| Shire of Wimmera Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 2,920 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 1.1183/km2 (2.897/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1862 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 2,611 km2 (1,008.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Horsham | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Wimmera | ||||||||||||||
| County | Borung | ||||||||||||||
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TheShire of Wimmera was alocal government area in theWimmera region of westernVictoria,Australia. The municipality covered an area of 2,611 square kilometres (1,008.1 sq mi), and existed from 1862 until 1995. Although its shire offices were located inHorsham, Horsham itself was governed by aseparate council after it succeeded in 1882.[2]
The Wimmeraroad district was incorporated on 3 March 1862, and this district became a shire on 4 March 1864. It was originally a very large district, including a significant portion ofWalpeup, plusArapiles,Dimboola,Dunmunkle,Kaniva,Kowree andLowan, centred on the town ofHorsham. By 1900, all of these areas had severed and separately incorporated, and Wimmera's boundaries remained largely unchanged for over 90 years.[3]
On 20 January 1995, the Shire of Wimmera was abolished, and along with theCity of Horsham and parts of the Shires ofArapiles andKowree, was merged into the newly createdRural City of Horsham. The section within theGrampians National Park was transferred to the newly createdShire of Northern Grampians, whilst the Kewell West and Wallup districts were transferred to the newly createdShire of Yarriambiack.[4]
Wimmera was divided into four ridings, each of which elected three councillors:
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 3,569 |
| 1958 | 3,790* |
| 1961 | 3,535 |
| 1966 | 3,481 |
| 1971 | 3,046 |
| 1976 | 3,060 |
| 1981 | 2,960* |
| 1986 | 2,850* |
| 1991 | 2,930 |
* Estimates in 1958, 1983 and 1988 Victorian Year Books.