The Shire of Crows Nest was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, immediately northeast of the regional city of Toowoomba. The shire, administered from the town of Crows Nest, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1913 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Toowoomba area to form the Toowoomba Region. Its growth in later years has been fuelled by the expansion of Toowoomba, particularly the suburbs of Highfields and Blue Mountain Heights which, with a combined population of 7,333 in 2006, were home to over half the shire's population.
History
Crows Nest was named after an Aboriginal man called Jimmy Crow, who lived in a hollow tree near the present council swimming pool. Timber hauling bullock teams would stop in this area overnight and Jimmy Crow used to give them directions. There is a statue of Jimmy Crow in Centenary Park, Crows Nest to honour this legend.
The first local government in the area was the Highfields Division, which was incorporated on 11 November 1879 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Highfields Division became the Shire of Highfields on 31 March 1903.
On 25 January 1913, the Shire of Crows Nest was excised from the Shire of Highfields, initially over a somewhat smaller area. When the Shires of Highfields and Drayton were abolished on 19 March 1949, part of each was included within the Shire of Crows Nest. The council had two divisions each of which returned four councillors, and a separately elected chairman (mayor from 1993).
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 Crows Nest merged with the City of Toowoomba and the Shires of Cambooya, Clifton, Jondaryan, Millmerran, Pittsworth and Rosalie to form the Toowoomba Region.
Towns and localities
The Shire of Crows Nest includes the following settlements:
Crows Nest Birnam1 Blue Mountain Heights1 Cabarlah Cawdor Djuan Geham Haden Hampton Highfields1 Meringandan Pechey Ravensbourne Spring Bluff1
1 – split with the former City of Toowoomba
Chairmen The following were the chairmen of the Crows Nest Shire Council. The use of the title mayor was only introduced in 1993. # chairman Term 1 James Nolan 1913 2 John Alexander McRae 1914 3 Lewis Dascombe 1915 4 Alfred Trevethen Littleton 1916 5 Alfred King 1917 6 Maurice Collins 1918 7 Alfred Trevethen Littleton 1919—1930 8 John Breydon 1930—1933 9 Alfred Trevethen Littleton 1933—1946 10 Johann Christian Vandersee 1946—1967 11 Ernest Matthies Schefe 1967—1970 12 Colin Alan Littleton 1970—1988 13 Ivan Albert Vonhoff 1988—1993 14 Geoffrey Robert Patch 1993—2008 (mayor)
Population Year Population 1933 2,850 1947 2,361 # 1954 3,733 1961 3,474 1966 3,244 1971 3,111 1976 3,445 1981 4,125 1986 5,308 1991 6,644 1996 8,644 2001 10,005 2006 12,595
# The estimated 1947 population of the post-1949 area was 4,036.Queensland Year Book, No.11 (1950), p.47.
Notable residents John French VC (1914–1942) Ben Walker Rugby League Player Chris Walker Rugby League Player Shane Walker Rugby League Player
References
Further reading
External links University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Crows Nest Shire Crows Nest Photographic Memory The Photographic Memories competition held in Crows Nest Shire, Queensland. From the State Library of Queensland 'Queensland Stories' collection.