Prior to European settlement, the area around
Laidley was home to the Kitabul
Aboriginal people. Today, the
Ugarapul People are considered the
traditional owners of the Lockyer Valley region.[2][3]
The district initially became part of the
Tarampa Divisional Board, which was created on 15 January 1880 under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 in the colony of Queensland.[4] On 25 April 1888, the Laidley district broke away and separately incorporated as the Laidley Division, and on 25 January 1890, the
Forest Hill area moved from Tarampa to Laidley.[5] On 1 July 1902, the town of
Laidley was created as a separate municipality with its own Borough Council. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, the borough became a Town and the division a Shire on 31 March 1903.[6][7] In 1917, Laidley Shire Council II was created with the amalgamation of Laidley Town Council, Laidley Shire Council I, and part of the Shire of Rosewood.[8] On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the
Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, Laidley merged with the
Shire of Gatton to form the
Lockyer Valley Region.[8]
Structure
The Shire of Laidley initially had three divisions each electing three councillors, but from 1917 onwards had five divisions each electing two councillors. The chairman and clerk were chosen from amongst the councillors.
Towns and localities
The Shire of Laidley included the following settlements:
^"MR. PHILIP McGRATH". Queensland Times. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 15, 839. Queensland, Australia. 26 August 1937. p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved 17 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"ESTEEMED PIONEER". Queensland Times. Vol. LXXV, no. 15, 111. Queensland, Australia. 20 April 1935. p. 8 (DAILY). Retrieved 17 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CR. T. C. HAYES". Queensland Times. Vol. LXX, no. 13777. Queensland, Australia. 15 May 1930. p. 9 (DAILY). Retrieved 17 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"LAIDLEY SHIRE COUNCIL". Queensland Times. Vol. LXXV, no. 15, 061. Queensland, Australia. 20 February 1935. p. 5 (DAILY). Retrieved 17 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.