{{Use Australian English|date=August 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox Australian place | type = lga | name = Shire of Towong | state = vic | image = Australia Victoria Towong Shire.svg | caption = Location in Victoria | pop = 6,223 | pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}} | pop_footnotes = <ref name=ABSLGA>{{Census 2021 AUS|id=LGA26670|name=Towong (Local Government Area)|access-date=19 November 2023|quick=on}}</ref> | area = 6675 | area_footnotes = <ref name=ABSLGA/> | est = 1994 | gazetted = 18 November 1994<ref name=Gazette>{{cite web |url=http://gazette.slv.vic.gov.au/view.cgi?year=1994&class=S&page_num=3&state=V&classNum=S87 |title=S87 of 1994: Order estg (Part 2) the Shire of Towong |author=Victoria Government Gazette – Online Archive |year=1837–1997 |website=State Library of Victoria |publisher=State Government of Victoria |publication-date=18 November 1994 |page=3 |access-date=10 January 2014}}</ref> | mayor = Peter Tolsher | seat = [[Tallangatta, Victoria|Tallangatta]] | region = [[Hume (region)|Hume]] | logo = TowongShireCouncil Legacy.PNG | url = http://www.towong.vic.gov.au/ | stategov = [[Electoral district of Benambra|Benambra]] | fedgov = [[Division of Indi|Indi]] | near-nw = [[Rural City of Wodonga|Wodonga]] | near-n = [[Greater Hume Shire|Greater Hume]] ([[New South Wales|NSW]]) | near-ne = [[Snowy Valleys Council|Snowy Valleys]] ([[New South Wales|NSW]]) | near-w = [[Shire of Indigo|Indigo]] | near-e = [[Snowy Valleys Council|Snowy Valleys]] ([[New South Wales|NSW]]) | near-sw = [[Alpine Shire|Alpine]] | near-s = [[Shire of East Gippsland|East Gippsland]] | near-se = [[Snowy Valleys Council|Snowy Valleys]] ([[New South Wales|NSW]]) }} The '''Shire of Towong''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|aʊ|ɒ|ŋ}}; first syllable to rhyme with ''wow''<!-- we cannot provide respelling here per [[WP:RESPELLNOT]] - but in my experience, barely any Australians can read IPA, so some additional key is needed-->)<ref>{{cite AV media|author=Towong Shire Council|url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1300376065454073|title=Mayor Peter Tolsher shares a message to the community regarding the current bushfire|date=2026-01-08}}</ref> is a [[Local government areas of Victoria|local government area]] in the [[Hume (region)|Hume]] region of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[Australia]], located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of {{convert|6675|km2|mi2}} and in August 2021 had a population of 6,223.<ref name=ABSLGA/>
It includes the service towns of [[Corryong, Victoria|Corryong]] and [[Tallangatta, Victoria|Tallangatta]] and the rural towns of [[Bethanga]], [[Bellbridge]], [[Cudgewa]], [[Dartmouth, Victoria|Dartmouth]], [[Eskdale, Victoria|Eskdale]], [[Mitta Mitta, Victoria|Mitta Mitta]], [[Tintaldra]] and [[Walwa, Victoria|Walwa]].
The shire is nestled between Australia's highest peaks, from [[Mount Bogong]] near Eskdale Spur to the foothills of [[Mount Kosciuszko]] at [[Tom Groggin]]. It is also home to [[Pine Mountain, Victoria|Pine Mountain]], reportedly the largest monolith in Australia. The Shire is bordered by the [[Murray River]] to the north and the [[Mitta Mitta River]] in the south.
The Shire is governed and administered by the '''Towong Shire Council'''. Its [[seat of local government]] and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Tallangatta; it also has a service centre located in Corryong.
== History == The first entity known as the "Shire of Towong" was formed in 1874. It occupied the same region as the modern LGA. In October 1920 the eastern part of the shire was severed to form the [[Shire of Upper Murray]]. No longer containing the Towong locality, the Shire of Towong was renamed the [[Shire of Tallangatta]] in 1974.<ref>{{Cite Gazette VIC|page=526|year=1974|title=Name of the Shire of Towong altered to the Shire of Tallangatta|date=1974-02-19}}</ref>
As part of the substantial local government reforms of 1994, the Shire of Towong was created anew by amalgamating the Shires of Tallangatta and Upper Murray.<ref name="Gazette" /> [[File:Victoria LGAs pre- vs post-amalgamation Towong.png|center|thumb|Towong Shire's predecessor LGAs (green) as they were in 1994. The administrative centres of the former LGAs are marked by green dots.]]
