The Shire of Numurkah was a local government area on the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest ...

in the

Goulburn Valley The Goulburn Valley is a sub-region, part of the Hume region of the Australian state of Victoria. The sub-region consists of those areas in the catchment of the Goulburn River and other nearby streams, and is part of the Murray-Darling Basin. T ...

region, about north of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, the state capital of

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. The shire covered an area of , and existed from 1957 until 1994.

History

Numurkah was once part of the vast Echuca Road District, which formed in 1864, and became and a shire from 1871. It extended along the south bank of the

, from Mount Hope Creek in the west, to the

Ovens River The Ovens River, a perennial river of the north-east Murray catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine and Hume regions of the Australian state of Victoria. Location and features Formed by the confluence of the East a ...

in the east. Numurkah was part of the Shire of Shepparton when it incorporated on 30 May 1879. The southeastern section containing Shepparton itself split away on 18 September 1884, and was initially known as the Shire of South Shepparton. On 11 April 1885, the Shire of Shepparton was renamed ''Numurkah'', and South Shepparton was renamed ''Shepparton'' some months later. On 30 May 1892, Numurkah annexed the Moira Ward of

Echuca Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest ...

, setting the shire's southwestern boundary at the

Goulburn River The Goulburn River, a major inland perennial river of the Goulburn Broken catchment, part of the Murray-Darling basin, is located in the alpine, Northern Country/North Central, and Southern Riverina regions of the Australian state of Victor ...

. Some acrimony developed between the towns of

Numurkah Numurkah ( ) is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Goulburn Valley Highway, north of Shepparton, in the Shire of Moira. At the , Numurkah had a population of 4,768. History The area was occupied by the Yorta Yorta people prior t ...

and Nathalia, which ended in 1957, with the shire being renamed Nathalia, and the Shire of Numurkah severing, and was incorporated on 30 May 1957. Accessed at State Library of Victoria, La Trobe Reading Room. On 18 November 1994, the Shire of Numurkah was abolished, and along with the Shires of

Cobram Cobram is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. It is on the Murray River which forms the border between Victoria and New South Wales. Cobram along with the nearby towns of Numurkah and Yarrawonga is part of Shire of Moira and is the a ...

, Nathalia,

Tungamah Tungamah is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira local government area, from the state capital, Melbourne. Tungamah is situated on the banks of Boosey Creek and at th ...

and

Yarrawonga Yarrawonga is a town in the Shire of Moira local government area in the Australian state of Victoria. The town is situated on the south bank of the Murray River, the border between Victoria and New South Wales, and is located approximately ...

, was merged into the newly created

Shire of Moira Moira Shire Council is a Local Government Area in the Northern Victoria Region of Victoria, Australia. Located in the north-east part of the state, it covers an area of . As at June 2021 the population was 30,018. It includes the towns of Cobra ...

Wards

Numurkah was divided into four ridings, each of which elected three councillors: * North Riding * South Riding * East Riding * West Riding

Towns and localities

* Drumanure * Katunga (shared with the Shire of Nathalia) * Mundoona * Mywee *

* * Strathmerton * Ulupna *

Wunghnu Wunghnu ( ) is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of northern Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The town is located in the Shire of Moira Local government in Australia, local government area, north of the state capital, Melbourne. Th ...

* Council seat.

Population

* Estimate in the 1958 Victorian Year Book.

References

External links

Victorian Places - Numurkah and Numurkah Shire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shire Of Numurkah