||||||||
Region | Central Queensland | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Capricornia | ||||||||||||||
Website | Shire of Livingstone | ||||||||||||||
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The Shire of Livingstone is a local government area located in the Capricornia region of Central Queensland, Queensland, Australia, to the immediate north and east of the regional city of Rockhampton. The shire, administered from the coastal town of Yeppoon, covers an area of 11,758 square kilometres (4,539.8 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils to become the Rockhampton Region. The Shire was re-established on 1 January 2014 following a successful de-amalgamation referendum in 2013.
Industry within the shire is diverse. Timber is harvested from extensive pine plantations near Byfield in the north. Significant pineapple production takes place within the shire, as well as other agricultural crops. Tourism is increasingly becoming a mainstay of the area, with Keppel Bay and the nearby islands a major drawcard, and more than half of the Shire's population lives in the coastal area centred on Yeppoon and Emu Park. The coastal strip within the shire is known as the Capricorn Coast. [3] The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is also located within the shire.
On 11 November 1879, the Gogango Division was established as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 5023. [4] [5] It covered an area of 16,239 km2 (6,270 sq mi) surrounding but not including the town of Rockhampton—an area significantly greater than the modern Rockhampton Regional Council covers. Its administrative centre was in North Rockhampton.
Capital and people came to the area in greater numbers after the discovery of gold in 1882 at Mount Morgan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Rockhampton.
A bridge was built spanning the Fitzroy River in 1882, and a year later in September 1883, the Borough of North Rockhampton was proclaimed.
On 3 March 1892, part of subdivision 2 of the Broadsound Division was transferred to subdivision 3 of the Gogango Division, while another part of subdivision 2 of the Broadsound Division was transferred to the Duaringa Division. [6]
On 6 April 1899, the part of the Gogango Division south of the Fitzroy River split away to form the Fitzroy Division. [7]
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Gogango Division became the Shire of Gogango on 31 March 1903, and on 8 August 1903 it was renamed Shire of Livingstone. [8] [9]
On 1 July 1984, the neighbouring City of Rockhampton grew to include some of its outer suburbs which had previously been within the Shire of Livingstone.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Livingstone merged with the City of Rockhampton and the Shires of Mount Morgan and Fitzroy to form the Rockhampton Region. [9] [10]
In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Livingstone from the Rockhampton Region. [11] On 9 March 2013, the citizens of the former Livingstone shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate. The Shire of Livingstone was re-established on 1 January 2014. [12] [13]
Since de-amalgamation from Rockhampton Regional Council, there has been regular proposals for the shire to change its name. [14] [15] [16] [17] The name of Livingstone is believed to have been derived from Livingstone County in New South Wales which was named after Scottish explorer David Livingstone. [18] However, because of the name's lack of geographical context, it's been argued by local government leaders and local organisations that the shire suffers from poor name recognition. [19]
In March 2023, Livingstone mayor Andy Ireland requested a report detailing the positives and negatives associated with a name change. [19] He expressed frustration at regularly being asked to explain where the Shire of Livingstone was, including during meetings with senior Australian Defence Force personnel and cabinet ministers from the Federal Government. Former mayor Bill Ludwig had previously expressed a similar sentiment in 2018, stating: "In Brisbane, people would be flat out knowing where Livingstone is, but as Capricorn Coast Regional Council, they would know it's a coastal destination." [20]
Ireland also said that a change to the Capricorn Coast Region would assist with tourism marketing, with local tourism operators and organisation already having expressed a preference for such a name. [19] However, this proposal has already received opposition from residents of rural towns situated away from the coast such as The Caves, Marlborough and Ogmore. [21] The associated costs with changing the name of Livingstone has also prompted concern from the community. [21]
The Shire of Livingstone includes the following settlements:
Rockhampton area: | Yeppoon-Keppel area: | Other areas: |
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1 - shared with Rockhampton Region
2 - not to be confused with Bangalee in the Gladstone Region
3 - not to be confused with Maryvale in the Southern Downs Region
The city has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw), marking the southern boundary of this climatic zone, more precisely in the Byfield National Park. [22]
The Livingstone Shire Council operates public libraries in Byfield, Marlborough, Emu Park, and Yeppoon. It also supports volunteer-operated libraries in Mount Chalmers and Stanage Bay. [23]
Year | Population |
---|---|
1933 | 6,472 |
1947 | 6,452 |
1954 | 7,031 |
1961 | 7,320 |
1966 | 7,780 |
1971 | 9,595 |
1976 | 11,634 |
1981 | 15,711 |
1986 | 15,886 |
1991 | 19,334 |
1996 | 24,796 |
2001 | 27,017 |
2006 | 28,870 |
2016 | 36,272 |
Incorporating non-consecutive terms into the years of representation, the following were the chairmen and mayors of the Shire of Livingstone from its beginnings as the Gogango Divisional Board in 1879 to the end of its first incarnation in 2008: [24]
The following were the mayors of Shire of Livingstone from the beginning of its second incarnation in 2014 to the present day:
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
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Independent | Glenda Mather (elected) | 12,635 | 9.07 | ||
Independent | Pat Eastwood (elected) | 11,975 | 8.59 | ||
Independent | Lance Warcon (elected) | 11,323 | 8.12 | ||
Independent | Rhodes Watson (elected) | 10,936 | 7.85 | ||
Independent | Andrea Friend (elected) | 10,816 | 7.76 | ||
Independent | Wade Rothery (elected) | 10,285 | 7.38 | ||
Independent | Trish Bowman | 10,283 | 7.38 | ||
Independent | Bill Ludwig | 10,246 | 7.35 | ||
Independent | Helen Schweikert | 9,629 | 6.91 | ||
Independent | Jillian Neyland | 7,300 | 5.24 | ||
Independent | Kristan Casuscelli | 6,977 | 5.01 | ||
Independent | Clint Swadling | 6,700 | 4.81 | ||
Independent | Brett Svendsen | 6,459 | 4.63 | ||
Independent | Cameron Kinsey | 4,874 | 3.50 | ||
Independent | Paul Mitchell | 4,840 | 3.47 | ||
Independent | Mike Decman | 4,096 | 2.94 | ||
Total formal votes | 139,374 | 100.0 | |||
Total formal ballots | 23,229 | 92.09 | |||
Informal ballots | 1,995 | 7.91 | |||
Turnout | 25,224 |
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the population of Rockhampton was 79,293.
