Tweed Shire
| Tweed Shire New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location within New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 88,993(2009)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 67.3679/km2 (174.482/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1906 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1,321.0 km2 (510.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Barry Longland | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Murwillumbah | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Northern Rivers | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Tweed, Lismore | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Richmond | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | Tweed Shire | ||||||||||||||
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Tweed Shire is a Local Government Area located in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, on the border with Queensland where it meets the Pacific Ocean coast. The shire, administered from the town of Murwillumbah, covers an area of 1,321.0 square kilometres (510.0 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1947. It was named for the Tweed River.
History
Region history
The European history of the Tweed Shire began in 1823 when the Tweed River was discovered by John Oxley. After sheltering on Cook Island, (4 km from the River's mouth), Oxely travelled 11 km up river. In 1828, Captain H. J. Rous explored 50 km up the river. Settlers began to arrive in 182?, the first of which were the cedar getters, who came to harvest Great Red Cedars and send them back to England.[2] During the height of the cedar logging industry, the Tweed Valley was one of the wealthiest districts in Australia.
Municipal history
The Municipality of Murwillumbah was created on 25 May 1902, and held its first meeting on 22 August 1902, at which Peter Street was elected its first Mayor. The Shire of Tweed, with its primary centre of population at Tumbulgum on the Tweed River, came into being in the surrounding area on 7 March 1906 with the enactment of the Local Government Act 1906.
On 1 January 1947, the two amalgamated to form Tweed Shire.[3]
The council was sacked by the Governor of New South Wales on 25 May 2005 following the initial report from a public enquiry.
Demographics
At the 2006 census, Tweed Shire had a population of 79,321.[4]
| Tweed | Region[5] | State[6] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44 | 42 | 37 |
| Median weekly individual income | $364 | $370 | $461 |
| % of residents born overseas | 21.1 | 17.8 | 31.0 |
| % Indigenous population | 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
The most popular religious affiliations in descending order in the 2006 census were Anglican, Catholic, no religion, Uniting and Presbyterian. A small but significant Sikh community is based in Murwillumbah.
Towns and localities
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Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1911 | 9,514 |
| 1921 | 15,136 |
| 1933 | 17,099 |
| 1947 | 19,321 |
| 1954 | 21,144 |
| 1961 | 22,491 |
| 1966 | 23,154 |
| 1976 | 27,526 |
| 1981 | 40,050 |
| 1986 | 45,690 |
| 1991 | 55,857 |
| 1996 | 66,519 |
| 2001 | 74,577 |
| 2006 | 83,089 |
| 2011 | 88,463 |
Shire Presidents
- C E Cox (1947–1948) (provisional)
- A Buckley (1948–1949)
- C E Cox (1949–1957)
- Harold Lundberg (1957–1958)
- Clarrie Hall (1958–1959)
- Harold Lundberg (1959–1961)
- Clarrie Hall (1961–1963)
- Harold Lundberg (1963–1964)
- Clarrie Hall (1964–1973)
- Charles Jarvis (1973–1975)
- Clarrie Hall (1975–1979) (died in office 6 October 1979)
- Max Boyd (1979–1981)
- Mrs Y A M Rowse (1981–1984)
- Max Boyd (1984–1999)
- Lynne Beck (1999–2001)
- Warren Polglase (2001–2005)
- vacant (2005–2008)
- Joan van Lieshout (2008–2009)
- Warren Polglase (2009–2010)
- Kevin Skinner (2010–2011)
- Barry Longland (2011-present)
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (30 March 2010). "Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2008–09". Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- ^ Collier's Encyclopedia. New York: Maxwell Macmillan Communication Group.
- ^ Murwillumbah Historical Society Inc. (8 October 2009). "The Shire of Tweed". Retrieved 3 December 2009. [dead link]
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Tweed (A) (Local Government Area)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: Richmond-Tweed (Statistical Region)". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Community Profile Series: NSW". 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Retrieved 27 October 2010.