The Shire of Baw Baw 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 ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia, in the eastern part of the state. It covers an area of and in June 2018 had a population of 52,015. It includes the towns of

Drouin Drouin is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * André Drouin (c. 1947 – 2017), Canadian politician * Claude Drouin (born 1956), Canadian politician * Derek Drouin (born 1990), Canadian high jumper * Francis Drouin (born 1983), Ca ...

Longwarry Longwarry is a town in Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shires of Baw Baw and Cardinia local government areas. Longwarry recorded a population of 2,436 at the 2021 census. It has ...

Neerim South Neerim South is a town in West Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located in the Shire of Baw Baw, east of Melbourne and north of Warragul. At the 2016 census, Neerim South had a population of 1,305. The Post Office opened on 1 February 1883. T ...

Trafalgar Trafalgar most often refers to: * Battle of Trafalgar (1805), fought near Cape Trafalgar, Spain * Trafalgar Square, a public space and tourist attraction in London, England It may also refer to: Music * ''Trafalgar'' (album), by the Bee Gees Pl ...

Warragul Warragul is a town in Victoria, Australia, south-east of Melbourne. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north. As of the , the town had a population of 19,85 ...

and Yarragon. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the

Shire of Buln Buln The Shire of Buln Buln was a local government area about east-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1878 until 1994. History Buln Buln was first incorporated as a s ...

Shire of Narracan The Shire of Narracan was a local government area about east-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1878 until 1994. History Narracan was first incorporated as a shire ...

Rural City of Warragul The Rural City of Warragul was a local government area about east-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The rural city covered an area of , and existed from 1881 until 1994. History Originally part of the Shire ...

, and some parts of the

Shire of Upper Yarra The Shire of Upper Yarra was a local government area centred on the upper reaches of the Yarra Valley, about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, extending eastwards into Victoria's interior. The shire covered an area ...

. The shire is governed and administered by the Baw Baw Shire Council; its

seat of local government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...

and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Drouin, and it has a service centre located in Warragul. The shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, the Baw Baw Plateau with

Mount Baw Baw Mount Baw Baw is a mountain summit on the Baw-Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range, located in Victoria, Australia. The name is from the Woiwurrung language spoken by Eastern Kulin people. It is of uncertain meaning, but possibly signifies, ...

being the second highest peak in the region. An

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

, the

Mount Baw Baw Alpine Resort Mt. Baw Baw Alpine Resort is a small Australian downhill ski resort located approximately east of Melbourne and north of the Latrobe Valley in Victoria. The Alpine Resort is an unincorporated area which is surrounded by the Baw Baw National P ...

, is

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

d within the shire.

Location and geography

The more densely populated southern half of the shire consists of low rolling hills given over primarily to dairy farming and other agriculture. The northern half lies in the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

and its foothills, where forestry remains an important industry. Tourism is also important in the region, aided by its proximity to and easy access from Melbourne. The shire is known for its rural scenery and natural environment, as well as gourmet foods and wines. The historic gold-mining town of Walhalla is located in the northeast of the shire is a major tourist drawcard. The major electricity-producing region of the

Latrobe Valley The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical district and urban area of the Gippsland region in the state of Victoria, Australia. The traditional owners are the Brayakaulung of the Gunai nation. The district lies east of Melbourne and nestle ...

lies immediately to the shire's east and south. Many of the shire's larger towns are located along the

Princes Highway Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...

and main

Gippsland Railway The Gippsland V/Line rail service or Bairnsdale Line is a passenger service operated by V/Line in Victoria, Australia between Melbourne and the Gippsland region including the regional cities of Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale. It ...

line, which cross the southern part of the shire. From west to east these include:

, Darnum, Yarragon, and

. North of Warragul are Buln Buln,

, and

Noojee Noojee is a town in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, north of Warragul and east of Melbourne, in the Baw Baw local government area. At the 2016 census, Noojee and the surrounding area had a population of 157. The town benefits from ...

, while south of Trafalgar in the

Strzelecki Ranges The Strzelecki Ranges (pronounced STREHZ leckee) is a set of low mountain ridges located in the West Gippsland and South Gippsland regions of the Australian state of Victoria. The Ranges are named after Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, a Polish explor ...

lies the town of Thorpdale. The towns of

Rawson Rawson may refer to: Places *Rawson, Chubut, the capital of Chubut Province, Argentina *Rawson Department, Chubut, Argentina *Rawson Department, San Juan, Argentina **Villa Krause, also named Rawson, the capital city of the department * Rawson, Vic ...

Erica Erica or ERICA may refer to: * Erica (given name) * ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus * Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America * ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game * ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus * Eric ...

, and Parkers Corner are located near Walhalla amongst the foothills of the Baw Baw Plateau. Aberfeldy is located in the far north east of the shire above the Thomson Dam, which supplies 50% of Melbourne's water.

Council

Composition up to November 2016

The council was composed of four wards and nine councillors, with three councillors elected to represent the Warragul Ward and two councillors per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.

Composition November 2016 to November 2020

The council was changed to a three-ward structure with three councillors per ward, with the new council sworn in on 2 November 2016. The new wards are West

60sq kms 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

(primarily Drouin with some rural areas north/south), Central 6sq kms(Warragul town) and East ,302sq kmsmaking up the balance of the shire.

Current composition

The council's three-ward structure continued with three councillors per ward, with the new council sworn in on 18 November 2020. The wards are West

(primarily Drouin with some rural areas north/south), Central 6sq kms(based on Warragul) and East ,302sq kmsmaking up the balance of the shire.

Administration and governance

The council meets fortnightly in the Fountain Room of the West Gippsland Arts Centre. The council's administrative activities are centred in Drouin in the former offices of the Buln Buln Shire. It also provides customer services at both Warragul and the council offices in Drouin. Service centres in Trafalgar and on Smith Street in Warragul were closed in 2015.

Towns and localities

In June 2018 the shire had a population of 52,015.

References

External links

Baw Baw Shire Council official websiteVisit Baw Baw official websiteMetlink local public transport mapLink to Land Victoria interactive maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baw Baw, Shire of Local government areas of Victoria (Australia) Gippsland