Shire of Heytesbury | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||
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 The Shire of Heytesbury as at its dissolution in 1994 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | Barwon South West | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1895 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Cobden | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 1,558.39 km2 (601.70 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 7,530 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 4.832/km2 (12.515/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| County | Heytesbury | ||||||||||||
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TheShire of Heytesbury was alocal government area about 200 kilometres (124 mi) west-southwest ofMelbourne, the state capital ofVictoria,Australia. The shire covered an area of 1,558.39 square kilometres (601.7 sq mi), and existed from 1895 until 1994.
Heytesbury was originally located within theHampden and Heytesbury Road District, which was incorporated on 28 April 1857. On 31 May 1895, Heytesbury split away from the East and West Ridings of theShire of Hampden, to become a shire in its own right. On 6 May 1919, parts of its area split away to join parts of the Shires ofColac andWinchelsea, to form theShire of Otway. Otway annexed a small part of Heytesbury in 1969.[2]
On 23 September 1994, the Shire of Heytesbury was abolished, and along with theTown of Camperdown, the Shire of Hampden, and parts of the Shires of Colac,Mortlake and the area aroundPrincetown, on theGreat Ocean Road, was merged into the newly createdShire of Corangamite. A small part in the shire's east was transferred to the newly createdShire of Colac Otway.[3]
The Shire of Heytesbury was divided into three ridings, each of which elected three councillors:
* Council seat.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 6,464 |
| 1958 | 6,800* |
| 1961 | 7,234 |
| 1966 | 8,181 |
| 1971 | 8,208 |
| 1976 | 7,902 |
| 1981 | 7,652 |
| 1986 | 7,487 |
| 1991 | 7,361 |
* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.
