Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of Livingstone Shire were the Darumbal Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from 1850, with land used mainly for sheep and cattle grazing, pineapple and sugar cane growing, orcharding and timber-getting. Several small townships were established in the late 1800s, including Yeppoon in 1867 and Emu Park in the 1870s. Gradual growth took place from the 1880s into the early 1900s, aided by the opening of the railway line and mining. Significant development did not occur until the post-war years, with the population of the Shire rising from about 6,500 in 1947 to nearly 8,000 in 1966. More substantial growth took place from the late 1960s, with the population rising to about 9,600 in 1971, and then to nearly 16,000 in 1981. The population continued to increase from the 1980s, rising to about 19,000 in 1991, to about 26,000 in 2001, and then to about 33,000 in 2011.

Land use

Livingstone Shire includes significant rural and rural-residential areas and growing urban areas. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 11,800 square kilometres, including national parks, state forests, coastline, islands and beaches. The main urban centre is Yeppoon, with a smaller urban centre at Emu Park. The Shire is home to numerous small towns and villages, both along the coast and in the rural hinterland, including Byfield, Cawarral, Farnborough, Keppel Sands, Marlborough, Ogmore, Stanage Bay, The Caves and Yaamba. Rural land is used mainly for cattle grazing, pineapple growing, fruit growing, forestry and mining. Tourism is also an important industry.

Transport

Livingstone Shire is served by the Bruce Highway (also known as Kunwarara Road and Yaamba Road).

Major features

• Major features of the Shire include Broad Sound Islands National Park,
• Byfield National Park,
• Capricorn Coast National Park,
• Keppel Bay Islands National Park,
• Mount Archer National Park,
• Mount Etna Caves National Park,
• Mount Jim Crow National Park,
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park,
• Byfield Conservation Park,
• Causeway Lake Conservation Park,
• various Regional Parks (Charon Point,
• Flat Top Range,
• Keppel Sands,
• Mackenzie Island and Shoalwater Bay),
• Capricorn Caves,
• Mount Etna Caves,
• Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area,
• Central Queensland University (Yeppoon Study Centre),
• Koorana Crocodile Farm,
• Cooberrie Park Wildlife Sanctuary,
• The Keppel Kraken,
• Keppel Bay Marina,
• Great Keppel Island and numerous other small islands,
• The Fitzroy River,
• various state forests,
• numerous beaches and a number of resorts and accommodation places.

Included areas