On 11 November 1879, the Walloon Division was created as one of 74 divisions within Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879. On 11 October 1890, part of the Walloon Division was separated to create the Rosewood Division. The first elections in Rosewood Division were held on 31 January 1891 and the first meeting was held on 11 February 1892. On 31 March 1903, with the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, the Rosewood Division became the Shire of Rosewood, while the Walloon Division became the Shire of Walloon. Following some years of protracted discussion and considerable argument, on 4 July 1905, the Shire of Mutdapilly was abolished and absorbed into an enlarged Shire of Rosewood. The rationale for this amalgamation was that the two shires were too small to be economical, with 30% of income going to office expenses; a combined shire was expected to have more funds for roads. The normal shire council elections that would normally have been held at the start of 1905 were delayed pending the finalisation of the amalgamation. The former Mutdapilly Shire would constitute 2 divisions within the new shire, each returning 2 members, while the former Rosewood would constitute 1 division within the new shire, returning 3 members.
In October 1937, six councillors resigned in protest, claiming the shire chairman Christy Littman had authorised the shire clerk to work overtime, despite a previous resolution that the approval of the council was required. A vote of no confidence in the chairman was carried. However, as the chairman role was elected by the voters and not by the council, it had no effect. Local residents then petitioned the Queensland Government to dissolve the council. In November 1937, the government dissolved the council and ordered an election for a new council, which took place on 11 December 1937. All members of the dissolved council stood for re-election; in addition, there were other candidates. The election results were mixed. While a new chairman Loveday was elected in preference to former chairman Littman, a number of former council members who had resigned in protest at Littman's actions were not re-elected.
Greater Ipswich Scheme of 1949
On 29 January 1949, a new Local Government Act was enacted to further amalgamate local government in the Ipswich area, abolishing the Shires of Normanby and Rosewood. The City of Ipswich was enlarged to include the more urban parts of the Shire of Moreton. The Shire of Moreton was then enlarged by the inclusion of the northern part of the Shire of Normanby and all the Shire of Rosewood. The southern part of the Shire of Normanby was transferred to an enlarged Shire of Boonah.