Yeppoon is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. Yeppoon is renowned for its beaches, tropical climate, and the islands out on the bay. Located 41 kilometres (25 mi) from the city of Rockhampton, Yeppoon is the seat of the Shire of Livingstone and the principal town on the Capricorn Coast, a string of seaside communities stretching more than 150 kilometres (93 mi) from north to south. The beaches and shallow coves provide a destination both for tourists and retirees settling down in Central Queensland. Offshore, there are 27 islands including Great Keppel Island which is 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Yeppoon. In the 2021 census, the locality of Yeppoon had a population of 7,037 people; this does not include any neighbouring suburbs.
The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland. The highway is 575 kilometres (357 mi) long, and joins the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine. Formerly National Route 66, Queensland began to convert to the alphanumeric system much of Australia had adopted in the early-2000s and is now designated as A4. The highway runs parallel with the Tropic of Capricorn, hence its name.
The Capricorn Coast is a stretch of coastline in Central Queensland, Australia and is part of the Shire of Livingstone.
Central Queensland is an imprecisely-defined geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton. The region extends from the Capricorn Coast west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional Council southern boundary, and south to Gladstone. The region is also known as Capricornia. It is one of Australia's main coal exporting regions.
Kinka Beach is a coastal rural locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Kinka Beach had a population of 621 people.
The Shire of Duaringa was a local government area in the Capricornia region of Queensland, Australia. Duaringa Shire covered an area of 18,201 square kilometres and had a population of 6,744 according to the 2006 census. On 15 March 2008 the shires of Duaringa, Emerald, Bauhinia and Peak Downs were amalgamated to form the Central Highlands Region.
The Shire of Fitzroy was a local government area located in the Capricornia region of Central Queensland, Queensland, Australia, to the immediate west and south of the regional city of Rockhampton. The shire, administered from the town of Gracemere, covered an area of 5,898.7 square kilometres (2,277.5 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1899 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils to become the Rockhampton Region. It is named for the Fitzroy River, that passes along the northern boundary of the shire.
Shire of Broadsound was a local government area in the Capricornia region of Queensland, Australia. The Shire, administered from the town of St Lawrence, covered an area of 18,546.0 square kilometres (7,160.7 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the Shires of Belyando and Nebo to form the Isaac Region.
The City of Rockhampton was a local government area in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing most of the suburban area of the regional city of Rockhampton. The city covered an area of 188.7 square kilometres (72.9 sq mi), and has 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 become the Rockhampton Region.
The Rockhampton Region is a local government area (LGA) in Central Queensland, Australia, located on the Tropic of Capricorn about 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Brisbane. Rockhampton is the region's major city; the region also includes the Fitzroy River, Mount Archer National Park and Berserker Range.
Zilzie is a coastal locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Zilzie had a population of 2,846 people.
Cooee Bay is a coastal locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census Cooee Bay had a population of 913 people.
Taranganba is a town and locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Taranganba had a population of 2,276 people.
Lammermoor is a coastal locality on the Capricorn Coast in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Lammermoor had a population of 2,167 people.
The Town of North Rockhampton was a local government area in Queensland, Australia. It existed from 1883 to 1919.
The Scenic Highway is a coastal highway from Yeppoon to Emu Park, both on the Capricorn Coast in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia.
Rockhampton–Emu Park Road is a continuous 44.1 kilometres (27.4 mi) road route in the Rockhampton and Livingstone local government areas of Queensland, Australia. The route is designated as State Route 4 (Regional) and Tourist Drive 10. It is a state-controlled regional road.
Rockhampton–Yeppoon Road is a non-continuous 39.8 kilometres (24.7 mi) road route in the Rockhampton and Livingstone local government areas of Queensland, Australia. Most of the route is designated as State Route 4 (Regional) and Tourist Drive 10. It is a state-controlled regional road.
Thomas Alan Wyatt is an Australian horticulturalist best known for his 40-year association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Queensland for which he hosted a weekly program called Gardening Talkback on the ABC Local Radio network.
Livingstone Shire is thought to have been named after the County of Livingstone in New South Wales in 1855, which was named after David Livingstone...
Others in the rural areas Ogmore, Marlborough, Glenlee, The Caves and Cawarral didn't like the emphasis on 'coast' and worried about being left further behind.