Shire of West Wimmera
Local government area in Victoria, Australia
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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.
Shire of West Wimmera | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||
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| 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 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
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
Current composition
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
The council meets in the council chambers in the Edenhope and Kaniva Municipal Offices. It also provides customer services at both centres.
Controversies
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
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 |
| Population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locality | 2016 | 2021 |
| 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
