Road districts of Victoria (Australia)

Road districts were established in the colony of Victoria, Australia pursuant to legislation passed in 1853, and were an early form of local government in Victoria. The districts were outside towns which were instead incorporated either as municipalities or boroughs.

Road districts were established after public meetings to discuss boundaries etc. followed by a petition to the Governor. Upon the proclamation of a district a public meeting was held to elect officers of the Road Board. The board was responsible for the building and maintenance of local roads and bridges and raised finance from rates levied on landowners.

From 1862 many road districts became shires, pursuant to the District Councils Bill 1862, with additional responsibilities related to pounds, slaughtering licences, thistles, dogs, licensed publicans, brewer's and spirit merchants' licences, and commons. They were also permitted to borrow money for permanent works.[1]

Road districts included:

Name Date proclaimed Notes Succeeded by Date
Portarlington 1853 Shire of Bellarine 1865
Barrabool 1853 Shire of Barrabool 1865
Hawthorne 1854 Hawthorn municipal district 1860
Epping 1854 Shire of Darebin 1870
Boroondara 1854 Shire of Boroondara 1871
Belfast 1854 Shire of Belfast 1863
Warrnambool 1854 Shire of Warrnambool 1863
Lower Leigh 1855
Alberton 1855 Shire of Alberton 1864
Portland 1856 Shire of Portland 1863
Bacchus Marsh 1856 Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Road District 1862
Gardiner 1856 Shire of Gardiner 1871
Templestowe 1856 Shire of Bulleen 1875
Upper Yarra 1856
Lillydale 1856 Shire of Lillydale 1872
Dandenong 1857 Shire of Dandenong 1873
Willowmavin 1857
South Barwon 1857 Borough of South Barwon 1863
Dundas 1857 Shire of Dundas 1863
Eltham 1857 Shire of Eltham 1871
Ballarat 1857 Shire of Ballarat 1863
Caulfield 1857 Shire of Caulfield 1871
Hampden and Heytesbury 1857 named from the counties Shire of Hampden 1863
Broadmeadows 1857 Shire of Broadmeadows 1871
Nunawading 1857 Shire of Nunawading 1872
Great Brighton 1858
Buninyong 1858 Shire of Buninyong 1864
Flinders 1868 Shire of Flinders & Kangerong 1874
Oakleigh and Mulgrave 1858 Shire of Oakleigh 1871
Woodstock 1858 Shire of Darebin 1870
Creswick 1858 Shire of Creswick 1863
Pentridge 1859 Coburg Road District 1869
Greensborough 1859 United with... Shire of Heidelberg 1875
Upper Plenty 1859
Colac 1859 Shire of Colac 1864
Lexton 1860 Shire of Lexton 1864
Cranbourne 1860 Shire of Cranbourne 1868
Braybrook 1860 Shire of Braybrook 1871
Yandoit and Franklin 1860
Heidelberg 1860 Shire of Heidelberg 1871
Amherst and Clunes 1860 Shire of Talbot 1865
Campaspe 1860
Tullaroop 1860 Shire of Tullaroop 1865
Newstead 1860 Shire of Newstead 1865
Fryers 1860
Glenlyon 1860 Shire of Glenlyon 1865
Gisborne 1860 Shire of Gisborne 1871
Metcalfe 1860 Shire of Metcalfe 1865
Mount Eliza 1860 Shire of Mornington 1871
Mount Eliza 1860
Mount Rouse 1860 Shire of Mount Rouse 1864
Mortlake 1860 Shire of Mortlake 1864
Winchelsea 1860 Shire of Winchelsea 1864
Carngham 1861 Carngham and Beaufort Road District 1863
Strathfieldsaye 1861 Shire of Strathfieldsaye 1866
Marong 1861 Shire of Marong 1864
Corio 1861
Ararat 1861 Shire of Ararat 1864
Avoca 1861 Shire of Avoca 1864
Bet Bet 1861 Shire of Bet Bet 1864
Huntly 1861 Shire of Huntly 1866
Grenville 1861 Shire of Grenville 1864
Leigh 1861 Shire of Leigh 1864
Ripon 1861 Shire of Ripon 1863
Shelford 1861
Stawell 1861 Shire of Stawell 1864
St Arnaud 1861 Shire of St Arnaud 1864
Woady Yallock 1861
Woodend, Newham
and Rochford
1861 Shire of Newham 1871
Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley 1862
Ballan 1862 Shire of Ballan 1864
Bannockburn 1862 Shire of Bannockburn 1864
Berwick 1862 Shire of Berwick 1868
Bulla 1862 Shire of Bulla 1866
Campbell's Creek 1862
Chiltern 1862 Shire of Chiltern 1874
Horsham 1862
Kangerong 1862 Shire of Flinders & Kangerong 1874
Kingower and Wedderburne 1862
Korong 1862 Shire of Korong 1864
Kowree 1862 Shire of Kowree 1872
Melton 1862 Shire of Melton 1871
Moorabbin 1862 Shire of Moorabbin 1871
Oxley 1862 Shire of Oxley 1865
Romsey 1862 Shire of Romsey 1871
Rutherglen 1862 Shire of Rutherglen 1871
Swan Hill 1862 Shire of Swan Hill 1871
Whittlesea 1862 Shire of Whittlesea 1874
Wyndham 1862 Shire of Wyndham 1864
Yackandandah 1862 Shire of Yackandandah 1864
Baringhup 1863 Shire of Maldon
Bungaree 1863 Shire of Bungaree 1871
Carngham and Beaufort 1863 previously Carngham
Donnybrook, Wallan Wallan
and Bylands
1863 Shire of Merriang
Glenelg 1863 Shire of Glenelg 1864
Keilor 1863 Shire of Keilor 1871
Maldon 1863 Shire of Maldon 1864
Malvern 1863 Shire of Malvern 1878
McIvor 1863 Shire of McIvor 1864
North Ovens 1863 Shire of North Ovens 1867
Pyalong 1863 Shire of Pyalong 1871
Seymour 1863 Shire of Seymour 1871
Waranga 1863 Shire of Waranga 1865
Avon 1864 Shire of Avon 1865
East Loddon 1864 Shire of East Loddon 1871
Echuca 1864 Shire of Echuca 1871
Kyneton 1864 Shire of Kyneton 1865
Bairnsdale 1867 Shire of Bairnsdale 1868
Alexandra 1868 Shire of Alexandra 1869
Benalla 1868 Shire of Benalla 1869
Goulburn 1868 Shire of Goulburn 1871
Towong 1869 Shire of Towong 1874
Yea 1869 Shire of Yea 1873
Howqua 1869 Shire of Howqua 1875
Broadford 1869 Shire of Broadford 1875
Coburg 1869 renaming of Pentridge Shire of Coburg 1875
Rosedale 1869 Shire of Rosedale 1871
Phillip Island 1871 Shire of Phillip Island
and Woolamai
1874
Connewarre Town of South Barwon 1874
Morang Shire of Darebin 1870
Lauriston and Edgecombe Kyneton Road District 1864
Tylden and Trentham Kyneton Road District 1864
Carlsruhe Kyneton Road District 1864
Lancefield
Wooragee
Heathcote
Indigo
Indented Heads
North Harrow
Carisbrook
Meredith
Bylands and Glenburnie

References