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Shire of Torres Queensland
Population	3,421 (2021 census)
• Density	3.8699/km (10.023/sq mi)
Established	1974
Area	884 km (341.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Yen Loban
Council seat	Thursday Island
Region	Far North Queensland
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal division(s)	Leichhardt
Website	Shire of Torres
LGAs around Shire of Torres: Papua New Guinea Torres Strait Island Region Papua New Guinea Torres Strait Shire of Torres Coral Sea Gulf of Carpentaria Cook Coral Sea

The Shire of Torres is a local government area located in Far North Queensland, Australia, covering large sections of the Torres Strait Islands and the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula north of 11°S latitude. It holds two distinctions—it is the northernmost Local Government Area in Australia, and is the only one to abut an international border – it is at one point just 73 kilometres (45 mi) from Papua New Guinea. It is administered from Thursday Island.

In the 2021 census, the Shire of Torres had a population of 3,421 people.

History

The Hann Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. On 30 October 1885, the coastal islands of Hann Division were separated to create Torres Division.

With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Torres Division became Shire of Torres on 31 March 1903.

Most of the islands were unincorporated until the 1970s, but Thursday Island had a town council going back to 1912. In 1939, the Torres Strait Islanders Act was passed by the Federal Government, allowing for a form of local government on each island. On 27 January 1942, after the fall of Singapore during World War II, the Australian government gave the order to evacuate all civilians from Thursday Island, which now became a military base. In 1946, civilians started returning to the island. In 1952 the Council was dissolved and replaced by administrators.

On 9 May 1974, the Shire was established and gazetted by the Bjelke-Petersen government, in an effort to gain leverage on a boundary dispute between the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments. It was created from the following parts: However, elective government was not restored to the Shire until March 1991—along with the Shires of Mornington, Cook and Aurukun, it was administered by the Local Government Department's Far North regional office.

When the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act 1984 was enacted, 15 island councils were created. Each was responsible for local basic utilities and services, and worked with the Queensland Police to provide for community police officers—hence extending well beyond the normal functions of local government. The remaining areas were governed under the Local Government Act like most other parts of Queensland.

In March 1991, elected Council status was restored by the new Goss Labor government, and in 1994 Pedro Stephen became its first and so far only mayor.

Geography and jurisdiction

Since 1984, the Shire of Torres only administers those sections of its area which are not autonomous. It is effectively colocated with the Northern Peninsula Area Region, which covers a number of Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) areas on the peninsula, and the Torres Strait Island Region, which replaced 15 autonomous island councils in March 2008. During statewide local government reform in 2007–08, the Queensland Government considered merging the Shire with the other areas, but felt that having one area subject to three different types of legislation would be inefficient, and the Shire was one of a handful to remain unchanged through the process.

The shire covers a land area of 1,856.9 square kilometres (717.0 sq mi), of which it controls and administers 885.9 square kilometres (342.0 sq mi) under the Local Government Act 1993. Areas under its jurisdiction include as of 2008 included:

• Albany Island
• Dayman Island
• Entrance Island
• Friday Island (Gealug)
• Goods Island (Palilug)
• Horn Island (Narupai) and its airport
• Little Adolphus Island
• Mount Adolphus Island
• Packe Island
• Port Lihou Island
• Possession Island
• Prince of Wales Island (Muralug)
• Thursday Island (Waibene)
• Turtle Head Island
• Wednesday Island (Mawai )

Demographics

The population of the Shire of Torres, along with Cook, Aurukun and Mornington, have been singled out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), who conduct the quinquennial census, as particularly difficult to measure accurately. Reasons for this include cultural and language barriers, transport and geographical spread of the population, who are located in isolated communities and on small islands. As such, all figures are likely to be lower than the actual population on the census date.

In addition, until 1 July 2002, the Australian Bureau of Statistics included the Island and DOGIT councils within the Shire of Torres statistical local area. Information for the reduced Shire back to 1996 has been provided on the ABS website through the Time Series Profile.

Mayor and council

Until the 2007–08 reforms, the council consisted of seven councillors, but this was reduced to four. A mayor is elected separately by the entire Shire. Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at the Torres Shire Council offices at Douglas Street, Thursday Island.

On 15 March 2008, Pedro Stephen, an ordained Full Gospel minister first elected in 1994 and the first ever Torres Strait Islander to be elected as a mayor of a local government area, was re-elected with almost 50% of the vote.

Mayors

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2017)

• 2008–2016: Napau Pedro Stephen
• 2016–2022: Vonda Malone
• 2022-present: Yen Loban

Library

The Torres Shire Council operates Ngulaig Meta Municipal Library at 121 Douglas Street on Thursday Island.

