24-590: Download coordinates as: Walkerston is a town and locality in Mackay Region , Queensland , Australia. The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay . In the 2021 census , the locality of Walkerston had a population of 3,615 people. Walkerston is bounded by the Pioneer River to the north. The Peak Downs Highway enters the locality from Alexandra in
48-573: A library in Dutton Street. The town has a supermarket and three bars (including a sports club). Suburbs and localities (Australia) Suburbs and localities are the names of geographic subdivisions in Australia , used mainly for address purposes. The term locality is used in rural areas, while the term suburb is used in urban areas. Australian postcodes closely align with the boundaries of localities and suburbs. This Australian usage of
72-527: A mayor to the Regional Council. Mackay Regional Council is unsubdivided, meaning it does not have any wards. The mayor is directly-elected. The incumbent mayor, Greg Williamson , formed the Greg Williamson Alliance ahead of the 2016 election , with six members of the group re-elected in 2020 . In 2023, four councillors left the group, and in 2024 Team Greg Williamson was formed with
96-429: Is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 23 Creek Street ( 21°09′40″S 149°03′59″E / 21.1612°S 149.0663°E / -21.1612; 149.0663 ( St John's Catholic Primary School ) ). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 236 students with 20 teachers (15 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent). The Mackay Regional Council operates
120-415: Is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Dutton Street ( 21°09′32″S 149°03′54″E / 21.1589°S 149.0649°E / -21.1589; 149.0649 ( Walkerston State School ) ). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 349 students with 25 teachers (21 full-time equivalent) and 18 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent). St John's Catholic Primary School
144-524: Is split between the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie LGAs; and Woodville , which is split between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. In unincorporated areas , localities are declared by the relevant state authority. Mackay Regional Council The Mackay Region is a local government area located in North Queensland , Queensland , Australia. Established in 2008, it
168-421: The 2006 census , the town of Walkerston had a population of 2,563 people. In the 2011 census , the locality of Walkerston had a population of 3,089 people. In the 2016 census , the locality of Walkerston had a population of 3,403 people. In the 2021 census , the locality of Walkerston had a population of 3,615 people. Walkerston has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Walkerston State School
192-647: The Biri languages/dialects . The Yuwibara language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Mackay Region. Prior to 2008, the Mackay Region was an entire area of three previous and distinct local government areas: The city had its beginning in the Mackay Municipality which was proclaimed on 22 September 1869 under the Municipal Institutions Act 1864 . Its first mayor
216-611: The Divisional Boards Act 1879 on 11 November 1879, chaired by John Ewen Davidson. On 31 March 1903, Pioneer became a Shire. Two areas split away from it over the next decade; the Shire of Sarina on 1 January 1912, and the Shire of Mirani on 4 September 1913. 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
240-572: The Northern Territory had not completed this process. The CGNA's Gazetteer of Australia recognises two types of locality: bounded and unbounded. Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names and surfing spots. Sometimes, both localities and suburbs are referred to collectively as "address localities". In
264-522: The Mackay River but now known as the Pioneer River. This town was commonly known as Scrubby Creek from as early as 1866, and sometimes as Baker's Creek; later these two names were interchangeable with Walkerston and, to a lesser degree, Alsatia. Scrubby Creek was definitely not a nickname for Walkerston; there were no inverted commas included when the words were printed in newspapers or almanacs. The name
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#1732851314501288-527: 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 two amalgamated into a larger City of Mackay, which first met on 8 April 1994. In July 2007, the Local Government Reform Commission released a report making recommendations for statewide reform of local government boundaries, and recommended that
312-638: The east, passes through the town (which is in south-west of the locality and then heads south-west exiting the locality to Greenmount . The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay . Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). Palms is a neighbourhood within Walkerston, located to the east of the town ( 21°10′00″S 149°04′59″E / 21.16667°S 149.08306°E / -21.16667; 149.08306 ( Palms, Queensland ) ). In May 1860, Scots-born John Mackay