==Council== ===Current composition=== The council is composed of five councillors elected to represent an [[Undivided council|unsubdivided]] municipality.<ref name=Council>{{cite web |url=http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/localgovernment/find-your-local-council/towong |title=Towong Shire Council |author=Local Government in Victoria |website=Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure |publisher=State Government of Victoria |access-date=12 January 2017}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- !Ward!!colspan="2"|Councillor!!Notes |- | rowspan="5"|Unsubdivided | {{Australian party style|Independent}}| || David Wortmann || |- | {{Australian party style|Independent}}| || Peter Tolsher || Mayor |- | {{Australian party style|Independent}}| || Denise Anderson || Deputy Mayor |- | {{Australian party style|Independent}}| || Jonathon Pitman || |- | {{Australian party style|Independent}}| || Andrew Whitehead || |}
===Administration and governance=== The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Tallangatta Municipal Offices as well as its offices in Corryong on alternating months. Tallangatta is the primary location of the council's administrative activities. It provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Tallangatta, the Tallangatta library and its service centre in Corryong.
==Townships and localities== According to the 2021 census, Towong Shire had a population of 6,223, up from 5,985 in the 2016 census.<ref>{{cite web |title=Census {{!}} Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/census |website=www.abs.gov.au |language=en |date=11 January 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! colspan="3" | Population |- ! Locality !! 2016 !! 2021 |- | {{VICcity|Bellbridge}} || 370 || 393 |- | {{VICcity|Berringama}} || 37 || 35 |- | {{VICcity|Bethanga}} || 471 || 485 |- | {{VICcity|Biggara}} || 49 || 61 |- | {{VICcity|Bullioh}} || 75 || 63 |- | {{VICcity|Bungil}} || 11 || 0 |- | {{VICcity|Burrowye}} || 43 || 24 |- | {{VICcity|Colac Colac}} || 51 || 61 |- | {{VICcity|Corryong}} || 1,348 || 1,352 |- | {{VICcity|Cudgewa}} || 261 || 254 |- | {{VICcity|Dartmouth}} || 104 || 130 |- | {{VICcity|Eskdale}} || 242 || 238 |- | {{VICcity|Georges Creek}} || 62 || 75 |- | {{VICcity|Granya}} || 99 || 88 |- | {{VICcity|Guys Forest}} || 18 || 20 |- | {{VICcity|Jarvis Creek}} || 43 || 46 |- | {{VICcity|Koetong}} || 20 || 26 |- | {{VICcity|Lucyvale}} || 28 || 25 |- | {{VICcity|Mitta Mitta}} || 171 || 171 |- | {{VICcity|Mount Alfred}} || 26 || 39 |- | {{VICcity|Mount Elmo}} || 0 || 0 |- | {{VICcity|Nariel Valley}}^ || 90 || 87 |- | {{VICcity|Old Tallangatta}} || 35 || 45 |- | {{VICcity|Pine Mountain}} || 34 || 32 |- | {{VICcity|Shelley}} || 7 || 5 |- | {{VICcity|Talgarno}} || 219 || 245 |- | {{VICcity|Tallandoon}} || 79 || 92 |- | {{VICcity|Tallangatta}} || 1,082 || 1,175 |- | {{VICcity|Tallangatta East}} || 56 || 39 |- | {{VICcity|Tallangatta South}} || 139 || 142 |- | {{VICcity|Tallangatta Valley}} || 202 || 194 |- | {{VICcity|Thologolong}} || 11 || 22 |- | {{VICcity|Thowgla Valley}} || 82 || 70 |- | {{VICcity|Tintaldra}} || 60 || 66 |- | {{VICcity|Tom Groggin}} || 0 || 7 |- | {{VICcity|Towong}} || 132 || 143 |- | {{VICcity|Towong Upper}} || 34 || 37 |- | {{VICcity|Walwa}} || 177 || 191 |} '''^''' – ''Territory divided with another [[Local government areas of Victoria|LGA]]''
==See also== * [[List of localities (Victoria)]] * [[List of places on the Victorian Heritage Register in the Shire of Towong]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{commons category-inline}} *[http://www.towong.vic.gov.au/ Towong Shire Council official website] *[http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/location/view/119 Metlink local public transport map] *[http://services.land.vic.gov.au/landchannel/jsp/map/InteractiveMapIntro.jsp Link to Land Victoria interactive maps] * {{Victorian local government areas pre-1994 vs present map link}}
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{{Towns in Towong Shire}} {{Local Government Areas of Victoria}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Towong, Shire of}} [[Category:Local government areas of Victoria (state)]] [[Category:Hume (region)]] [[Category:Shire of Towong| ]]
{{Australia-gov-stub}} {{Hume-geo-stub}}