The Shire of Ballarat was a Local Government Area located immediately to the northwest and west of the regional city of Ballarat

Ballarat, Victoria

Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. The shire covered an area of 481.74 square kilometres (186 sq mi), and existed from 1856 until 1994.

History

Ballarat was first incorporated as a district on 7 October 1856, and became a shire on 24 November 1863.

On 6 May 1994, the Shire was abolished, and merged with City of Ballaarat

City of Ballaarat

The City of Ballaarat was a Local Government Area which managed the inner suburbs of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...

, Borough of Sebastopol

Borough of Sebastopol

The Borough of Sebastopol was a Local Government Area located about south of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The borough covered an area of , and existed from 1864 until 1994.Sebastopol was first incorporated as a borough on 1 October 1864...

 and parts of the Shires of Bungaree

Shire of Bungaree

The Shire of Bungaree was a Local Government Area located northeast of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1863 until 1994.-History:...

, Buninyong

Shire of Buninyong

The Shire of Buninyong was a Local Government Area located south and southeast of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1858 until 1994.-History:...

, Grenville

Shire of Grenville

The Shire of Grenville was a Local Government Area located southwest of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994.-History:...

 and Ripon

Shire of Ripon

The Shire of Ripon was a Local Government Area located about west-northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1994.-History:...

 into the City of Ballarat

City of Ballarat

The City of Ballarat is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia around Ballarat. It is located in the western part of the state. It has an area of 740 square kilometres. In 2001 it had a population of 81,000...

.

Wards

Ballarat was divided into four ridings on 11 November 1952, each of which elected three councillors:

• Alfredton Riding
• Central Riding
• Rural Riding
• Showgrounds Riding

Towns and localities

• Addington
  Addington, Victoria
  Addington is a small town in Victoria, Australia. It is located at the junction of Langi Kal-Kal Road and Edmonston Road, about 28 kilometres north-west of Ballarat....
  
  
• Ascot
  Ascot (Ballarat)
  Ascot is a rural district in Victoria, Australia, 10 km west of Creswick in the City of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Ascot had a population of 219.A post office named "Ascot" opened on 11 October 1858 and closed in 1969. -References:...
  
  
• Alfredton
  Alfredton, Victoria
  Alfredton is a rural-urban fringe suburb west of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The population at the 2006 census was 5,796 making it the fourth most populated in the Ballarat urban area.Alfredton is located west of Lake Wendouree along Sturt Street...
  
   (split with City of Ballaarat
  City of Ballaarat
  The City of Ballaarat was a Local Government Area which managed the inner suburbs of the regional city of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1855 until 1994.-History:...
  
  )
• Bald Hills
• Ballarat North
  Ballarat North, Victoria
  Ballarat North is a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia located north of Ballarat's central area. Ballarat North is bounded by Norman Street; Ballarat General Cemetery and Western Freeway to the north, Howitt Street to the south, Doodts Road to the east and the Mildura railway line to the west...
  
  
• Blowhard
• Burrumbeet
  Burrumbeet, Victoria
  Burrumbeet is a town in western Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Western Highway, west of the state capital, Melbourne and west of the regional centre, Ballarat...
  
  
• Cardigan
• Cardigan Village
• Coghills Creek
• Dowling
• Glendaruel
• Invermay Park
• Learmonth
  Learmonth, Victoria
  Learmonth is a town in western Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Sunraysia Highway, west of the state capital Melbourne, near the regional centre of Ballarat. At the 2006 census, Learmonth had a population of 289.-History:...
  
  
• Miners Rest
• Mitchell Park
• Mount Rowan
• Sulky
• Tourello
• Weatherboard
• Wendouree
  Wendouree, Victoria
  Wendouree is a large suburb on the north western rural-urban fringe of the City of Ballarat, in Victoria, Australia. It is the most populated suburb in urban Ballarat with a total of 10,752 inhabitants counted at the 2006 Census....
  
  
• Windermere

Population

Year	Population
1954	6,145
1958	7,970*
1961	10,102
1966	12,254
1971	14,405
1976	17,037
1981	18,845
1986	19,110
1991	18,802

* Estimate in 1958 Victorian Year Book.