Shire of Taroom

The Shire of Taroom was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, along the Leichhardt Highway to the north of Miles. The shire covered an area of 18644.5km2, and existed as a local government area from 1879 until 2008, when it was dissolved and split between the new Western Downs Region and the Shire of Banana.The shire contained several national parks with eroded sandstone areas, as well as Isla Gorge.HistoryTaroom Division was created on 11 November 1879 as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 1015.With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Taroom Division became the Shire of Taroom on 31 March 1903.The Taroom War Memorial commemorates residents of Taroom Shire who served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. It is located at the Ludwig Leichhardt Park in Yaldwyn Street and was dedicated in about 1973.The Taroom Shire Council Chambers were located at 18 Yaldwyn Street, now used as the Taroom administration office of the Banana Shire Council.The Taroom Town Hall was built in 2004, immediately next door to the shire council chambers. It was intended to serve as a civic and recreational centre for the town and has a main auditorium that seats 300 people, a commercial kitchen, and a bar. The hall was awarded a regional commendation by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 2004.