Shire of Beverley
| Shire of Beverley Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Western Australia | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,566 (2013 est.)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.66015/km2 (1.7098/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1871 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 2,372.2 km2 (915.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Dee Ridgway | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Beverley | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Wheatbelt | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Central Wheatbelt | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Pearce | ||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of Beverley | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
The Shire of Beverley is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia about 130 kilometres (80 mi) southeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of 2,372 square kilometres (916 sq mi), starting 20 kilometres (12 mi) outside Armadale in the Darling Scarp and extending eastwards beyond the scarp into agricultural lands which support broad acre activities such as livestock and cropping. Its seat of government is the town of Beverley, which accommodates just over half of the Shire's population.
History
In 1871, the Beverley Road District was established with immense boundaries, taking in land all the way east to Eucla on the South Australian border. Its scope was so broad that from 1892 to 1913, the town of Beverley had its own municipal council operating separately from the Road Board. However, over the years, each of the major towns were granted their own road boards, and by 1923 the present boundaries were established. In 1961, the Road District was renamed the Shire of Beverley.[2][3]
Wards
The Shire is divided into three wards, which became effective on 2 May 1987.[4]
- North Ward (three councillors)
- West Ward (three councillors)
- South Ward (three councillors)
Prior to 1986, the Shire was represented by eight councillors across four wards which had existed in some form since the amalgamation of the Municipal District in 1913:[3]
- Kokeby Ward
- North East Ward
- Central Ward
- Dale Ward
Towns
- Beverley
- Flint
- Mount Kokeby
- Mount Dale
- Talbot West
- West Dale
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1921 | 1,882 |
| 1933 | 1,992 |
| 1947 | 1,629 |
| 1954 | 1,968 |
| 1961 | 1,899 |
| 1966 | 1,773 |
| 1971 | 1,628 |
| 1976 | 1,577 |
| 1981 | 1,554 |
| 1986 | 1,502 |
| 1991 | 1,433 |
| 1996 | 1,399 |
| 2001 | 1,461 |
| 2006 | 1,562 |
Notable councillors
- Henry Lukin, Beverley Road Board member 1876; later a state MP
- Edmund Smith, Beverley Road Board member 1894–1896, chairman 1896; later a state MP
- Frank Broun, Beverley Road Board member 1902–1904, 1906–1914, 1917–1919, chairman 1908–1909, 1911–1914, 1917–1919; also a state MP
References
- ^ "3218.0 Regional Population Growth, Australia. Table 5. Estimated Resident Population, Local Government Areas, Western Australia". 3 April 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ Shire of Beverley. "Council History". Retrieved 16 October 2006.
- ^ a b WA Electoral Commission, Municipality Boundary Amendments Register (release 3.0), 31 July 2007.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1960 - Shire of Beverley (Ward Boundaries and Representation) Order No.1 1986". Western Australia Government Gazette. 7 November 1986. p. 1986:4164–4165.
