The Shire of Belfast was a local government area about 290 kilometres (180 mi) west-southwest of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 5,190 square kilometres (2,003.9 sq mi), and existed from 1853 until 1994.
| Shire of Belfast Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,470 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.2832/km2 (0.734/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1853 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 5,190 km2 (2,003.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Port Fairy | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Barwon South West | ||||||||||||||
| County | Villiers, Normanby | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
History
editBelfast was first incorporated as a road district on 29 June 1853, and became a shire on 8 December 1863.[2]
On 23 September 1994, the Shire of Belfast was abolished, and along with the Borough of Port Fairy, the Shires of Minhamite and Mortlake, and parts of the Shires of Dundas, Mount Rouse, Warrnambool and the Tower Hill State Game Reserve, was merged into the newly created Shire of Moyne.[3]
Wards
editThe Shire of Belfast was divided into three ridings, each of which elected three councillors:
- Kirkstall Riding
- Moyne Riding
- Yambuk Riding
Towns and localities
editPopulation
edit| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 1,949 |
| 1958 | 1,970* |
| 1961 | 1,917 |
| 1966 | 1,855 |
| 1971 | 1,643 |
| 1976 | 1,638 |
| 1981 | 1,503 |
| 1986 | 1,435 |
| 1991 | 1,412 |
* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book. pp. 49–52. ISSN 0067-1223.
- ^ Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson. 1992. pp. 598–599. Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. p. 10. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. Retrieved 5 January 2008.