Shire of Ballarat | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Historic shire office atLearmonth | |||||||||||||
_Council_1994.jpg) | |||||||||||||
 The Shire of Ballarat as at its dissolution in 1994 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | Grampians | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1856 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Wendouree | ||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 481.74 km2 (186.00 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 19,530 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 40.541/km2 (105.000/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| County | Ripon,Talbot,Grenville | ||||||||||||
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TheShire of Ballarat was alocal government area immediately to the northwest and west of the regional city ofBallarat,Victoria,Australia. The shire covered an area of 481.74 square kilometres (186.0 sq mi), and existed from 1856 until 1994.
Ballarat was first incorporated as aroad district on 7 October 1856, and became a shire on 24 November 1863.[2]
Although much of the detail of the Ballarat Shire Council is obscure, Donald Gunn was a Councillor between August 1865 - June 1867, and again between August 1870 - August 1876. He was President of the Shire from 11 November 1872 until 21 October 1874.[3] In 1964, the shire offices moved fromLearmonth toWendouree.[4]
On 6 May 1994, the Shire of Ballarat was abolished, and along with theCity of Ballaarat, theBorough of Sebastopol and parts of the Shires ofBungaree,Buninyong,Grenville andRipon, was merged into the newly createdCity of Ballarat.[5]
The Shire of Ballarat was divided into four ridings on 11 November 1952, each of which elected three councillors:
* Council seat.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 6,145 |
| 1958 | 7,970* |
| 1961 | 10,102 |
| 1966 | 12,254 |
| 1971 | 14,405 |
| 1976 | 17,037 |
| 1981 | 18,845 |
| 1986 | 19,110 |
| 1991 | 18,802 |
* Estimate in 1958 Victorian Year Book.
