Shire of West Arthur
Local government area in Western Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Shire of West Arthur is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, generally to the west of Albany Highway about 200 kilometres (124 mi) south-east of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of 2,834 square kilometres (1,094 sq mi) and its seat of government is the town of Darkan. Industries within the Shire, worth approximately $45 million per year to the State's economy,[2] are dominated by wool and sheep, and also include timber, grain, forestry, beef, pigs, cattle hide tanning, engineering and earthmoving.
Shire of West Arthur | |||||||||||||
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Shire of West Arthur offices | |||||||||||||
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 Interactive map of Shire of West Arthur | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Western Australia | ||||||||||||
| Region | Wheatbelt | ||||||||||||
| Established | 1896 | ||||||||||||
| Council seat | Darkan | ||||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||||
| • Shire President | Neil Morrell | ||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 2,834.2 km2 (1,094.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 773 (LGA 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Website | Shire of West Arthur | ||||||||||||
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History
The West Arthur Road District was created on 10 January 1896. On 1 July 1961, it became the Shire of West Arthur under the Local Government Act 1960, which reformed all remaining road districts into shires.[3] The name relates to its position with respect to the former Arthur Road District, which was renamed to Wagin in 1905.
Wards
The ward system was discontinued on 20 October 2007 and all nine councillors represent the entire shire.
Previously, the shire was divided into four wards:
- North West (three councillors)
- North East (two councillors)
- South East (two councillors)
- South West (two councillors)
Towns and localities
The towns and localities of the Shire of West Arthur with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:[4][5]
| Locality | Population | Area | Map |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur River | 66 (SAL 2021)[6] | 476.9 km2 (184.1 sq mi) |  |
| Bokal | 42 (SAL 2021)[7] | 211.3 km2 (81.6 sq mi) |  |
| Bowelling | 84 (SAL 2021)[8] | 699.6 km2 (270.1 sq mi) |  |
| Darkan | 371 (SAL 2021)[9] | 668.2 km2 (258.0 sq mi) |  |
| Duranillin | 53 (SAL 2021)[10] | 172.7 km2 (66.7 sq mi) |  |
| Mokup | 62 (SAL 2021)[11] | 282 km2 (109 sq mi) |  |
| Moodiarrup | 63 (SAL 2021)[12] | 156.4 km2 (60.4 sq mi) |  |
| Trigwell | 31 (SAL 2021)[13] | 162.9 km2 (62.9 sq mi) |  |
Former towns
Population
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Heritage-listed places
_Shearing_Quarters,_Arthur_River,_April_2021_06.jpg)
As of 2023, 60 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of West Arthur,[14] of which three are on the State Register of Heritage Places.[15]