336-438: The first instance, decisions about the names and boundaries of suburbs and localities are made by the local council in which they are located based on criteria such as community recognition. Local council decisions are, however, subject to approval by the state's geographical names board. The boundaries of some suburbs and localities overlap two or more local government areas (LGAs). Examples of this are Adamstown Heights , which
360-586: The past as informal units, but in 1996 the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping and the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA) decided to name and establish official boundaries for all localities and suburbs. There has subsequently been a process to formally define their boundaries and to gazette them, which is almost complete. In March 2006, only South Australia and
384-568: The stated aim of "creat[ing] a progressive, modern council". The current council, elected in 2024 , is: The Mackay Region includes the following settlements : The population figures for each of the predecessor local government areas prior to the 2008 amalgamation: The estimated population figures (official census population figures are in bold) for the amalgamated Mackay Region from 2008. The Mackay Regional Council operates libraries in Mackay, Mount Pleasant , Walkerston , Sarina and Mirani . A mobile library service visits
408-575: The term "suburb" differs from common American and British usage, where it typically means a smaller, frequently separate residential community outside, but close to, a larger city. The Australian usage is closer to the American or British use of "district" or "neighbourhood", and can be used to refer to any portion of a city. Unlike the use in British or American English, this term can include inner-city, outer-metropolitan and industrial areas. Localities existed in
432-483: The three areas of Mackay, Mirani and Sarina amalgamate, due mainly to Mackay's role as a regional centre and all three shires' involvement in sugar production. The City of Mackay endorsed the suggestion, but the two shires proposed alternative options. In the end, the commission's proposal was unchanged. On 15 March 2008, the City and Shires formally ceased to exist, and elections were held on the same day to elect councillors and
456-470: The two former townships of Walkerston and Alsaia in 1881, he chose to name the combined town Walkerston. John Walker was the lessee of the Homebush pastoral run since 31 May 1866. The Pioneer Valley railway reached Walkerston from Paget on 10 August 1885. Whilst there was a station building, there was no passenger platform, passengers accessing the trains from the ground. St John's Catholic Primary School
480-602: Was David Dalrymple, and the council first met on 1 December 1869. It achieved a measure of autonomy in 1878 with the enactment of the Local Government Act . With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902 , Mackay became a Town on 31 March 1903, and was ultimately proclaimed a City on 17 August 1918. On 11 December 1879, the Pioneer Division came into being as one of Queensland's 74 divisions created under
504-701: Was established on 29 January 1924 by the Sisters of Mercy to provide Catholic education to both children of the town and the largely Maltese farming community. A boarding school was introduced to cater for students further along the Pioneer Valley, an arrangement that continued until 1976. The first lay principal was appointed in 1982 but the Sisters continued to be associated with the school until 1996. The Polynesian Provisional School opened on 1933 but closed that same year. The Walkerston public library opened in 1977. In
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#1732851314501528-479: Was only 21 years old when he left Armidale, New South Wales in January 1860 with men, horses and provisions in search of land for cattle runs in north Queensland. They travelled up the east coast, taking a mainly inland route until they came to the junction of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River , in an area about 15 miles west of present-day Walkerston. They then followed the river, firstly named by Mackay's companions as
552-404: Was preceded by three previous local government areas with modern histories extending back as far as 1869. It has an estimated operating budget of A$ 118 million. In the 2021 census , the Mackay Region had a population of 121,691 people. Yuwibara ( also known as Yuibera, Yuri, Juipera, Yuwiburra) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwibara country. It is closely related to
576-623: Was well deserved, for the wild bush scrub grew luxuriantly on the banks of Baker's Creek. Walkerston Provisional School opened in November 1874 but closed soon after due to low student numbers. It reopened but then closed on 31 March 1880 with the students transferred to the Alsatia State School which opened on 21 April 1880. About 1891 the school was renamed Walkerston State School. When the Queensland Surveyor-General combined
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