Shire of Cook

Shire of Cook
Queensland
Location within Queensland
Coordinates15°28′05.4″S 145°15′02″E / 15.468167°S 145.25056°E / -15.468167; 145.25056
Population4,511 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.042670/km2 (0.110514/sq mi)
Established1919
Area105,719 km2 (40,818.3 sq mi)[2]
MayorPeter Scott
Council seatCooktown
RegionFar North Queensland
State electorate(s)Cook
Federal division(s)Leichhardt
WebsiteShire of Cook
LGAs around Shire of Cook:
Northern Peninsula Area
Gulf of Carpentaria		 Torres Northern Peninsula Area
Mapoon
Napranum
Aurukun		 Shire of Cook Coral Sea
Carpentaria Mareeba Douglas

The Shire of Cook (The Shire) is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Shire covers most of the eastern and central parts of Cape York Peninsula, the most northerly section of the Australian mainland.

It covers an area of 105,718 square kilometres (40,817.9 sq mi),[2] and is the largest LGA in the state. The shire was established in 1919.

The Daintree and Hann Divisions were created on 11 November 1879 as two of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879.[3][4]

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, they became the Shires of Daintree and Hann on 31 March 1903.[3][4][5][6]

On 16 January 1919, they merged to form the Shire of Cook.[5][6][7]

The Borough of Cooktown was proclaimed as a separate municipality on 3 April 1876 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864. On 24 August 1932, the Town of Cooktown (the successor to the Borough of Cooktown) was absorbed back into Cook Shire.[7][8]

Prior to 2005, a number of Aboriginal communities administered under Deed of Grant in Trust by community councils were part of the Shire's area, but they were formally excised and given a new status as Aboriginal Shires. This formed part of the Meeting Challenges, Making Choices strategy developed in response to the Cape York Justice Study undertaken by Justice Fitzgerald QC in November 2001.[9]

The Local Government Reform process in July 2007 concluded that amalgamation of the Shire would not result in any benefits to service delivery and management for the area, noting that it was (and is) the largest local government by area and had no community of interest with any neighbouring areas. The council was, however, reduced from seven to six councillors with an additional elected mayor.[10]

In the 2021 census, the Shire of Cook had a population of 4,511 people.[1]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Census2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Agency ID 813, Daintree Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Agency ID 936, Hann Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Agency ID 814, Daintree Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Agency ID 937, Hann Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Agency ID 603, Cook Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  8. ^ "Order in Council". Queensland Government Gazette. 6 August 1932. p. 138:400.
  9. ^ McDougall, Scott (January 2006). Palm Island: Future Directions – Resource Officer Report (PDF). Brisbane, Queensland: Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2007.
  10. ^ Queensland Local Government Reform Commission (July 2007). Report of the Local Government Reform Commission (PDF). Vol. 2. pp. 93–96. ISBN 978-1-921057-11-3. Retrieved 17 September 2009.[permanent dead link]