Shire of West Wimmera
Shire of West Wimmera | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | Grampians | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1995 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Edenhope | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Cr Bruce Meyer | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 9,108 km2 (3,517 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 3,862 (2018)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.42402/km2 (1.09821/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Gazetted | 20 January 1995[2] | ||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of West Wimmera | ||||||||||||
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The Shire of West Wimmera is a local government area in the western part of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 9,108 square kilometres (3,517 mi2) and in June 2018 had a population of 3,862.[1] It includes the towns of Apsley, Edenhope, Goroke, Gymbowen, Harrow, Kaniva, Minimay, Nurcoung and Serviceton.
The Shire is governed and administered by the West Wimmera Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Edenhope, it also has a service centre located in Kaniva. The Shire is named after the Wimmera region, in which the LGA occupies the western portion. The LGA is also located entirely to the west of the Wimmera River, which actually meanders through the Rural City of Horsham to the east.
History
[edit]The Shire of West Wimmera was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Kaniva, the bulk of the Shire of Kowree, the northern half of the former Shire of Glenelg and part of the Shire of Arapiles.[2]
Council
[edit]Current composition
[edit]The council is composed of five councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.[3] Council Composition as of November 2025.[3]
| Ward | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsubdivided | Tim Meyer | Mayor | |
| Helen Hobbs | Deputy Mayor | ||
| Jodie Pretlove | |||
| Richard William Hicks | |||
| Tom Houlihan | |||
Administration and governance
[edit]The council meets in the council chambers in the Edenhope and Kaniva Municipal Offices. It also provides customer services at both centres.
Controversies
[edit]In April 2022, Mayor Bruce Meyer caused outrage by likening requests to display the internationally recognised LGBTIQ+ pride flag to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) to the promotion of pedophilia.[4]
Townships and localities
[edit]The 2021 census documented the shire's population at 4,006, up from 3,903 in the 2016 census.[5]
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Apsley | 277 | 329 |
| Benayeo | 61 | 69 |
| Big Desert^ | 3 | 8 |
| Bringalbert | 12 | 6 |
| Broughton^ | 145 | 65 |
| Charam | 38 | 42 |
| Chetwynd^ | 86 | 85 |
| Connewirricoo | 24 | 23 |
| Dergholm^ | 43 | 57 |
| Dorodong | 38 | 21 |
| Douglas^ | 65 | 74 |
| Edenhope | 946 | 937 |
| Goroke | 299 | 295 |
| Grass Flat^ | * | # |
| Gymbowen | 52 | 60 |
| Harrow^ | 200 | 184 |
| Kadnook | 41 | 41 |
| Kaniva^ | 803 | 891 |
| Karnak | 12 | 9 |
| Langkoop | 111 | 100 |
| Lawloit | 15 | 14 |
| Lillimur | 110 | 112 |
| Miga Lake | 28 | 33 |
| Minimay | 84 | 64 |
| Miram | 40 | 36 |
| Mitre^ | 69 | 66 |
| Neuarpurr | 55 | 56 |
| Nurcoung | 40 | 33 |
| Ozenkadnook | 30 | 25 |
| Patyah | 62 | 58 |
| Peronne | 48 | 49 |
| Poolaijelo | 40 | 26 |
| Powers Creek | 15 | 5 |
| Serviceton | 120 | 129 |
| Tarrayoukyan^ | 21 | 25 |
| Telopea Downs | 45 | 44 |
| Ullswater | 43 | 47 |
| Wombelano | 41 | 49 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
* - Not noted in 2016 Census
# - Not noted in 2021 Census
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- 1 2 Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S4 of 1995: Order estg (Part 15) the Shire of West Wimmera". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 20 January 1995). pp. 5–6. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
- 1 2 "2024 West Wimmera Shire Council election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
- ↑ Michael Burge (22 April 2022). "The bare minimum: Victoria's gay community decries council decision not to fly rainbow flag". The Guardian Australia. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ↑ "Census". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 11 January 2023.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Shire of West Wimmera at Wikimedia Commons
- West Wimmera Shire Council official website
- Metlink local public transport map
- Link to Land Victoria interactive maps
- Interactive map of Victorian local government areas (pre-1994 vs present) - Victorian Government - Digital Twin Victoria
Localities in the Shire of West Wimmera | ||
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| Town |  | |
| Locality |
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^ - Territory divided with another LGA | ||
36°43′00″S 141°28′00″E / 36.71667°S 141.46667°E
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