The
Durundur Division was incorporated on 11 November 1879 under the
Divisional Boards Act 1879 with a population of 1428. Its name was changed to
Esk Division on 2 June 1880 by proclamation. On 18 January 1884, there was an adjustment of boundaries between
Highfields Division's subdivisions Nos. 1 and 2 and Esk Division. With the passage of the
Local Authorities Act 1902, Esk became a Shire on 31 March 1903. The council consisted of an elected mayor and ten councillors, and was not subdivided. In 1980, the Council of the Shire of Esk adopted the head of the
red deer as its logo, honouring a gift from
Queen Victoria in September 1873 to the district. In 1984 the official logo was adopted. The
Weeping Bottlebrush was adopted as the shire's floral emblem on 10 August 1994. On 15 March 2008, under the
Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the
Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the Shire of Esk merged with the
Shire of Kilcoy to form the
Somerset Region. ==Towns and localities==