The Shire of Birchip was a Local Government Area located about 170 kilometres (106 mi) northwest of Bendigo

Bendigo, Victoria

Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...

 in northwestern 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

Shire

A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...

 covered an area of 1468 square kilometres (566.8 sq mi), and existed from 1895 until 1995.

History

Birchip was first incorporated as a shire on 6 April 1895. It was originally gazetted as Shire of Wirmbirchip, with the error being fixed on 8 November 1895. On 22 May 1896, it annexed part of the Shire of Borung

Shire of Warracknabeal

The Shire of Warracknabeal was a Local Government Area located about west-northwest of Bendigo and north of Horsham in western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1891 until 1995.-History:...

.

On 20 January 1995, the Shire was abolished, and merged with the Shires of Charlton

Shire of Charlton

The Shire of Charlton was a Local Government Area located about north-northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1895 until 1995.-History:...

, Donald

Shire of Donald

The Shire of Donald was a Local Government Area located about west-northwest of Bendigo in western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1861 until 1995.-History:...

, Wycheproof

Shire of Wycheproof

The Shire of Wycheproof was a Local Government Area located about northwest of Bendigo in northwestern Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1894 until 1995.-History:...

 and part of Kara Kara

Shire of Kara Kara

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

 into the Shire of Buloke.

Wards

Birchip was divided into three ridings on 31 May 1988, each of which elected three councillors:

• North Riding
• South Riding
• West Riding

Towns and localities

• Birchip
  Birchip, Victoria
  Birchip is a town in the Mallee region of Victoria, Australia on the Sunraysia Highway north of Donald. The town is located in the Shire of Buloke Local Government Area. At the 2006 census Birchip had a population of 822...
  
  
• Ballapur
• Curyo
• Jil Jil
• Karyrie
• Kinnabulla
• Lake Tchum
• Morton Plains
• Reedy Dam
• Warmur
• Watchupga
• Whirily
• Wilkur South

Population

Year	Population
1954	1,745
1958	1,860*
1961	1,899
1966	1,921
1971	1,739
1976	1,555
1981	1,466
1986	1,339
1991	1,249

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.