Bairnsdale I (Road District 1867-1868; Shire 1868-1994)

Full description

The Shire of Bairnsdale was first incorporated as a district on 30 April 1867 and became a shire on 14 July 1868. On 6 January 1882, the Shire of Tambo, centred in Lakes Entrance, split away from the Shire of Bairnsdale.

On 27 May 1914 and 1 October 1964, it lost some land to Shire of Avon. On 31 May 1967, after a poll of ratepayers, the Centre Riding and parts of the East Riding severed to form the Town of Bairnsdale, which in 1990 became the City of Bairnsdale.

The Shire of Bairnsdale was divided into three ridings each of which elected three Councillors, East, West and South ridings.

On 2 December 1994, the Shire of Bairnsdale was abolished as part of a statewide program of local government reform and merged with the City of Bairnsdale, Shire of Orbost, Shire of Tambo, most of Shire of Omeo and the Boole Poole Peninsula from the Shire of Rosedale into the East Gippsland Shire. The West Dargo region merged into the Wellington Shire.