Shire of Towong

Shire of Towong
Local government area
Location in Victoria
Location in Victoria
Official logo of Shire of Towong
CountryAustralia
StateVictoria
RegionHume
Established1994
Council seatTallangatta
Government
 • MayorPeter Tolsher
 • State electorate
 • Federal division
Area
 • Total
6,675 km2 (2,577 sq mi)
Population
 • Total6,223 (2021 census)
 • Density0.93228/km2 (2.4146/sq mi)
Gazetted18 November 1994
WebsiteShire of Towong
LGAs around Shire of Towong
Wodonga Greater Hume (NSW) Snowy Valleys (NSW)
Indigo Shire of Towong Snowy Valleys (NSW)
Alpine East Gippsland Snowy Valleys (NSW)

The Shire of Towong (/ˈtaʊɒŋ/; first syllable to rhyme with wow) is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 6,675 square kilometres (2,577 mi2) and in August 2021 had a population of 6,223.

It includes the service towns of Corryong and Tallangatta and the rural towns of Bethanga, Bellbridge, Cudgewa, Dartmouth, Eskdale, Mitta Mitta, Tintaldra and Walwa.

The shire is nestled between Australia's highest peaks, from Mount Bogong near Eskdale Spur to the foothills of Mount Kosciuszko at Tom Groggin. It is also home to Pine Mountain, reportedly the largest monolith in Australia. The Shire is bordered by the Murray River to the north and the Mitta Mitta River in the south.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Towong Shire Council. Its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Tallangatta; it also has a service centre located in Corryong.

History

The first entity known as the "Shire of Towong" was formed in 1874. It occupied the same region as the modern LGA. In October 1920 the eastern part of the shire was severed to form the Shire of Upper Murray. No longer containing the Towong locality, the Shire of Towong was renamed the Shire of Tallangatta in 1974.

As part of the substantial local government reforms of 1994, the Shire of Towong was created anew by amalgamating the Shires of Tallangatta and Upper Murray.

Towong Shire's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1994. The administrative centres of the former LGAs are marked by green dots.

Council

Current composition

The council is composed of five councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.

WardCouncillorNotes
Unsubdivided  David Wortmann
 Peter TolsherMayor
 Denise AndersonDeputy Mayor
 Jonathon Pitman
 Andrew Whitehead

Administration and governance

The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Tallangatta Municipal Offices as well as its offices in Corryong on alternating months. Tallangatta is the primary location of the council's administrative activities. It provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Tallangatta, the Tallangatta library and its service centre in Corryong.

Townships and localities

According to the 2021 census, Towong Shire had a population of 6,223, up from 5,985 in the 2016 census.

Population
Locality20162021
Bellbridge370393
Berringama3735
Bethanga471485
Biggara4961
Bullioh7563
Bungil110
Burrowye4324
Colac Colac5161
Corryong1,3481,352
Cudgewa261254
Dartmouth104130
Eskdale242238
Georges Creek6275
Granya9988
Guys Forest1820
Huon^219206
Jarvis Creek4346
Koetong2026
Lucyvale2825
Mitta Mitta171171
Mount Alfred2639
Mount Elmo00
Nariel Valley^9087
Old Tallangatta3545
Pine Mountain3432
Shelley75
Talgarno219245
Tallandoon7992
Tallangatta1,0821,175
Tallangatta East5639
Tallangatta South139142
Tallangatta Valley202194
Thologolong1122
Thowgla Valley8270
Tintaldra6066
Tom Groggin07
Towong132143
Towong Upper3437
Walwa177191

^ – Territory divided with another LGA

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Towong (Local Government Area)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 November 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. 1 2 Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive (1837–1997). "S87 of 1994: Order estg (Part 2) the Shire of Towong". State Library of Victoria. State Government of Victoria (published 18 November 1994). p. 3. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Towong Shire Council (8 January 2026). Mayor Peter Tolsher shares a message to the community regarding the current bushfire.
  4. ↑ "Name of the Shire of Towong altered to the Shire of Tallangatta". Victoria Government Gazette. Victorian Government Printer. 19 February 1974. p. 1974:526.
  5. ↑ Local Government in Victoria. "Towong Shire Council". Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure. State Government of Victoria. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Census | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. 11 January 2023.

36°19′00″S 147°29′00″E / 36.31667°S 147.48333°E / -36.31667; 147.48333