History
The Loddon Shire Council was formed on 19 January 1995. It covers an area of approximately 6,700 square kilometres making it the seventh largest municipality (in area) in Victoria. The Shire is bounded by Gannawarra Shire in the north, the Shire of Campaspe and the City of Greater Bendigo in the east, Mount Alexander and Central Goldfields Shires in the south, and Northern Grampians and Buloke Shires in the west.
Timeline of events:
1851
Victoria became a separate colony from New South Wales.
1853
The Legislative Council in Melbourne passed Roads Act (No 40) 1853 (Vic) 16 Vict which provided for the formation of a Central Road Board to improve roads and bridges and to arrange for the election of District Road Boards. This replaced the system which had created the parish trusts formed in 1840 and 1842; the Act also provided for the establishment of road districts (legislation repealed in 1863 by 27 Vict No 176); the District Boards leads to the formation of shire councils in 1869 under 33 Vict No 359.”1
1861
Council of Inglewood was proclaimed on 6 December.2 It later merged with the Shire of Korong – a petition for unification was presented in November 1960.3
1862
On the 8 July the Kingower and Wedderburne Road District was proclaimed.4
1864
Kingower and Wedderburne Road District became the Shire of Korong on 6 September.5
East Loddon Road District was proclaimed on the 28 December 1864.6
1871
East Loddon Road District became the Shire of East Loddon on 28 July 1871.7
1885
The Shire of Gordon was constituted (and the Shire of Swan Hill reduced) on 29 May 1885.8
1995
The current Loddon Shire was formed on the 19 January 1995 during Victorian Local Government reform with the amalgamation of the former Shires of Gordon, East Loddon, Korong and portions of the former Shires of Marong, Bet Bet, Tullaroop and Maldon.9
Council municipal boundaries shifted over time and there were also numerous petitions for some localities requesting that they merge or secede from various councils. All this information can be researched via the Victorian Government Gazettes, which can be found online for the period 1836-1997 at the State Library of Victoria website. The gazettes document the formal decisions and actions of the Victorian State Government.
1 Maddock Lonie & Chisholm – Local Government Service Victoria - Ch1 – The Local Government System by Lawrie Groom Jun 2007
2 Victoria Government Gazette No. 178, Friday December 6, 1861, p. 2366
3 Victoria Government Gazette No. 106, November 16, 1960, p. 3716
4 Victoria Government Gazette No. 82, Tuesday July 8, 1862, p.1181
5 Victoria Government Gazette No. 91, Tuesday September 6, 1864, p. 1936
6 Victoria Government Gazette No. 132, Wednesday December 28, 1864, p.2937
7 Victoria Government Gazette No. 52, Friday July 28, 1871, p.1193
8 Victoria Government Gazette No. 52, Friday May 29, 1885, p.1374
9 Victoria Government Gazette No. S2, Thursday 19, January 1995