Mitchell Shire is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located North of Melbourne. It covers an area of 2,862 square kilometres (1,105 mi2) and, in April 2024, had a projected population of 61,362. Larger towns include Beveridge, Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour, Tallarook, Pyalong and Wallan.
The Shire is governed and administered by Mitchell Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the Council headquarters in Broadford, it also has service centres located in Kilmore, Beveridge, Seymour and Wallan. The Shire is named after an early British surveyor and explorer, Major Thomas Mitchell, who explored the south-eastern part of Australia, and whose return route for his third expedition passed through the present-day LGA.
The Shire is Victoria’s fastest growing regional municipality. By 2041 it is expected that 170,000 people will live in Mitchell Shire. It is anticipated that most of this growth will occur in and around the southern townships of Beveridge, Kilmore/Kilmore East and Wallan.
History
The Mitchell Shire was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Pyalong, the Shire of Kilmore, most of the Shire of Broadford and Rural City of Seymour, and parts of the Shire of McIvor.
Council
Current composition
The Council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.
| Ward | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Nathan Clark | Independent. | |
| Timothy Hanson | Independent | ||
| Bob Humm | Independent | ||
| North | John Dougall (Mayor) | Independent | |
| Ned Jeffery | Independent | ||
| Andrea Pace | Independent | ||
| South | Bob Cornish (Deputy Mayor) | Independent | |
| Riley Evans | Independent | ||
| Claudia James | Independent | ||
Administration and governance
Mitchell Shire Council meets in the Council Chambers at Mitchell Civic Centre in Broadford. It also has Customer and Library Service Centres in Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour and Wallan.
Townships and localities
The population of Mitchell Shire has grown significantly over the early 21st century. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census of Population and Housing, the population was 30,928 in 2006, 34,637 in 2011, 40,918 in 2016, and 49,460 in 2021. The forecast population for 2026 is 69,600.
| Locality | 2006 | 2011 | 2016 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenel^ | 815 | 1,047 | 1,049 | 1,112 |
| Beveridge^ | 1,193 | 870 | 2,328 | 4,642 |
| Broadford | 3,621 | 4,175 | 4,319 | 4,592 |
| Bylands^ | # | # | 131 | 117 |
| Clonbinane | 686 | 381 | 333 | 347 |
| Flowerdale^ | # | 429 | 689 | 790 |
| Forbes | # | # | 121 | 158 |
| Glenaroua | # | # | 156 | 208 |
| Glenhope | # | # | 76 | 66 |
| Glenhope East | # | # | 26 | 17 |
| Heathcote Junction | 885 | 847 | 838 | 811 |
| Heathcote South | # | # | 18 | 22 |
| High Camp | # | # | 106 | 122 |
| Highlands^ | # | 219 | 122 | 151 |
| Hilldene | 405 | 452 | 340 | 330 |
| Kilmore | 5,231 | 6,678 | 7,955 | 9,207 |
| Kilmore East | # | 351 | 418 | 450 |
| Mangalore^ | # | 210 | 180 | 183 |
| Mia Mia^ | # | 264 | 173 | 213 |
| Moranding | # | # | 185 | 193 |
| Northwood | # | # | 193 | 203 |
| Nulla Vale | # | # | 69 | 96 |
| Puckapunyal | 1,177 | 1,154 | 1,075 | 1,108 |
| Pyalong | 653 | 735 | 660 | 772 |
| Reedy Creek | # | 242 | 164 | 157 |
| Seymour | 6,301 | 6,370 | 6,332 | 6,569 |
| Sugarloaf Creek | 506 | 314 | 247 | 255 |
| Sunday Creek | # | # | 309 | 368 |
| Tallarook | 774 | 789 | 734 | 748 |
| Tarcombe^ | # | # | 39 | 32 |
| Tooborac | 275 | 404 | 309 | 319 |
| Trawool^ | # | # | 108 | 90 |
| Tyaak | # | # | 70 | 85 |
| Upper Plenty | 504 | 324 | 338 | 415 |
| Wallan | 6,641 | 8,504 | 11,076 | 15,004 |
| Wandong | 1,533 | 1,293 | 1,343 | 1,477 |
| Waterford Park | 205 | 202 | 192 | 217 |
| Whiteheads Creek | 522 | 373 | 353 | 347 |
| Willowmavin | 474 | 498 | 221 | 241 |
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
# - Not noted in Census
Emu Flat was a former town in the Shire of Mitchell.
