Road districts of Victoria

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Road districts were established in the colony of Victoria, Australia, pursuant to legislation passed in 1853 and were an early form of local government in Victoria. The districts were outside towns, which were instead incorporated either as municipalities or boroughs. The road districts were created between 1853 and 1871.

Road districts were established after public meetings to discuss boundaries etc. followed by a petition to the governor. Upon the proclamation of a district a public meeting was held to elect officers of the Road Board, which was responsible for the building and maintenance of local roads and bridges, financing them with rates levied on landowners.

From 1862 many road districts became shires, pursuant to the District Councils Bill 1862, with additional responsibilities related to pounds, slaughtering licences, thistles, dogs, licensed publicans, brewer's and spirit merchants' licences and commons. They were also permitted to borrow money for permanent works.[1]

Road districts included:

Name | Date proclaimed | Notes | Succeeded by (original LGAs) | Date

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Barrabool | 1853 |  | Shire of Barrabool | 1865
Portarlington | 1853 |  | Shire of Bellarine | 1865
Belfast | 1854 |  | Shire of Belfast | 1863
Boroondara | 1854 |  | Shire of Boroondara | 1871
Epping | 1854 |  | Shire of Darebin | 1870
Hawthorne | 1854 |  | Hawthorn municipal district | 1860
Warrnambool | 1854 |  | Shire of Warrnambool | 1863
Alberton | 1855 |  | Shire of Alberton | 1864
Lower Leigh | 1855 |  |  |
Bacchus Marsh | 1856 |  | Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Road District | 1862
Connewarre | 1856 | Amalgamated with South Barwon Borough | Shire of South Barwon | 1874
Gardiner | 1856 |  | Shire of Gardiner | 1871
Portland | 1856 |  | Shire of Portland | 1863
Templestowe | 1856 |  | Shire of Bulleen | 1875
Upper Yarra | 1856 |  |  |
Ballarat | 1857 |  | Shire of Ballarat | 1863
Broadmeadows | 1857 |  | Shire of Broadmeadows | 1871
Caulfield | 1857 |  | Shire of Caulfield | 1871
Dandenong | 1857 |  | Shire of Dandenong | 1873
Dundas | 1857 |  | Shire of Dundas | 1863
Eltham | 1857 |  | Shire of Eltham | 1871
Great Brighton | 1858 |  |  |
Hampden and Heytesbury | 1857 | named from the counties | Shire of Hampden | 1863
Nunawading | 1857 |  | Shire of Nunawading | 1872
South Barwon | 1857 |  | Borough of South Barwon | 1863
Willowmavin | 1857 |  |  |
Buninyong | 1858 |  | Shire of Buninyong | 1864
Colac | 1859 |  | Shire of Colac | 1864
Creswick | 1858 |  | Shire of Creswick | 1863
Flinders | 1868 |  | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874
Oakleigh and Mulgrave | 1858 |  | Shire of Oakleigh | 1871
Woodstock | 1858 |  | Shire of Darebin | 1870
Greensborough | 1859 | United with... | Shire of Heidelberg | 1875
Pentridge | 1859 |  | Coburg Road District | 1869
Upper Plenty | 1859 |  |  |
Amherst and Clunes | 1860 |  | Shire of Talbot | 1865
Braybrook | 1860 |  | Shire of Braybrook | 1871
Campaspe | 1860 |  | Shire of Huntly | 1866
Cranbourne | 1860 |  | Shire of Cranbourne | 1868
Fryers | 1860 |  | Mount Alexander United Shire | 1871
Gisborne | 1860 |  | Shire of Gisborne | 1871
Glenlyon | 1860 |  | Shire of Glenlyon | 1865
Heidelberg | 1860 |  | Shire of Heidelberg | 1871
Lexton | 1860 |  | Shire of Lexton | 1864
Metcalfe | 1860 |  | Shire of Metcalfe | 1865
Mortlake | 1860 |  | Shire of Mortlake | 1864
Mount Eliza | 1860 |  | Shire of Mornington | 1871
Mount Rouse | 1860 |  | Shire of Mount Rouse | 1864
Newstead | 1860 |  | Shire of Newstead | 1865
Tullaroop | 1860 |  | Shire of Tullaroop | 1865
Winchelsea | 1860 |  | Shire of Winchelsea | 1864
