Shire of Rochester

The Shire of Rochester was a local government area of Victoria, Australia, about 190 kilometres (118 mi) north of Melbourne, the state capital, and immediately west and southwest of the town of Echuca. The shire covered an area of 1,934.25 square kilometres (746.8 sq mi), and existed from 1864 until 1994.

Shire of Rochester
Victoria
Location in Victoria
Population7,900 (1992)[1]
 • Density4.084/km2 (10.58/sq mi)
Established1864
Area1,934.25 km2 (746.8 sq mi)
Council seatRochester
CountyBendigo, Gunbower, Rodney
LGAs around Shire of Rochester:
Cohuna Murray (NSW) Murray (NSW)
Gordon Shire of Rochester Deakin
East Loddon Huntly Waranga

History

Rochester was once part of the vast Echuca Road District, incorporated on 19 February 1864 and a shire from 26 May 1871 It extended along the south bank of the Murray River from Mount Hope Creek in the west to the Ovens River in the east. Despite the name, the district never included Echuca itself, which was formed as a separate borough in 1865 and became the City of Echuca a century later.

The Shire lost the eastern two-thirds of its area in 1878-1879 with the severances of the Shires of Shepparton and Yarrawonga, but on 10 October 1879 the Shire was added to when a large area was annexed from the Shire of Waranga. The Moira Ward was annexed to the Shire of Nathalia (then known as Numurkah) on 30 May 1892, fixing the boundary between Numurkah and Echuca at the Goulburn River. Following this, the Shire of Deakin, representing the eastern part of what remained, severed from Echuca and incorporated on 20 April 1893.[2]

The western part, still known as the Shire of Echuca, was renamed Rochester on 27 October 1909. On 1 January 1966 and again on 1 February 1976, the City of Echuca annexed land at Rochester's northeastern corner.

On 18 November 1994, the Shire was abolished, and merged with the City of Echuca, the Town of Kyabram, the Shires of Deakin and Waranga and some neighbouring districts into the Shire of Campaspe.[3]

Wards

Rochester was divided into three wards, each of which elected three councillors:

  • North Ward
  • South Ward
  • Rochester Ward

Population
Year Population
19546,330
19586,660*
19617,253
19667,418
19717,587
19767,157
19817,152
19866,988
19917,424

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Victoria Office (1994). Victorian Year Book. pp. 49–52. ISSN 0067-1223.
  2. Victorian Municipal Directory. Brunswick: Arnall & Jackson. 1992. pp. 784–785, 814–815, 881–882. Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room.
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (1 August 1995). Victorian local government amalgamations 1994-1995: Changes to the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. p. 5. ISBN 0-642-23117-6. Retrieved 5 January 2008.

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