The City of Maryborough was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, containing the urban locality of Maryborough as well as the southern half of K'gari. The City covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1861 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the City of Hervey Bay, Shire of Woocoo and the 1st and 2nd divisions of the Shire of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Region.

History Wharves were established at Maryborough in 1847–1848 to provide transport for wool from sheep stations on the Burnett River. The town was initially located further south on the Mary River, but moved to its present location in 1852. It was declared a port in 1859.

On 10 March 1861, the Municipal Borough of Maryborough, governed under the Municipalities Act 1858 which had been inherited from New South Wales upon the separation of Queensland in 1859, was proclaimed, becoming the sixth municipal government in Queensland. Henry Palmer was appointed as its first Mayor. On 15 September 1883, the Granville Division was established under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 to serve the surrounding district.

With the passing of the Local Authorities Act 1902, on 31 March 1903 the Borough of Maryborough became the Town of Maryborough and Granville Division became the Shire of Granville. On 7 January 1905 Maryborough achieved City status, and a Town Hall was built on the corner of Kent and Adelaide Streets and became the administrative centre of the City. On 17 February 1917, as part of a restructuring of local government in the Wide Bay–Burnett area, the Shire of Granville was abolished and split between the Shire of Tiaro and City of Maryborough.

At the local government elections of 27 March 1976, with the neighbouring Shire of Burrum being renamed Hervey Bay and retreating to the coast, Maryborough changed from being an urban municipality of to one of with a considerable rural area. The City grew by an estimated 1,119 people in the transfer.

The Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993, which took effect on 31 March 1994, effected the City's annexation of about of the Shire of Woocoo. At this time, Maryborough was re-subdivided into eight divisions each with one councillor, plus an elected mayor.

On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, Maryborough merged with the City of Hervey Bay, Shire of Woocoo and part of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Region.

Towns and localities The City of Maryborough included the following settlements:

Maryborough Maryborough West Granville Island Plantation Aldershot Beaver Rock Boonooroo Boonooroo Plains Duckinwilla Eurong (K'gari) Ferney Glenorchy Great Sandy Strait Maaroom Poona Poona National Park St Helens Teddington The Dimonds Tinana Tuan Tuan Forest Walkers Point

Population

Year Population 1921 10,629 1933 11,415 1947 14,395 1954 17,952 1961 19,126 1966 19,659 1971 20,587 1976 21,527 1981 21,530 1986 22,430 1991 22,977 1996 24,681 2001 24,465 2006 25,705

Mayors The 52 men and women who served as mayor of Maryborough between 1861 and 2008 are covered in the book "Public Life: the Mayors of Maryborough" by the current Fraser Coast mayor George Seymour.

Mayors of Maryborough include:

1861–1861: Henry Palmer 1861: John Eaton 1862: James Dowzer 1863–1864: Andrew Melville 1864: Robert Case 1865: Henry Palmer 1869–1870: Thomas Milner 1883: Charles Thomas Powers 1865: Henry Palmer 1866: George Nightingale 1877: John Thomas Annear 1878: Richard Matthews Hyne William Pettigrew 1880: Nicholas Tooth 1890: George Stupart 1894: J. Batholomew 1895: Fritz Kinne 1901: John Norman 1903: Andrew Dunn 1906: William Dawson 1909: Charles Rabaa 1914: Andrew Dunn 1915 John Blackley 1913–1918: Henry James Hyne 1924–1930: Charles Adam 1930–1933: Henry Bashford 1933–1939: William Halliway (Billy) Domaine — available online 1939–1950: Robert McDowall 1950–1955: Cyril Tanner 1955–1956: Herbert Leslie Jones 1956–1965: Robert Alexander Hunter 1964–1970: Ralph Stafford 1970–1988:John Anderson (number of years) R. J. Hyne — available online 1988–1991: Ronald James Peters N. A. Reed — available online 1991–2004: Alan Brown 2004–2008: Barbara Hovard

Notable people In addition to the mayors listed above, other notable people associated with the local government include: Walter Adams, an alderman of Maryborough and a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Brendan Hansen (politician), an alderman and a member of the Federal and Queensland parliaments Otto Nothling, alderman and deputy mayor of Maryborough, and previously represented Australia in cricket and rugby union

See also Port of Maryborough

References