See also

• List of Torres Strait Islands
• Torres Strait Island Region
• Torres Strait Regional Authority

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Shire of Torres (LGA)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
3. "Proclamation ". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 November 1879. p. 25:1008.
4. "Agency ID 936, Hann Divisional Board". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
5. "Proclamation ". Queensland Government Gazette. 31 October 1885. p. 37:1508.
6. "Proclamation ". Queensland Government Gazette. 31 October 1885. p. 37:1508.
7. Hughes, Colin A. (Dec 1974.) "Political Chronicles (May–August 1974)", Australian Journal of Politics and History 20(3), University of Queensland Press, p.390.
8. Australian Bureau of Statistics (1979). 2411.0 Population And Dwellings : Summary Tables : Queensland. Canberra. ISBN 0-642-90405-7. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
9. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Queensland Office. (1986) Queensland Year Book (under "Local Government")
10. Kaye, Stuart (1997). The Torres Strait. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 12–15. ISBN 90-411-0506-9.
11. Torres Shire Council (20 June 2006). "Corporate Plan 2006–2010" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
12. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island local government" (PDF). Report of the Local Government Reform Commission. State of Queensland. July 2007. pp. 59–65. ISBN 978-1-921057-10-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
13. Torres Shire Council. "Torres Shire Council (About The Shire)". Archived from the original on 17 March 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
14. "About the Torres Strait". Torres Shire Council. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Shire of Torres (LGA)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
16. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Shire of Torres (LGA)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
17. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Shire of Torres (LGA)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Shire of Torres (LGA)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
19. Electoral Commission Queensland (31 March 2008). "2008 Torres Shire Council – Mayoral Election – Election Summary". Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
20. "2008 Torres Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
21. "2012 Torres Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
22. "2016 Torres Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
23. "Mayor - Torres Shire Council". www.torres.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
24. "2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
25. "Mayor". Torres Shire Council. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
26. "Torres Shire Council". Public Libraries Connect. 20 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2018.

v t e List of Torres Strait topics
Torres Strait Islands, islets, and cays	Bellevue group Aipus Cap Kamutnab Keatinge Mabuiag Pulu Subur Warakuikul Talab Widul Bourke group Aukane Aureed Kabbikane Layoak Mimi Roberts Yam Duncan group Kanig Maitak Meth Inner group Port Lihou Yeta Adolphus Channel group Albany Bush Eborac Ida Middle Brother Talbot group Aubussi Boigu Moimi The Three Sisters group Bet Poll Sue Yorke group Keats Marsden Rennel Smith Ungrouped Allison Anchor Arden Badu Barn Barney Bond Booby Bramble Browne Campbell Canoe Castle Coconut Crab Dalrymple Darnley Dauan Dayman Deliverance Dove Dugong Dumaralug East East Strait Entrance Farewell Flat Friday Gabba Getullai Goods Great Woody Green Halfway Hammond Hawkesbury High Horn Kaumag Kerr Lacey Little Adolphus Little Woody Lowry Mai Meddler Moa Morilug Mouinndo Mount Adolphus Mount Ernest Murangi Murray Nepean Nicklin North North Possession North West Obelisk Packe Passage Pearce Phipps Portlock Prince of Wales Quoin Red Red Wallis Roko Saddle Saibai Salter Sassie Spencer Stephens Suarji Thursday Tobin Travers Tree Trochus Tudu Tukupai Turnagain Turtle Head Turtle Turu Twin Underdown Wednesday West Whale Woody Wallis York Yorke Zagai
People, culture, communities and languages	Notable Torres Strait Islanders Christine Anu Seaman Dan Aaron Fa'aoso Josh Hoffman Nathan Jawai Ellen Jose Robert Lui Eddie Mabo Rachael Maza Patty Mills Rita Mills Mills Sisters Danny Morseu Tanu Nona Albert Proud Wendell Sailor Sam Thaiday Brent Webb Jesse Williams Culture Indigenous music of Australia Mabo (film) Taba Naba Communities Bamaga Kaurareg Mabuiag Meriam (people) Seisia Languages Bine Eastern Trans-Fly Gizrra Kalaw Lagaw Ya Meriam Torres Strait Creole Torres Strait English Wipi
Governance and legal matters	Governance Shire of Torres Torres Strait Islander Flag Torres Strait Island Region Torres Strait Regional Authority Legal cases and principles Akiba v Commonwealth Mabo v Queensland No 1 No 2 Terra nullius
Buildings and structures	Boigu Island Airport Booby Island Light Coconut Island Airport Darnley Island Airport Eborac Island Light Goods Island Light Kubin Airport Murray Island Airport Saibai Island Airport Warraber Island Airport Wyborn Reef Light Yam Island Airport Yorke Island Airport
Other	Adolphus Channel Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Birds of Boigu, Saibai and Dauan Islands Endeavour Strait Alfred Cort Haddon Margaret Lawrie Sea Swift Warul Kawa Indigenous Protected Area
Category Commons See also: List of Torres Strait Islands

10°35′S 142°12′E / 10.583°S 142.200°E / -10.583; 142.200

• Populated places established in 1974
• 1974 establishments in Australia
• Shire of Torres
• Local government areas of Queensland
• Far North Queensland
• 1885 establishments in Australia
• Queensland in World War II
• Cape York Peninsula