Traditional Owners

The original inhabitants of Etheridge Shire were the Ewamian and the Tagalaka Aboriginal people.

Settlement history

European settlement dates from the 1860s, with land used mainly for sheep and cattle grazing. Population was minimal until the 1870s when gold mining commenced, with the townships of Georgetown and Forsayth established then. Considerable growth took place during the late 1800s due to gold mining. The township of Einasleigh was established in 1900, largely due to copper mining, with growth in this township through to the 1920s when mining waned. The township of Mount Surprise was established in 1910, as a railway line was constructed between Forsayth and the Chillagoe smelters. As mining declined during the early 1900s, grazing became the dominant industry, although there was renewed mining activity in and around Forsayth from the 1980s. The population of the Shire was relatively stable from the 1940s to the 1960s, at less than 900 people, and then increased to about 1,000 people in 1971. The population was relatively stable during the 1970s and 1980s, before rising to about 1,400 in 1991. The population then fluctuated slightly, rising to about 1,500 in 2011, then declining to about 1,200 people in 2016.

Land use

Etheridge Shire is predominantly rural, with small townships at Georgetown, Einasleigh, Forsayth and Mount Surprise. Land is used largely for agriculture, particularly cattle grazing and crop growing, with mining and tourism also being important industries. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 39,300 square kilometres.

Transport

Etheridge Shire is served by Gregory Developmental Road, Gulf Developmental Road and the Savannahlander train.

Major features

• Major features of Etheridge Shire include Blackbraes National Park,
• Undara Volcanic National Park,
• Cobbold Gorge,
• Copperfield Gorge,
• Terrestrial Information Centre,
• Antbed House,
• Agate Creek Fossicking Area,
• O’Briens Creek Fossicking Area,
• Forsayth Primary Health Centre,
• The Einasleigh River,
• The Etheridge River,
• The Gilbert River,
• Greens Park,
• Heritage Park,
• Oak Park Race Club and Georgetown Golf Club.

Included areas