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 , 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.

History The Borough of Rockhampton was proclaimed as Queensland's fourth municipality (after Borough of Brisbane, Borough of Ipswich and Borough of Toowoomba) on 13 December 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858,22 Vic No. 13 (Imp), assented 27 October 1858 a piece of New South Wales legislation inherited by Queensland when it became a separate colony in 1859. It held its first election on 26 February 1861 and its inaugural meeting on 1 March 1861. The municipality had an area of located on the south bank of the Fitzroy River and had a population of about 600. In 1864, the council was divided into three wards—Fitzroy, Archer and Leichhardt. A proposal to greatly expand its area southwards to include Gracemere and Bouldercombe was rejected in part due to opposition from influential squatters in the area. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act.

On 11 November 1879, the Gogango Division was established as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. It covered an area of surrounding the municipality—an area significantly greater than the modern Rockhampton Regional Council covers. Capital and people came to the area in greater numbers after the discovery of gold in 1882 at Mount Morgan, about south of Rockhampton.

Fitzroy Bridge was built to span the Fitzroy River in 1882, and a year later in September 1883, the Borough of North Rockhampton was proclaimed. North Rockhampton had a somewhat unhappy 36-year existence—its small population and location opposite the stronger and wealthier Rockhampton borough made comparisons inevitable and development of its own identity almost impossible. In 1919, it was described as a "small and straggling hamlet". Nevertheless, it was able to get a loan to construct a Municipal Chambers in 1885, which was completed in December of that year. The town clerk's arrest for embezzlement in 1890 marked the beginning of a period of difficulties characterised by disputes with the surrounding Gogango Divisional Board over road construction, and internal conflict between members of council, in which the Queensland Government was often requested to intervene. It did not have a reliable water supply and at the time of its amalgamation was still trying to raise funds for a dam.

Although a foundation stone was laid for a town hall in 1897, it was not until 1941 that the Rockhampton Town Hall was completed.

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Rockhampton became one of three former municipalities, alongside Brisbane and Townsville, to become a City on 31 March 1903, while North Rockhampton became the Town of North Rockhampton.

The State Government became concerned in 1918 after both the City of Rockhampton and Town of North Rockhampton councils proposed separate water infrastructure projects. On Saturday 25 January 1919, an amalgamation referendum held in North Rockhampton passed with 884 of the 1,029 votes cast in favour. On 15 March 1919, elections for the new four-ward council with 11 councillors took place, with their first meeting being held five days later. North Rockhampton Borough Chambers, located in Stapleton Park, Berserker, became a Main Roads office for about four decades, and eventually was restored and, since 1985, has been the home of Rockhampton and District Historical Society.

Wards were abolished at some point and were not reintroduced until 1982, when the council was restructured with 10 divisions each electing one councillor, plus a mayor elected by the entire city. On 1 July 1984, the City grew northwards by annexing Parkhurst, where its water treatment facility was being constructed, from the Shire of Livingstone. The council tried on several occasions to expand further into the Livingstone and Fitzroy areas, but a referendum in Fitzroy on 9 February 1991 was opposed by 83% of valid votes cast.

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 Rockhampton merged with the Shires of Livingstone, Fitzroy and Mount Morgan to form the Rockhampton Region.

The Rockhampton Regional Library opened in 2008 at the time of the amalgamations. The Rockhampton North Library opening in 1971.

Suburbs The City of Rockhampton included the following settlements:

Allenstown Berserker Depot Hill Fairy Bower Frenchville Kawana Koongal Lakes Creek* Limestone Creek Mount Archer Norman Gardens Park Avenue Parkhurst Port Curtis Rockhampton City The Common The Range Wandal West Rockhampton

* – shared with the Shire of Livingstone

Population Estimates Year Population 1933 29,369 1947 34,988 1954 40,670 1961 44,128 1966 46,083 1971 49,164 1976 51,133 1981 52,383 1986 56,742 1991 59,394 1996 59,732 2001 59,382 2006 74,204 2007 75,195 2008 76,272 2009 77,448 2010 78,193 2011 78,939 2012 80,555 2013 81,745 2014 82,136 2015 82,026 2016 81,322 2017 81,354 2018 81,466 2019 81,936 2020 82,496 2021 82,904 2022 83,723 2023 85,500+ 2024 * 2025 *

Mayors

Year(s)MayorNotes 1861John Palmer 1862P. D. Mansfield 1863P. D. Mansfield and Richard McKelliget 1864Richard McKelliget 1865Edward Pike Livermore 1866–1869 Robert Miller Hunter 1870T. Macdonald Paterson and C Scardon 1871–1873 Edward Pike Livermore 1874William Pattison 1875–1876 John Macfarlane 1877–1878 William George Jackson 1879Albrecht Feez 1880–1882John Ferguson 1882Robert Sharples 1883John Ferguson Went onto become one of Queensland's first federal senators. 1884James Williamson 1885Jabez Wakefield (d. 1903) 1886–1887 Thomas Kelly 1888–1889 Sidney Williams 1890Thomas Kay Higson 1891–1893 Frederick Augustus Morgan 1894Hugh Fiddes 1895Stewart Williamson Hartley 1896–1897 W. Wilson Littler 1896Hugh Fiddes 1899Hugh Fiddes 1900Thomas Pennington or R. Tallon 1901Henry W. Johnson 1902S. Thomasson 1903Thomas Henderson 1904Arthur H Parnell 1905Harry Medcraf 1906Thomas Connolly 1907Arthur H. Parnell 1908Harry Medcraf 1909John Edgar 1910George Wilkinson 1911Harry Medcraf 1912Arthur H. Parnell 1913Thomas B. Renshaw 1914William Farrell 1915Theo W. Kingel and John Morrison 1916John Morrison 1917Theo W. Kingel 1918Charles Oliver Gough 1919Theo W. Kingel 1920Robert Elliott Hartley 1921William Charlton 1922William Charlton 1923William Charlton 1924Theodor William Kingel 1925Theodor William Kingel 1926Theodor William Kingel 1927Thomas Dunlop 1928Thomas Dunlop 1929Thomas Dunlop 1929Joseph Jeffries 1929–1930 Robert Cousins 1930–1936 Thomas Joseph Lee 1936–1943Robert William Evans 1943–1952Henry Jeffries 1952–1982 Rex Pilbeam 1982–1991 Jim Webber 1991–1997 Lea Taylor 1997–2000Jim McRae 2000–2008 Margaret Strelow Was elected as the second mayor of the new Rockhampton Region in 2012

References