City of Mackay
Encyclopedia
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
region of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, encompassing the regional city of Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
and the surrounding region. The City was created as a municipal borough in 1869, and prior to amalgamation with the Shire of Pioneer
Shire of Pioneer
The Shire of Pioneer was a Local Government Area surrounding the city of Mackay and including all but its innermost suburbs. The shire, administered from Mackay itself, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1994, when it was dissolved and amalgamated with...
in 1994, the City was limited to the central suburbs on the south shore of the Pioneer River. From 1994 until 2008, the City covered an area of 2897.5 square kilometres (1,118.7 sq mi). In 2008, it amalgamated with the Shires of Mirani
Shire of Mirani
The Shire of Mirani was a Local Government Area located in the North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Mirani, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1916 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the City of Mackay and the...
and Sarina
Shire of Sarina
The Shire of Sarina was a Local Government Area located in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Sarina, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1912 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the City of Mackay and the...
to become the Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
.
History
The Mackay Municipality was proclaimed on 22 September 1869 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864. The Pioneer DivisionShire of Pioneer
The Shire of Pioneer was a Local Government Area surrounding the city of Mackay and including all but its innermost suburbs. The shire, administered from Mackay itself, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1994, when it was dissolved and amalgamated with...
was established on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 founding divisions under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Pioneer became a shire and Mackay a town on 31 March 1903. The latter received City status on 17 August 1918.
On 21 November 1991, the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission, created two years earlier, produced its second report, and recommended that local government boundaries in the Mackay area be rationalised. The Local Government (Mackay and Pioneer) Regulation 1993 was gazetted on 17 December 1993, and on 30 March 1994, the two amalgamated into a larger City of Mackay, which first met on 8 April 1994.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been...
on 10 August 2007, the City of Mackay merged with the Shires of Mirani
Shire of Mirani
The Shire of Mirani was a Local Government Area located in the North Queensland region of Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Mirani, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1916 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the City of Mackay and the...
and Sarina
Shire of Sarina
The Shire of Sarina was a Local Government Area located in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Sarina, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1912 until 2008, when it amalgamated with the City of Mackay and the...
to form the Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
.
Towns and Localities
Prior to 1994, Mackay consisted of the suburbs of MackayMackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, West Mackay, South Mackay and East Mackay—all other suburbs of Mackay were in the Shire of Pioneer
Shire of Pioneer
The Shire of Pioneer was a Local Government Area surrounding the city of Mackay and including all but its innermost suburbs. The shire, administered from Mackay itself, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1994, when it was dissolved and amalgamated with...
's area. After the amalgamation, it consisted of the following areas:
Suburbs:
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Towns:
National Parks:
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Other localities:
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Population
| Year | Population (Mackay) |
Population (Pioneer) |
Population (Total) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | 10,665 | 9,926 | 20591 |
| 1947 | 13,486 | 11,606 | 25092 |
| 1954 | 14,762 | 14,316 | 29,078 |
| 1961 | 16,809 | 15,741 | 32,550 |
| 1966 | 18,640 | 19,900 | 38,540 |
| 1971 | 19,148 | 22,561 | 41,709 |
| 1976 | 20,224 | 26,938 | 47,162 |
| 1981 | 20,664 | 33,732 | 54,396 |
| 1986 | 22,199 | 36,084 | 58,283 |
| 1991 | 23,052 | 40,614 | 63,666 |
| 1996 | 71,894 | ||
| 2001 | 75,020 | ||
| 2006 | 20,803 | 85,399 |