The Shire of Moorabool is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 2,111 square kilometres (815 sq mi) and, in June 2018, had a population of 34,158.[1] It includes the towns of Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, Mount Wallace, Myrniong, Blackwood, Greendale, Gordon, Korweinguboora and Mount Egerton, Bungaree, Elaine and Wallace. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Bacchus Marsh, Shire of Ballan and parts of the Shire of Bungaree and City of Werribee.[2][3]

Shire of Moorabool
Victoria
Location in Victoria
Population34,158 (2018)[1]
 • Density16.181/km2 (41.908/sq mi)
Established1994
Gazetted6 May 1994[2]
Area2,111 km2 (815.1 sq mi)[1]
MayorCr Tom Sullivan
Council seatBacchus Marsh
RegionGrampians
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
WebsiteShire of Moorabool
LGAs around Shire of Moorabool:
Hepburn Hepburn Macedon Ranges
Ballarat Shire of Moorabool Melton
Golden Plains Greater Geelong Wyndham

The Shire is governed and administered by the Moorabool Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Ballan, it also has service centres located in Bacchus Marsh and Darley. The Shire is named after the Moorabool River, a major geographical feature that meanders through the area, which is named after the Wathawurrung word moo-roo-bul referring to Bunyip-like creature that lives in the river.[4]

Council

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Current composition

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The council is composed of four wards and seven councillors, with four councillors elected to represent the East Moorabool Ward and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.[5] Council Composition as of September 2022:

Ward Councillor Notes
Central Moorabool   Paul Tatchell
East Moorabool   Rod Ward
  Tonia Dudzik Deputy Mayor
  Moira Berry
  David Edwards
West Moorabool   Tom Sullivan Mayor
Woodlands   Ally Munari

[6]

Administration and governance

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The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Ballan Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Ballan, and its service centre in Bacchus Marsh.

Townships and localities

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In the 2021 census, the shire's population was 37,632, compared to 31,818 in the 2016 census.[7]

Population
Locality 2016 2021
Bacchus Marsh 6,394 7,808
Ballan 2,985 3,392
Balliang^ 290 254
Balliang East 147 199
Barkstead 42 41
Barrys Reef 36 39
Beremboke 149 165
Blackwood 295 387
Blakeville 29 43
Bolwarrah 25 48
Bullarook^ 99 77
Bullarto South^ 33 48
Bunding 55 61
Bungal 43 32
Bungaree 269 302
Buninyong^ 3,714 3,797
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Cargerie 35 38
Clarendon 145 163
Claretown 24 35
Clarkes Hill 67 75
Coimadai 416 409
Colbrook 29 41
Dales Creek 398 403
Darley 8,372 9,190
Dunnstown 244 259
Durham Lead^ 392 408
Elaine 228 232
Fiskville 19 18
Glen Park^ 103 110
Glenmore 63 75
Gordon 1,151 1,393
Greendale 602 623
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Grenville^ 99 113
Hopetoun Park 798 914
Ingliston 50 96
Korobeit 77 75
Korweinguboora^ 168 196
Lal Lal 476 621
Leigh Creek 63 65
Lerderderg 0 0
Long Forest 361 343
Maddingley 3,453 5,491
Meredith^ 788 821
Merrimu 374 397
Millbrook 156 180
Mollongghip^ 89 105
Morrisons^ 128 118
Mount Doran 130 118
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Mount Egerton 582 706
Mount Wallace 113 117
Myrniong 404 387
Navigators 253 276
Parwan^ 170 188
Pentland Hills 185 158
Pootilla 75 79
Rowsley 192 231
Scotsburn^ 258 244
Spargo Creek 36 42
Springbank 111 117
Trentham^ 1,180 1,382
Wallace 187 227
Warrenheip^ 669 721
Wattle Flat^ 97 104
Yendon 307 320

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

References

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  1. ^ a b c "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.
  2. ^ a b Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S23 of 1994: Order estg (Part 4) the Shire of Moorabool". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 9 May 1994). p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S97 of 1994: Order altg (Part 22) the Shire of Moorabool". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 15 December 1994). p. 10. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  4. ^ Massola, Aldo (1968). Bunjil's Cave. Lansdowne Press. ISBN 9780391019621.
  5. ^ Local Government in Victoria. "Victorian Electoral Commission". Moorabool Shire Council election results 2020. Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Meet your Councillors".
  7. ^ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.
 
The Shire
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37°36′00″S 144°15′00″E / 37.60000°S 144.25000°E / -37.60000; 144.25000