The Shire of Stawell was a Local Government Area located about 230 kilometres (143 mi) west-northwest of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, the state capital of 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 2606 square kilometres (1,006.2 sq mi), and existed from 1861 until 1994.

History

Stawell was first incorporated as a district on 29 January 1861, and became a shire on 30 December 1864. On 26 October 1926, it annexed part of the North Riding of the Shire of Ararat

Shire of Ararat

The Shire of Ararat 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...

.

On 20 January 1995, the Shire was abolished, and merged with Town of St Arnaud

Town of St Arnaud

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

, City of Stawell

City of Stawell

The City of Stawell was a Local Government Area located about west-northwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1869 until 1994. Its area was surrounded by the separate and largely rural Shire of Stawell.-History:Stawell was first...

, most of the Shire 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:...

, the Grampians National Park

Grampians National Park

The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...

 within the Shire of Wimmera

Shire of Wimmera

The Shire of Wimmera was a Local Government Area located in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1862 until 1995. Although its shire offices were located in Horsham, Horsham was governed by a separate city council.-History:Wimmera was...

 and parts of the Shires of Ararat

Shire of Ararat

The Shire of Ararat 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...

, Avoca

Shire of Avoca

The Shire of Avoca 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:...

, 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:...

 and Dunmunkle

Shire of Dunmunkle

The Shire of Dunmunkle was a Local Government Area located about west of Bendigo and east of Horsham in western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1877 until 1995.-History:...

 into the Shire of Northern Grampians. The Armstrong district passed into the Rural City of Ararat

Rural City of Ararat

The Rural City of Ararat is the local government area in south-west Victoria, Australia. The region has an area of 4,230 square kilometres and is centred around the city of Ararat. The population of the region is approximately 11100, according to the 2001 census...

.

Wards

Stawell was divided into four ridings, each of which elected three councillors:

• Glenorchy Riding
• Great Western Riding
• Grampians Riding
• Marnoo Riding

Towns and localities

• Armstrong
  Armstrong, Victoria
  Armstrong is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Western Highway, north of Ararat, in the local government area of Rural City of Ararat....
  
  
• Bellfield
  Bellfield, Victoria
  Bellfield is a suburb in Victoria, Australia, 9 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule...
  
  
• Callawadda
• Campbells Bridge
• Deep Lead
• Concongella
• Glenorchy
  Glenorchy, Victoria
  Glenorchy is a town in the Wimmera district of the Australian state of Victoria. The town in located in the Northern Grampians Shire and on the Wimmera River, north-west of the state capital, Melbourne....
  
  
• Great Western
  Great Western, Victoria
  Great Western is a town in the east of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Western Highway, in the Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, 225 kilometres north west of the state capital, Melbourne...
  
  
• Greens Creek
• Halls Gap
  Halls Gap, Victoria
  Halls Gap is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on Grampians Road, adjacent to the Grampians National Park, in the Shire of Northern Grampians local government area. The town is set in the Fyans Valley at the foot of the of Wonderland and Mount William ranges . At the 2006 census Halls...
  
  
• Illawarra
• Kanya
• Lake Fyans
• Landsborough
• Ledcourt
• Marnoo
  Marnoo, Victoria
  Marnoo is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. Its postal code is 3387. At the 2006 census, Marnoo and the surrounding area had a population of 197....
  
  
• Wallaloo

Population

Year	Population
1954	2,286
1958	2,370*
1961	2,193
1966	2,355
1971	2,034
1976	2,050#
1981	2,375
1986	2,552
1991	2,754

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

# 1981 census says 2,306 for 1976.