Mayors of Cairns

The first local government of Cairns, the Cairns Divisional Board was established in 1879. In 1885 the Divisional Board was split into two parts, one remained the Divisional Board and the other became the Cairns Municipal Council, which in 1923 became the Cairns City Council. The Cairns Divisional Board existed until 1902 when it became the Cairns Shire Council, which in 1940 became the Mulgrave Shire Council. The Mulgrave Shire Council operated until the 1995 amalgamation with Cairns City Council.

The first local government of the Douglas area was the Douglas Divisional Board established in 1880. In 1903 this board became the Douglas Shire Council which existed until the 2008 amalgamation of the Douglas Shire Council and the Cairns City Council to create the Cairns Regional Council.

Many Mayors have held the office of these Councils, these men and women are profiled on this site. At different times mayors have also been referred to as Chairmen and Councillors have been known as Aldermen.

Below is a flow chart showing the change in governing bodies for the Cairns region. Details of the Mayors and Chairmen of these Councils can be found by clicking on the name of the Council or Board.

Note: This diagram excludes references to the Cairns Road Board, Barron Divisional Board and Barron Shire Council. Further information is contained in the chronology section of this website or in A Remarkable Achievement, The Cairns-Mulgrave Tramway 1877-1911, The Historical Society Cairns, North Queensland inc, 1997.