Murweh Shire is located in south-west Queensland, between 600 and 800 kilometres west of the Brisbane CBD. Murweh Shire is bounded by the Blackall-Tambo Regional Council area and the Central Highlands Regional Council area in the north, the Maranoa Regional Council area in the east, Paroo Shire in the south, and Quilpie Shire in the west.
Murweh Shire includes the localities of Augathella, Bakers Bend, Boatman, Caroline Crossing, Charleville, Clara Creek, Cooladdi, Gowrie Station, Langlo, Morven, Murweh, Nive, Redford (part), Riversleigh, Sommariva, Tyrconnel (part), Upper Warrego and Ward.
Land Use
Murweh Shire is a predominantly rural area, with a small township at Charleville and smaller townships at Augathella and Morven. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 40,770 square kilometres. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing and grain growing.
Name Origin
Murweh Shire is named after a pastoral run in the area in the 1860s, which was thought to be named from an Aboriginal word for a waterhole.
Indigenous Meaning
The original inhabitants of Murweh Shire were the Bidjara Aboriginal people.
Settlement
European settlement dates from the 1860s, with land used mainly for pastoral purposes. Growth took place during the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, spurred by the opening of the railway line and the establishment of small townships. The population of the Shire increased from about 1,300 in 1879 to about 4,300 in 1911, and then to about 6,100 in 1933. The population continued to increase in the post-war years, rising from about 6,000 in 1947 to 7,500 in 1954, and then to 7,800 in 1961. The population then declined, falling to about 6,000 in 1971, and to 5,300 in 1981. The population continued to generally decline slightly from the 1990s, falling to about 5,200 in 1991 and then to 4,600 in 2016.
Major Features
Major features of Murweh Shire include Chesterton Range National Park, Tregole National Park, Morven Conservation Park, Charleville Cosmos Centre and Observatory, Charleville Bilby Experience, Charleville Royal Flying Doctor Service Base, Charleville Hospital, Augathella Multipurpose Health Service, the Charleville township, Charleville Historic House Museum, Morven Historical Museum, Charleville Cultural Centre, The Raceview Complex, Charleville Golf Club, Charleville Botanical Reserve, Graham Andrews Parklands & Recreation Complex, the Warrego River and several state forests.
Transport
Murweh Shire is served by the Landsborough Highway, the Mitchell Highway, the Warrego Highway and the Westlander train.