Bland Shire is a
local government area
A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...
in the
Riverina
The Riverina
is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...
region of
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. it covers an area of . As at the the population was 5,995. It is a member of the League of Extraordinary Communities which was established by
Dull, Perth and Kinross
Dull ( gd, Dul, IPA: ̪uɫ̪ is a village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is paired with Boring, Oregon. Bland, New South Wales, Australia, is also a member of the League of Extraordinary Communities established by Boring and Dull in 2013. ...
, Scotland and
Boring, Oregon
Boring is an unincorporated community in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located along Oregon Route 212 in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range, approximately southeast of downtown Portland, and northeast of Oregon City. ...
, USA.
The major economic activities of the shire are agriculture, mining, transport, tourism and wholesale distribution.
History
The farm community of Bland Shire was a former gold prospecting site in the Riverina region, centred on West Wyalong.
The shire was named in honour of
William Bland
William Bland (5 November 1789 – 21 July 1868) was a transported convict, medical practitioner and surgeon, politician, farmer and inventor in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia.
Early life
Bland was born in London on 5 November 1789 ...
.
Location and settlements
Bland Shire is located on the boundary between the
central west and
Riverina
The Riverina
is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation ...
regions. The area is adjacent to the
Newell and
Mid-Western highways.
The largest town and council seat is
West Wyalong
West Wyalong is the main town of the Bland Shire in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Located west of Sydney and above sea level, it is situated on the crossroads of the Newell Highway between Melbourne and Brisbane, and the ...
. The region also includes the towns of
Wyalong
Wyalong is part of the Bland Shire located in the Northern Riverina Region of New South Wales, Australia. Established as a gold mining town, it is now a quiet town with historic buildings a few kilometres east of West Wyalong, the major distric ...
,
Barmedman
Barmedman is a rural village in the Bland Shire in the New South Wales state of Australia, located approximately half-way between West Wyalong and Temora. Barmedman began as a service centre for gold-mining operations in the area. Nowadays the ...
,
Tallimba
Tallimba is a town in the Central West (New South Wales), Central West area of New South Wales, Australia. It is a part of the Bland Shire, New South Wales, Bland Shire 34 km from West Wyalong, New South Wales, West Wyalong and 1½ hours' d ...
,
Ungarie
Ungarie is a town in New South Wales, Australia which is the second major town of the Bland Shire, located in the Central West region of New South Wales. It is located west of Sydney and north of Melbourne, between the towns of West Wyalong ...
,
Weethalle
Weethalle ( ) is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Bland Shire local government area and on the Mid-Western Highway, west of the state capital, Sydney, and north east of Griffith. At the , Weet ...
and
Mirrool. The major economic activities of the shire are agriculture, mining, transport, tourism and wholesale distribution.
Twin towns
In 2013, the community joined
Dull
Dull may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
* Dull, Perth and Kinross, Scotland, United Kingdom, a village
* Dull, Ohio, United States, an unincorporated community
* Dull, Texas, United States, a ghost town
People
* Jack Dull (1930–1995), American profe ...
in
Perthshire
Perthshire (locally: ; gd, Siorrachd Pheairt), officially the County of Perth, is a historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
Boring in
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
,
USA
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
to create a "League of Extraordinary Communities" to group Dull, Boring and Bland
as a means of encouraging travel,
promoting all three communities.
Climate
![West Wyalong Anglican Church 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/West_Wyalong_Anglican_Church_001.JPG)
Average annual rainfall is . Average temperature are: maximum , minimum . The prevailing wind direction is north east in the morning and south west in the afternoon and evening, with predominantly calm conditions.
Topography, flora and fauna, and geology
Topography is generally undulating or flat, with the altitude ranging from .
![West Wyalong Main Street 004](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/West_Wyalong_Main_Street_004.JPG)
Main tree species include: kurrajong, cypress pine, mallee, box, ironbark, belah and wilga. Native pasture plants include: wallaby grasses, Queensland blue grass and plains and wire grass. Native fauna include: water fowl, red and grey kangaroos, echidnas, goannas, possums, bats and mallee fowls.
Soil are predominantly clay with some granite soil and red brown earth, mostly neutral in pH.
Council
Current composition and election method
Bland Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected
proportionally as a single
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021, and the make-up of the council is as follows:
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:
Demographics
References
External links
{{Authority control
Local government areas of New South Wales
Newell Highway