# City of Rockhampton

The City of Rockhampton was a local government area in the Central Queensland region of Queensland, Australia, encompassing most of the suburban area of the regional city of Rockhampton. The city covered an area of 188.7 square kilometres (72.9 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity in various forms from 1860 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the surrounding area to become the Rockhampton Region.

## History

The Borough of Rockhampton was proclaimed as Queensland's fourth municipality (after Borough of Brisbane, Borough of Ipswich and Borough of Toowoomba) on 13 December 1860 under the Municipalities Act 1858, a piece of New South Wales legislation inherited by Queensland when it became a separate colony in 1859. It held its first election on 26 February 1861 and its inaugural meeting on 1 March 1861. The municipality had an area of 13 km$^2$ (5.0 sq mi) located on the south bank of the Fitzroy River and had a population of about 600. In 1864, the council was divided into three wards—Fitzroy, Archer and Leichhardt. A proposal to greatly expand its area southwards to include Gracemere and Bouldercombe was rejected in part due to opposition from influential squatters in the area. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act.
On 11 November 1879, the Gogango Division was established as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. It covered an area of 16,239 km$^2$ (6,270 sq mi) surrounding the municipality—an area significantly greater than the modern Rockhampton Regional Council covers. Capital and people came to the area in greater numbers after the discovery of gold in 1882 at Mount Morgan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of Rockhampton.
Fitzroy Bridge was built to span the Fitzroy River in 1882, and a year later in September 1883, the Borough of North Rockhampton was proclaimed. North Rockhampton had a somewhat unhappy 36-year existence—its small population and location opposite the stronger and wealthier Rockhampton borough made comparisons inevitable and development of its own identity almost impossible. In 1919, it was described as a "small and straggling hamlet". Nevertheless, it was able to get a loan to construct a Municipal Chambers in 1885, which was completed in December of that year. The town clerk's arrest for embezzlement in 1890 marked the beginning of a period of difficulties characterised by disputes with the surrounding Gogango Divisional Board over road construction, and internal conflict between members of council, in which the Queensland Government was often requested to intervene. It did not have a reliable water supply and at the time of its amalgamation was still trying to raise funds for a dam.
Although a foundation stone was laid for a town hall in 1897, it was not until 1941 that the Rockhampton Town Hall was completed.
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Rockhampton became one of three former municipalities, alongside Brisbane and Townsville, to become a City on 31 March 1903, while North Rockhampton became the Town of North Rockhampton.
The State Government became concerned in 1918 after both the City of Rockhampton and Town of North Rockhampton councils proposed separate water infrastructure projects. On Saturday 25 January 1919, an amalgamation referendum held in North Rockhampton passed with 884 of the 1,029 votes cast in favour. On 15 March 1919, elections for the new four-ward council with 11 councillors took place, with their first meeting being held five days later. North Rockhampton Borough Chambers, located in Stapleton Park, Berserker, became a Main Roads office for about four decades, and eventually was restored and, since 1985, has been the home of Rockhampton and District Historical Society.
Wards were abolished at some point and were not reintroduced until 1982, when the council was restructured with 10 divisions each electing one councillor, plus a mayor elected by the entire City. On 1 July 1984, the City grew northwards by annexing Parkhurst, where its water treatment facility was being constructed, from the Shire of Livingstone. The council tried on several occasions to expand further into the Livingstone and Fitzroy areas, but a referendum in Fitzroy on 9 February 1991 was opposed by 83% of valid votes cast.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the City of Rockhampton merged with the Shires of Livingstone, Fitzroy and Mount Morgan to form the Rockhampton Region.
The Rockhampton Regional Library opened in 2008 at the time of the amalgamations. The Rockhampton North Library opening in 1971.

