Shire of Swan Hill

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Shire of Swan Hill
Victoria

Location in Victoria
Population: 12070 (1992)[1]
Established: 1893
Area: 6550 km² (2529.0 sq mi)
Council Seat: Swan Hill
County: Tatchera, Karkarooc
LGAs around Shire of Swan Hill:
Mildura Balranald (NSW) Balranald (NSW)
Walpeup Shire of Swan Hill Wakool (NSW)
Wycheproof Wycheproof Kerang
This article is about the Victorian local government area prior to 1995. For the local government area after 1995, see Rural City of Swan Hill.

The Shire of Swan Hill was a Local Government Area located in northwestern Victoria, Australia, along the Murray River. The shire covered an area of 6,550 square kilometres (2,529.0 sq mi), and existed from 1893 until 1995. From 1939 onwards, Swan Hill itself was managed by a separate entity, ultimately known as the City of Swan Hill. After a large-scale statewide amalgamation program by the Victorian Government in 1994–1995, they were reunited under the Rural City of Swan Hill.

Contents

[edit] History

The Swan Hill District, which initially covered most of northwestern Victoria, was incorporated on 8 July 1862, and became a shire on 14 August 1871. The Shire of Gordon severed and incorporated on 26 May 1885 from parts of the East and West Loddon Ridings, and Shire of Mildura followed suit on 10 January 1890 from the Lower Murray Riding.

On 30 May 1893, the Shire of Castle Donnington was severed and proclaimed by the Governor of Victoria from what remained of the West Loddon, East Loddon and Lower Murray Ridings. The remainder of the Swan Hill shire was renamed Shire of Kerang on 31 December 1898, and on 31 May 1904 the Castle Donnington municipality was renamed and gazetted as the Shire of Swan Hill.[2][3]

A new shire, Walpeup, was formed in western Victoria on 1 October 1911, taking in some western areas of Swan Hill and sections of five other shires. A small part of the Shire in and near the town of Swan Hill severed on 31 May 1939 and incorporated as a borough, which became the City of Swan Hill on 2 April 1964.[2]

On 20 January 1995, the Shire was abolished, and merged with the City of Swan Hill and the Tresco district of Kerang into the Rural City of Swan Hill.[4]

[edit] Wards

Swan Hill was divided into three ridings, each of which elected three councillors:

  • North Riding
  • South Riding
  • Central Riding

[edit] Towns and Localities

  • Ultima
  • Vinifera
  • Waitchie
  • Wemen
  • Winnambool
  • Wood Wood
  • Woorinen
  • Woorinen South

[edit] Population

Year Population
1954 11,147
1958 11,740*
1961 12,785
1966 12,941
1971 12,366
1976 12,270
1981 12,395
1986 11,986
1991 11,433

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book, 49-52. ISSN 0067-1223. 
  2. ^ a b (1992) Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson, 718-720, 846-847.  Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
  3. ^ Public Record Office Victoria (2005). Agency VA 4385. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  4. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification. Commonwealth of Australia, 11. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.