Yandoit and Franklin | 1860 |  | Shire of Mount Franklin | 1871
Carngham | 1861 |  | Carngham and Beaufort Road District | 1863
Strathfieldsaye | 1861 |  | Shire of Strathfieldsaye | 1866
Marong | 1861 |  | Shire of Marong | 1864
Corio | 1861 |  |  |
Ararat | 1861 |  | Shire of Ararat | 1864
Avoca | 1861 |  | Shire of Avoca | 1864
Bet Bet | 1861 |  | Shire of Bet Bet | 1864
Grenville | 1861 |  | Shire of Grenville | 1864
Leigh | 1861 |  | Shire of Leigh | 1864
Ripon | 1861 |  | Shire of Ripon | 1863
Shelford | 1861 |  |  |
Stawell | 1861 |  | Shire of Stawell | 1864
St Arnaud | 1861 |  | Shire of St Arnaud | 1864
Woady Yallock | 1861 |  |  |
Woodend, Newham
and Rochford | 1861 |  | Shire of Newham | 1871
Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley | 1862 |  |  |
Ballan | 1862 |  | Shire of Ballan | 1864
Bannockburn | 1862 |  | Shire of Bannockburn | 1864
Berwick | 1862 |  | Shire of Berwick | 1868
Bulla | 1862 |  | Shire of Bulla | 1866
Campbell's Creek | 1862 |  | Mount Alexander United Shire | 1871
Chiltern | 1862 |  | Shire of Chiltern | 1874
Horsham | 1862 |  |  |
Kangerong | 1862 |  | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874
Kingower and Wedderburne | 1862 |  |  |
Korong | 1862 |  | Shire of Korong | 1864
Kowree | 1862 |  | Shire of Kowree | 1872
Melton | 1862 |  | Shire of Melton | 1871
Moorabbin | 1862 |  | Shire of Moorabbin | 1871
Oxley | 1862 |  | Shire of Oxley | 1865
Romsey | 1862 |  | Shire of Romsey | 1871
Rutherglen | 1862 |  | Shire of Rutherglen | 1871
Swan Hill | 1862 |  | Shire of Swan Hill | 1871
Whittlesea | 1862 |  | Shire of Whittlesea | 1874
Wyndham | 1862 |  | Shire of Wyndham | 1864
Yackandandah | 1862 |  | Shire of Yackandandah | 1864
Baringhup | 1863 |  | Shire of Maldon |
Bungaree | 1863 |  | Shire of Bungaree | 1871
Carngham and Beaufort | 1863 | previously Carngham |  |
Donnybrook, Wallan Wallan
and Bylands | 1863 |  | Shire of Merriang |
Glenelg | 1863 |  | Shire of Glenelg | 1864
Keilor | 1863 |  | Shire of Keilor | 1871
Maldon | 1863 |  | Shire of Maldon | 1864
Malvern | 1863 |  | Shire of Malvern | 1878
McIvor | 1863 |  | Shire of McIvor | 1864
North Ovens | 1863 |  | Shire of North Ovens | 1867
Pyalong | 1863 |  | Shire of Pyalong | 1871
Seymour | 1863 |  | Shire of Seymour | 1871
Waranga | 1863 |  | Shire of Waranga | 1865
Avon | 1864 |  | Shire of Avon | 1865
East Loddon | 1864 |  | Shire of East Loddon | 1871
Echuca | 1864 |  | Shire of Echuca | 1871
Kyneton | 1864 | Amalgamation of Kyneton Borough and Lauriston & Edgecombe,
Tylden & Trentham and Carlsruhe RDs | Shire of Kyneton | 1865
Bairnsdale | 1867 |  | Shire of Bairnsdale | 1868
Alexandra | 1868 |  | Shire of Alexandra | 1869
Benalla | 1868 |  | Shire of Benalla | 1869
Goulburn | 1868 |  | Shire of Goulburn | 1871
Broadford | 1869 |  | Shire of Broadford | 1875
Coburg | 1869 | renaming of Pentridge | Shire of Coburg | 1875
Howqua | 1869 |  | Shire of Howqua | 1875
Rosedale | 1869 |  | Shire of Rosedale | 1871
Towong | 1869 |  | Shire of Towong | 1874
Yea | 1869 |  | Shire of Yea | 1873
Phillip Island | 1871 |  | Shire of Phillip Island
and Woolamai | 1874
Morang |  |  | Shire of Darebin | 1870
Lauriston and Edgecombe |  |  | Kyneton Road District | 1864
Tylden and Trentham |  |  | Kyneton Road District | 1864
Carlsruhe |  |  | Kyneton Road District | 1864
Bylands and Glenburnie |  |  |  |
Carisbrook |  |  |  |
Heathcote |  |  |  |
Indented Heads |  |  |  |
Indigo |  |  |  |
Lancefield |  |  |  |
Meredith |  |  |  |
North Harrow |  |  |  |
Wooragee |  |  |  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ The progress of Victoria: A statistical essay (Intercolonial Exhibition essays, 1866-67) by William Henry Archer. ASIN: B0008BRIUG