The Shire of Sherwood is a former local government area of Queensland, Australia, located in south-western Brisbane in and around the suburb of Sherwood.
History
On 11 November 1879, the Yeerongpilly Division was created as one of 74 divisions within Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. On 16 October 1886, parts of Yeerongpilly Division were excised to create Stephens Division (later Shire of Stephens). On 24 January 1891, further parts of Yeerongpilly Division were excised to create Sherwood Division (later Shire of Sherwood).
With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Sherwood became a Shire on 31 March 1903.
On 1 October 1925, the Shire of Sherwood was amalgamated into the City of Brisbane.
Chairmen and presidents
1900–01: Mr Sutton
1906: G. L. Ramsay
1925: C. W. Lyon
Other notable members include: Robert Dickson Alison Frew, noted for his development of the Milton Tennis Centre
The Sherwood Shire was located on the fringe of Brisbane. In 1891 Sherwood was proclaimed a local government area, being part of the Yeerongpilly Division established by Xlll the Divisional Board Act of 1879, which instituted local government to sparsely populated districts of Queensland. The future Sherwood Shire contained an area of 22 square miles. The most northerly landmark, Oxley Point (Chelmer), was on the Brisbane River, 5 miles southwest of Brisbane. Reaching this point by the Brisbane River, involved a journey of twelve miles. The northern and western boundaries of the shire were the Brisbane River from the mouth of Oxley Creek to Woogaroo Creek in the south-west with Oxley Creek forming the eastern boundary. The southern boundary was the upper reaches of the Oxley creek proceeding in a south-easterly direction to a point 1 mile above the mouth of Woogaroo Creek to its junction with the Brisbane River.
Early history
Brisbane River
Three shipwrecked and disoriented ticket of leave convicts, Pamphlet, Finnegan and Parsons in June 1823 were walking and were diverted by the river to the mouth of Oxley Creek. The discovery of two native canoes allowed them to cross the river and journey downstream. John Oxley in December 1823 named the creek 'Canoe Creek' in recognition of the discovery, but in time it was renamed Oxley Creek.
During the 1820s, the river was used by convicts to convey limestone from Limestone Hill (Ipswich) to the penal settlement at Brisbane. From 1842, the river was the regular means of transport between Brisbane and Ipswich. The Seventeen Mile Rocks caused delays to laden vessels until the tide rose sufficiently to pass. From the 1860s, local selectors transported produce by river to Ipswich and Brisbane with tide times influencing the lifestyle of the early farmers. The steamer, 'The Fairy', provided a daily service between Brisbane and Oxley Point (Chelmer) until 1875, when it sank when colliding with another vessel.
In 1863, a flash flood caused inconvenience to new selectors, with several, suffering the loss of belongings and equipment. Alexander Boyd, a farmer on Oxley Creek between 1864 and 1870, documented the common occurrence of high floods.The 1893 flood peaked 48 feet above the low tide mark at the Oxley Creek mouth, while upstream, the water rose 20 to 30 feet. The flooded Brisbane River destroyed houses, outbuildings along with farm animals destroying the railway bridge at Oxley Point. As a result of the flood, there was created a beach at Oxley Point, known as 'The Sands' becoming a popular swimming area.
Land Features
Several hills, part of a system of low ridges extending from Spring Mountain sixteen miles to the south-west, ranged from 100 to 200 feet. Two of these hills in the now residential suburbs of Corinda and Oxley, lay close to a bend of the river downstream from Seventeen Mile Rocks. From these hills, several seasonal steams coursed towards Oxley Creek forming swamps and lagoons. The largest of these swamps was situated south of Oxley Point in present-day Chelmer. In the 1940s it was designated a municipal rubbish dump and the swamp was filled in. It lay where the current sporting grounds are now situated on the eastern side of the Chelmer Station. The hills and ridges on the southern boundary fed other streams such as Bullock Head Creek and Sandy Creek which combined to form Wolston Creek.