## Suburbs

The City of Rockhampton included the following settlements:
* Allenstown
* Berserker
* Depot Hill
* Fairy Bower
* Frenchville
* Kawana
* Koongal
* Lakes Creek$^*$
* Limestone Creek
* Mount Archer
* Norman Gardens
* Park Avenue
* Parkhurst
* Port Curtis
* Rockhampton City
* The Common
* The Range
* Wandal
* West Rockhampton
$^*$ – shared with the Shire of Livingstone

## Population Estimates

| Year | Population |
| 1933 | 29,369 |
| 1947 | 34,988 |
| 1954 | 40,670 |
| 1961 | 44,128 |
| 1966 | 46,083 |
| 1971 | 49,164 |
| 1976 | 51,133 |
| 1981 | 52,383 |
| 1986 | 56,742 |
| 1991 | 59,394 |
| 1996 | 59,732 |
| 2001 | 59,382 |
| 2006 | 74,204 |
| 2007 | 75,195 |
| 2008 | 76,272 |
| 2009 | 77,448 |
| 2010 | 78,193 |
| 2011 | 78,939 |
| 2012 | 80,555 |
| 2013 | 81,745 |
| 2014 | 82,136 |
| 2015 | 82,026 |
| 2016 | 81,322 |
| 2017 | 81,354 |
| 2018 | 81,466 |
| 2019 | 81,936 |
| 2020 | 82,496 |
| 2021 | 82,904 |
| 2022 | 83,723 |
| 2023 | 85,500+ |
| 2024 | * |
| 2025 | * |

## Mayors

The mayors of Rockhampton were:
* 1861 John Palmer
* 1862 P. D. Mansfield
* 1863 P. D. Mansfield and Richard McKelliget
* 1864 Richard McKelliget
* 1865 Edward Pike Livermor
* 1866 - 1869 Robert Miller Hunter
* 1870 T. Macdonald Paterson and C Scardon
* 1871 - 1873 Edward Pike Livermore
* 1874 William Pattison
* 1875 - 1876 John Macfarlane
* 1877 - 1878 William George Jackson
* 1879 Albrecht Feez
* 1880 - 1882 John Ferguson
* 1882 Robert Sharples
* 1883 John Ferguson
* 1884 James Williamson
* 1885 Jabet Wakefield
* 1886 - 1887 Thomas Kelly
* 1888 - 1889 Sidney Williams
* 1890 Thomas Kay Higson
* 1891 - 1893 Frederick Augustus Morgan
* 1894 Hugh Fiddes
* 1895 Stewart Williamson Hartley
* 1896 - 1897 W. Wilson Littler
* 1896 Hugh Fiddes
* 1899 Hugh Fiddes
* 1900 Thomas Pennington or R. Tallon
* 1901 Henry W. Johnson
* 1902 S. Thomasson
* 1903 Thomas Henderson
* 1904 Arthur H Parnell
* 1905 Harry Medcraf
* 1906 Thomas Connolly
* 1907 Arthur H. Parnell
* 1908 Harry Medcraf
* 1909 John Edgar
* 1910 George Wilkinson
* 1911 Harry Medcraf
* 1912 Arthur H. Parnell
* 1913 Thomas B. Renshaw
* 1914 William Farrell
* 1915 Theo W. Kingel and John Morrison
* 1916 John Morrison
* 1917 Theo W. Kingel
* 1918 Charles Oliver Gough
* 1919 Theo W. Kingel
* 1920 Robert Elliott Hartley
* 1921 William Charlton
* 1922 William Charlton
* 1923 William Charlton
* 1924 Theodor William Kingel
* 1925 Theodor William Kingel
* 1926. Theodor William Kingel
* 1927. Thomas Dunlop
* 1928. Thomas Dunlop
* 1929. Thomas Dunlop
* 1929 Joseph Jeffries
* 1929–30 Robert Cousins
* 1930–36 Thomas Joseph Lee
* 1936–43 Robert William Evans
* 1943–52 Henry Jeffries
* 1952–1982 Rex Pilbeam
* 1982–1991 Jim Webber
* 1991–1997 Lea Taylor
* 1997– 2000 Jim McRae
* 2000–2008: Margaret Strelow (who would be elected as the second mayor of the Rockhampton Region in 2012)