The Shire of Leigh was a local government area about 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 982 square kilometres (379.2 sq mi), and existed from 1861 until 1994.
| Shire of Leigh Victoria | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Location in Victoria | |||||||||||||||
| Population | 2,340 (1992)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 2.383/km2 (6.172/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1861 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 982 km2 (379.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Rokewood | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Grampians | ||||||||||||||
| County | Grant, Grenville | ||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
History
editLeigh Shire was first incorporated as the Shelford Road District in 1861, and was renamed Leigh at the time of its redesignation as a shire on 22 March 1864.[2]
On 6 May 1994, the Shire of Leigh was abolished, and along with the Shires of Bannockburn and Grenville, and parts of the Shire of Buninyong, was merged into the newly created Golden Plains Shire.
Wards
editThe Shire of Leigh was divided into three ridings in May 1965, each of which elected three councillors:
- East Riding
- Middle Riding
- West Riding
Towns and localities
edit* Council seat.
Population
edit| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 1,096 |
| 1958 | 1,370* |
| 1961 | 1,460 |
| 1966 | 1,403 |
| 1971 | 1,177 |
| 1976 | 1,184 |
| 1981 | 1,285 |
| 1986 | 1,791 |
| 1991 | 2,226 |
* Estimate in 1958 Victorian Year Book.