Shire of Hindmarsh
Local government area in Victoria, Australia
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The Shire of Hindmarsh is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 7,527 square kilometres (2,906 mi2) and in June 2024 had an estimated population of 5,464,[1] having fallen from 5,852[3] in June 2013. It includes the towns of Dimboola, Nhill, Rainbow and Jeparit.
Shire of Hindmarsh | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Victoria | ||||||||||||
| Region | Grampians | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1995 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Nhill | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Mayor | Cr Melanie Albrecht | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 7,524 km2 (2,905 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 5,464 (2024)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.72621/km2 (1.88087/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Gazetted | 20 January 1995[2] | ||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of Hindmarsh | ||||||||||||
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The Shire is governed and administered by the Hindmarsh Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the Council headquarters in Nhill, it also has service centres located in Dimboola, Rainbow and Jeparit. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, Lake Hindmarsh, (which in turn was named after John Hindmarsh) located in the east of the LGA.
History
The Shire of Hindmarsh was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Lowan and Shire of Dimboola.[2]
Council
Current composition
The council is composed of three wards and six councillors, with two councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.[4] The current councillors, in order of election at the 2020 election, are:[5]
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Independent | Debra Nelson | Mayor (2015-2017) | |
| Independent | Wendy Bywaters | Position vacant following 2020 election. By-election held December 2020.[6] | ||
| North | Independent | Ron Ismay | Mayor (2017-2019, 2020-2021) | |
| Independent | Brett Ireland | |||
| West | Independent | Melanie Albrecht | Mayor (2021- ) | |
| Independent | Rob Gersch | Mayor (2019-2020) | ||
Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Nhill Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It provides customer services at its administrative centre in Nhill, and its service centres in Dimboola, Jeparit, and Rainbow.
Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 5,698 down from 5,721 in the 2016 census[7]
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Albacutya | 0 | 0 |
| Antwerp | 63 | 53 |
| Big Desert^ | 3 | 8 |
| Broughton^ | 145 | 65 |
| Crymelon^ | 11 | 15 |
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Dimboola^ | 1,730 | 1,635 |
| Gerang Gerung | 69 | 65 |
| Glenlee | 87 | 71 |
| Jeparit | 477 | 476 |
| Kaniva^ | 803 | 891 |
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Kenmare | 8 | 3 |
| Kiata | 62 | 64 |
| Little Desert | 5 | 5 |
| Lorquon | 10 | 8 |
| Netherby | 120 | 111 |
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| Nhill | 2,184 | 2,401 |
| Rainbow^ | 683 | 672 |
| Tarranyurk | 30 | 36 |
| Yanac | 63 | 69 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
