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 2,820.1 square kilometres (1,088.8 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1994, when it was dissolved and amalgamated with City of Mackay.

## History

The Borough of Mackay was proclaimed on 22 September 1869 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864. Pioneer Division was one of the 74 divisional boards established on 11 November 1879 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 2884 and covered the region surrounding but not including the Borough of Mackay.

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Pioneer Division became the Shire of Pioneer on 31 March 1903. The Pioneer Shire Council Chambers at 1 Wood Street, Mackay, were constructed in 1935 and are now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register.

The Shire of Sarina was established from the southern part of the Shire of Pioneer on 1 January 1912 under the Local Authorities Act 1902.

The Shire of Mirani was established from part of the Shire of Pioneer on 4 September 1913 under the Local Authorities Act 1902.

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 Shire ceased to exist and was merged with the City of Mackay. Gordon White, who had served as chairman of Pioneer since 1983, won the resulting mayoral elections and was then mayor of the City of Mackay until 1994.

## Chairmen

* 1885-1890:Walter Paget
* 1901: Walter Paget
* 1927: William Henry Kirkup
* 1934-1947: Ernie Evans
* 1955-1957: Ernie Evans
* 1983-1994: Gordon White, who continued as mayor of City of Mackay after the amgalmation until 1999.

## Population

| Year | Population |
| - | - |
| 1933 | 9,926 |
| 1947 | 11,606 |
| 1954 | 14,316 |
| 1961 | 15,741 |
| 1966 | 19,900 |
| 1971 | 22,561 |
| 1976 | 26,938 |
| 1981 | 33,732 |
| 1986 | 36,084 |
| 1991 | 40,614 |
