Golden Plains Shire

Golden Plains Shire
Victoria
Typical scenery of the Golden Plains Shire.
Population23,120 (2018)[1]
 • Density8.553/km2 (22.153/sq mi)
Established1994
Gazetted6 May 1994[2]
Area2,703 km2 (1,043.6 sq mi)[1]
MayorCr Sarah Hayden[3]
Council seatBannockburn
RegionGrampians
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)
WebsiteGolden Plains Shire
LGAs around Golden Plains Shire:
Pyrenees Ballarat Moorabool
Corangamite Golden Plains Shire Greater Geelong
Corangamite Colac Otway Surf Coast

The Golden Plains Shire is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central-western part of the state. It covers an area of 2,703 square kilometres (1,044 sq mi) and in June 2018, had a population of 23,120.[1] It includes the towns of Bannockburn, Inverleigh, Lethbridge, Linton, Rokewood, Smythesdale, Teesdale and Meredith.

The Shire was formed on 6 May 1994 by the amalgamation of the Shire of Bannockburn (the part remaining after part of it was amalgamated with several other councils to form the new City of Greater Geelong in May 1993), Shire of Leigh, part of the Shire of Grenville and part of the Shire of Buninyong. Upon its creation, it was known as the Southern Rural Shire, intended to exist temporarily until the Local Government Board drew up final council boundaries for the Ballarat region.[4] However, a few months later it was decided to make the municipality permanent, and it was renamed to its current name on 1 October 1994.[2][5]

The Shire is governed and administered by the Golden Plains Shire Council. Its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the Golden Plains Civic Centre in Bannockburn, and it also has a service centre located in Smythesdale.[6]

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality. The current councillors, in order of election at the 2024 election, are:[7]

Ward Party Councillor
Unsubdivided   Independent Sarah Hayden
  Independent Des Phelan
  Independent Brett Cunningham
  Independent Emma Robbins
  Independent Helena Kirby
  Independent Owen Sharkey
  Independent VACANT

Administration and governance

The council meets on alternate months in the council chamber at the Golden Plains Civic Centre in Bannockburn, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities, and at The Well in Smythesdale.[8] It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Bannockburn, and its service centre in Smythesdale.

Climate

Climate data for She Oaks (She Oaks 1991–2020, records 1990–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 43.7
(110.7) 		45.2
(113.4) 		39.3
(102.7) 		33.4
(92.1) 		26.6
(79.9) 		23.6
(74.5) 		20.8
(69.4) 		23.2
(73.8) 		28.4
(83.1) 		35.2
(95.4) 		39.1
(102.4) 		42.0
(107.6) 		45.2
(113.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 26.1
(79.0) 		25.5
(77.9) 		23.1
(73.6) 		19.3
(66.7) 		15.6
(60.1) 		12.9
(55.2) 		12.3
(54.1) 		13.3
(55.9) 		15.5
(59.9) 		18.4
(65.1) 		21.2
(70.2) 		23.8
(74.8) 		18.9
(66.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 19.3
(66.7) 		19.2
(66.6) 		17.2
(63.0) 		14.1
(57.4) 		11.5
(52.7) 		9.2
(48.6) 		8.7
(47.7) 		9.3
(48.7) 		10.9
(51.6) 		12.9
(55.2) 		15.2
(59.4) 		17.2
(63.0) 		13.7
(56.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 12.4
(54.3) 		12.8
(55.0) 		11.2
(52.2) 		8.8
(47.8) 		7.3
(45.1) 		5.5
(41.9) 		5.1
(41.2) 		5.3
(41.5) 		6.2
(43.2) 		7.3
(45.1) 		9.1
(48.4) 		10.5
(50.9) 		8.5
(47.3)
Record low °C (°F) 2.0
(35.6) 		2.9
(37.2) 		−0.9
(30.4) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−2.9
(26.8) 		−3.5
(25.7) 		−4.2
(24.4) 		−3.1
(26.4) 		−2.5
(27.5) 		−1.8
(28.8) 		−0.2
(31.6) 		−0.6
(30.9) 		−4.2
(24.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 34.3
(1.35) 		39.9
(1.57) 		24.6
(0.97) 		38.8
(1.53) 		38.3
(1.51) 		41.8
(1.65) 		40.8
(1.61) 		43.8
(1.72) 		48.2
(1.90) 		51.9
(2.04) 		59.5
(2.34) 		30.6
(1.20) 		493.6
(19.43)
Average rainy days 7.4 7.5 8.3 11.1 14.8 15.7 17.5 17.0 15.7 13.1 10.3 8.5 146.9
Average afternoon relative humidity (%) 47 48 49 54 66 72 70 65 63 58 56 48 58
Source: [9]

Townships and localities

In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 24,985, up from 21,688 in the 2016 census.[10]

Population
Locality 2016 2021
Anakie^ 690 734
Bamganie 37 44
Bannockburn 5,283 6,470
Barunah Park 27 33
Batesford^ 952 1,141
Berringa 167 194
Berrybank^ 40 37
Cambrian Hill 251 292
Campbelltown^ 55 51
Cape Clear 125 148
Corindhap 132 131
Cressy^ 175 176
Dereel 533 664
Durdidwarrah 9 12
Durham Lead^ 392 408
Enfield 538 574
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Garibaldi 123 131
Gheringhap 155 132
Glengower^ 13 15
Grenville^ 99 113
Haddon 1,194 1,276
Happy Valley 85 87
Hesse 19 14
Illabarook 32 41
Inverleigh^ 1,474 1,746
Lethbridge 1,014 1,181
Linton^ 580 635
Mannibadar 80 65
Maude 223 211
Meredith^ 788 821
Morrisons^ 128 118
Population
Locality 2016 2021
Mount Bute^ 58 61
Mount Cameron^ 9 15
Mount Mercer 69 94
Murgheboluc 131 132
Napoleons 553 555
Newtown 122 189
Nintingbool 173 168
Piggoreet 37 17
Pitfield 48 14
Pittong^ 15 12
Rokewood 217 208
Rokewood Junction 32 34
Ross Creek 1,153 1,221
Russells Bridge 67 70
Scarsdale 744 855
Population
Locality 2016 2021
She Oaks 107 126
Shelford 253 263
Smythes Creek^ 1,467 1,762
Smythesdale^ 1,032 1,189
Springdallah 26 35
Staffordshire Reef 45 63
Steiglitz 53 61
Stonehaven 81 79
Stony Creek 6 0
Sutherlands Creek 108 129
Teesdale 1,721 2,308
Wallinduc 37 42
Werneth^ 60 66
Willowvale 7 10
Wingeel^ 23 26

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

References

  1. ^ a b c "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Order establishing (Part 3) the Southern Rural Shire". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 6 May 1994). p. 1. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ^ "My Councillors | Golden Plains Shire Council".
  4. ^ "Golden Plains Shire 20th Annual Report" (PDF). Golden Plains Shire. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  5. ^ Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "Order to provide transitional arrangements for the Golden Plains Shire Council in respect of its proposed budget for the 1995–1996 financial year". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 24 August 1995). p. 1. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Contact Us | Golden Plains Shire Council". www.goldenplains.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Golden Plains Shire Council election results 2020". www.vec.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Meetings, minutes and agenda | Golden Plains Shire Council". www.goldenplains.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Climate statistics for Australian locations". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.

38°01′00″S 143°58′00″E / 38.01667°S 143.96667°E / -38.01667; 143.96667