Woocoo
Postcode: 4620
Woocoo Shire Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. The population of the shire is mainly concentrated in the rural residential area surrounding the city of Maryborough, Queensland. This area also contains the shire offices and depot.
The only towns in the shire are the tiny townships of Brooweena and Aramara. Industry in the shire consists of beef cattle, sugar, timber and light industry servicing Maryborough.
The work “WOOCOO” was initially used to name Mt Woocoo (located in the Shire), then the Parish of Woocoo (on which the shire became centred), and eventually used in naming the Shire upon its formation in 1915. Mt Woocoo was named in association with an Aboriginal work “WOOCOON” meaning Echidna.
Cattle grazing, dairy farming and sugar cane farming have played a large part in the overall prosperity of the Woocoo Shire. The beautiful Mary River winds through the shire providing the needs of farming while allowing for plenty of opportunities for leisure activities. Cattle are grazed over vast areas of the shire and are sold for both local and export markets. The timber industry is strongly represented with huge pine plantations, hardwood plantations and five sawmills. The shire is also home to one of the largest woodchip mills in Queensland which produces up to 1,200 tonnes of woodchip a day. The shire’s fruit growers have access to an overnight market in all the nations capital cities. Recently established pineapple and avocado industries are blossoming, along with aquaculture enterprises.