Wharves were established at Maryborough in 1847–1848 to provide transport for wool from sheep stations on the
Burnett River. The town was initially located further south on the
Mary River, but moved to its present location in 1852. It was declared a port in 1859.
On 10 March 1861, the Municipal
Borough of Maryborough, governed under the Municipalities Act 1858 which had been inherited from
New South Wales upon the
separation of Queensland in 1859, was proclaimed, becoming the sixth municipal government in Queensland. Henry Palmer was appointed as its first Mayor. On 15 September 1883, the
Granville Division was established under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 to serve the surrounding district.
With the passing of the Local Authorities Act 1902, on 31 March 1903 the Borough of Maryborough became the
Town of Maryborough and Granville Division became the
Shire of Granville. On 7 January 1905 Maryborough achieved City status, and a Town Hall was built on the corner of Kent and Adelaide Streets and became the administrative centre of the City. On 17 February 1917, as part of a restructuring of local government in the Wide Bay–Burnett area, the Shire of Granville was abolished and split between the Shire of Tiaro and City of Maryborough.
At the local government elections of 27 March 1976, with the neighbouring
Shire of Burrum being renamed Hervey Bay and retreating to the coast, Maryborough changed from being an urban municipality of 26 km2 (10 sq mi) to one of 1,115 km2 (431 sq mi) with a considerable rural area. The City grew by an estimated 1,119 people in the transfer.
The Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993, which took effect on 31 March 1994, effected the City's annexation of about 700 km2 (270 sq mi) of the Shire of Woocoo. At this time, Maryborough was re-subdivided into eight divisions each with one councillor, plus an elected mayor.
On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the
Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, Maryborough merged with the City of Hervey Bay, Shire of Woocoo and part of Tiaro to form the
Fraser Coast Region.
Towns and localities
The City of Maryborough included the following settlements:
^"EPITOME TO DATE". The Courier. Brisbane. 14 May 1861. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MARYBOROUGH". The Courier. Brisbane. 17 September 1861. p. 3.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
^"WEEKLY EPITOME". The Courier. Brisbane. 5 October 1861. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MARYBOROUGH". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XX, no. 2, 310. Queensland, Australia. 24 June 1865. p. 5. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MARYBOROUGH". The Telegraph. No. 1, 357. Queensland, Australia. 16 February 1877. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Telegraphic". The Brisbane Courier. 20 February 1878. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Maryborough Mayor". The Telegraph. No. 7013. Queensland, Australia. 10 April 1895. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Maryborough Mayor". The Telegraph. No. 7013. Queensland, Australia. 10 April 1895. p. 2.
Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"THE PASSING OF "BILLY" DEMAINE". Worker. Vol. 50, no. 2720. Queensland, Australia. 22 August 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MUST OBTAIN LEAVE". Queensland Times. Vol. LXXIX, no. 16, 498. Queensland, Australia. 9 October 1939. p. 7 (DAILY.).
Archived from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2019 – via National Library of Australia.