Cardwell Shire is part of the Far North Queensland coastal region, situated between Cairns and Townsville.
Tully is the administrative centre of the shire which also includes the townships, settlements and islands of Bilyana, Cardstone, Cardwell, Carmoo, Dunk Island, Euramo, Feluga, Goold Island, Hinchinbrook Island, Hull Heads, Jumbun, Kennedy, Lower Tully, Murray Upper, Murrigal, Silky Oak, South Mission Beach, Tully Heads and Wongaling Beach.
March 15 - Local Government Elections
Cassowary Coast Regional Council
For all the latest results visit the Electoral Commission Queensland web site
At midnight on the 15th of March 2008 Cardwell Shire Council will cease to exist as Cardwell Shire and Johnstone Shire amalgamate to form the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.
The township of Cardwell was the first point of European settlement north of Bowen, established in 1864 and initially the main seaport for North Queensland. In 1866 the province of Cardwell was proclaimed and five councillors appointed, although no records of meetings exist. Cardwell was the original focus of the local government authority from 1884 when the Cardwell Divisional Board was proclaimed. The board had six member in two divisions which increased to three in 1887. James Thorn Senior was the first chairman of the Cardwell Divisional Board in 1884, while Peter Smith was the Divisional Board’s last Chairman in 1902.
The operations of the local authority were based in the township of Cardwell until 1902 when the Divisional Board became the Cardwell Shire Council. Council meetings continued to occur in Cardwell until 1929 when Council relocated to Tully following the growth in population of that township as a result of the establishment of the Tully sugar mill in 1924. The first Cardwell Shire Council meeting held in Tully occurred on the 27th of June 1929.
In 1930 a new office building in Tully was occupied by the Cardwell Shire Council, this is now the Tully Library. The building that was used as the main administrative centre for Cardwell Shire Council in Tully was opened in 1978. The last Council consisted of 10 Councillors, a Mayor elected at large and three Councillors elected from three divisions.
Many distinguished citizens of the district have served as Councillors on the Cardwell Shire Council. The first Chairman of the Cardwell Shire Council was Johan Hubinger, who served as Chairman between 1903 and 1904. The last Mayor of the Cardwell Shire Council will be Giuseppe Galeano, Known as Joe, who served as Mayor from 2004 and will complete his term on the 15th of March, 2008.
The first ever woman elected to the Cardwell Shire Council was Mrs Gladys Henry, who served as a Councillor from 1976 to 1982. The first and only woman elected as Chairman of Cardwell Shire Council, before they became known as mayors, was Mrs Atte Raccanello, who server between 1985 and 1991.
The Cardwell Shire Council has a tremendously proud history of achievement over its 106 years as a shire council, in addition to its 18 years as a divisional board and 18 years as a provincial entity. In all, 142 years of local government will have come to an end on the 15th of March, 2008.