AGY-4723 | Shire of Uralla

Full description

The Shire of Uralla was a local government area in the New England region of the eastern division of New South Wales, constituted under the Local Government Act 1919 (Act No.41, 1919) and subsequent legislation. It was formed on 1 January 1948 by the amalgamation of the former Shire of Gostwyck with the Municipality of Uralla. (1) The Shire of Uralla bordered the shires of Cockburn, Mandowa and Barraba to the west; Apsley to the south; Dumaresq to the east; and Guyra and Bingara to the north.

The establishing proclamation appointed a provisional council pending the first election of nine councillors, and defined the boundaries of the shire and its three ridings. The existing councils were to provide copies of valuation and electoral rolls to the provisional council. (2) The new shire was permitted to exceed the rating limit in the Local Government Act 1919 s.130, by applying a rate of 3 pence per pound of unimproved capital value. (3)

On 14 September 1959, 48,060 acres of Guyra Shire were added to Uralla Shire, which in turn transferred 10,700 acres to the Shire of Dumaresq. Both exchanges affected the Uralla A riding, which was redefined with the shire in the proclamation. (4)

The Valuation of Land Act 1916 (Act No.2, 1916) was applied to Uralla Shire from 16 December 1966 (5), and the first valuation list was supplied by 14 December to apply from the following January. (6) From this time the assessment of land values was no longer a function of the Shire, which now used values assigned by the Valuer-General when levying rates.

The divisions of the ridings of Uralla Shire were again redefined in July 1983. (7)

The Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) no longer referred to shires and municipalities, only to 'areas'. (8) A subsequent amendment made it possible for areas to retain their old name, despite this no longer denoting a legal status. (9) Uralla continued to use 'Shire' in the name of the local government area and council. (10) Under the 1993 Act, ridings were re-named wards; and their creation, abolition, naming and boundaries came under the control of the council (s.210). The council president was now the mayor (s.225).

The Department of Local Government annual report for 1999-2000 noted that the boundaries of Dumaresq, Uralla, Guyra and Walcha areas were adjusted with the transfer of four parcels of land so that they would be wholly within one of the local government areas. (11)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.139, 5 December 1947, pp.2821-23.
2. Ibid.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.5, 16 January 1948, p.83.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.103, 11 September 1959, pp.2761-64.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.138, 16 December 1966, p.5071.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.142, 30 December 1966, p.5273.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.105, 29 July 1983, p.3524.
8. Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) s.204(1) and Sch.7, 21(1).
9. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994).
10. Department of Local Government annual report 1997/98, p.127.
11. Department of Local Government annual report 1999/2000, p.62.