Road districts were established in the colony of Victoria, Australia, pursuant to legislation passed in 1853 and were an early form of local government in Victoria. The districts were outside towns, which were instead incorporated either as municipalities or boroughs. The road districts were created between 1853 and 1871.
Road districts were established after public meetings to discuss boundaries etc. followed by a petition to the governor. Upon the proclamation of a district a public meeting was held to elect officers of the Road Board, which was responsible for the building and maintenance of local roads and bridges, financing them with rates levied on landowners.
From 1862 many road districts became shires, pursuant to the District Councils Bill 1862, with additional responsibilities related to pounds, slaughtering licences, thistles, dogs, licensed publicans, brewer's and spirit merchants' licences and commons. They were also permitted to borrow money for permanent works.
Road districts included:
| Name | Date proclaimed | Notes | Succeeded by (original LGAs) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrabool | 1853 | Shire of Barrabool | 1865 | |
| Portarlington | 1853 | Shire of Bellarine | 1865 | |
| Belfast | 1854 | Shire of Belfast | 1863 | |
| Boroondara | 1854 | Shire of Boroondara | 1871 | |
| Epping | 1854 | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | |
| Hawthorne | 1854 | Hawthorn municipal district | 1860 | |
| Warrnambool | 1854 | Shire of Warrnambool | 1863 | |
| Alberton | 1855 | Shire of Alberton | 1864 | |
| Lower Leigh | 1855 | |||
| Bacchus Marsh | 1856 | Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Road District | 1862 | |
| Connewarre | 1856 | Amalgamated with South Barwon Borough | Shire of South Barwon | 1874 |
| Gardiner | 1856 | Shire of Gardiner | 1871 | |
| Portland | 1856 | Shire of Portland | 1863 | |
| Templestowe | 1856 | Shire of Bulleen | 1875 | |
| Upper Yarra | 1856 | |||
| Ballarat | 1857 | Shire of Ballarat | 1863 | |
| Broadmeadows | 1857 | Shire of Broadmeadows | 1871 | |
| Caulfield | 1857 | Shire of Caulfield | 1871 | |
| Dandenong | 1857 | Shire of Dandenong | 1873 | |
| Dundas | 1857 | Shire of Dundas | 1863 | |
| Eltham | 1857 | Shire of Eltham | 1871 | |
| Great Brighton | 1858 | |||
| Hampden and Heytesbury | 1857 | named from the counties | Shire of Hampden | 1863 |
| Nunawading | 1857 | Shire of Nunawading | 1872 | |
| South Barwon | 1857 | Borough of South Barwon | 1863 | |
| Willowmavin | 1857 | |||
| Buninyong | 1858 | Shire of Buninyong | 1864 | |
| Colac | 1859 | Shire of Colac | 1864 | |
| Creswick | 1858 | Shire of Creswick | 1863 | |
| Flinders | 1868 | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874 | |
| Oakleigh and Mulgrave | 1858 | Shire of Oakleigh | 1871 | |
| Woodstock | 1858 | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | |
| Greensborough | 1859 | United with... | Shire of Heidelberg | 1875 |
| Pentridge | 1859 | Coburg Road District | 1869 | |
| Upper Plenty | 1859 | |||
| Amherst and Clunes | 1860 | Shire of Talbot | 1865 | |
| Braybrook | 1860 | Shire of Braybrook | 1871 | |
| Campaspe | 1860 | Shire of Huntly | 1866 | |
| Cranbourne | 1860 | Shire of Cranbourne | 1868 | |
| Fryers | 1860 | Mount Alexander United Shire | 1871 | |
| Gisborne | 1860 | Shire of Gisborne | 1871 | |
| Glenlyon | 1860 | Shire of Glenlyon | 1865 | |
| Heidelberg | 1860 | Shire of Heidelberg | 1871 | |
| Lexton | 1860 | Shire of Lexton | 1864 | |
| Metcalfe | 1860 | Shire of Metcalfe | 1865 | |
| Mortlake | 1860 | Shire of Mortlake | 1864 | |
| Mount Eliza | 1860 | Shire of Mornington | 1871 | |
| Mount Rouse | 1860 | Shire of Mount Rouse | 1864 | |
| Newstead | 1860 | Shire of Newstead | 1865 | |
| Tullaroop | 1860 | Shire of Tullaroop | 1865 | |
| Winchelsea | 1860 | Shire of Winchelsea | 1864 | |
| Yandoit and Franklin | 1860 | Shire of Mount Franklin | 1871 | |
| Carngham | 1861 | Carngham and Beaufort Road District | 1863 | |
| Strathfieldsaye | 1861 | Shire of Strathfieldsaye | 1866 | |
| Marong | 1861 | Shire of Marong | 1864 | |
| Corio | 1861 | |||
| Ararat | 1861 | Shire of Ararat | 1864 | |
| Avoca | 1861 | Shire of Avoca | 1864 | |
| Bet Bet | 1861 | Shire of Bet Bet | 1864 | |
| Huntly | 1861 | Shire of Huntly | 1866 | |
| Grenville | 1861 | Shire of Grenville | 1864 | |
| Leigh | 1861 | Shire of Leigh | 1864 | |
| Ripon | 1861 | Shire of Ripon | 1863 | |
| Shelford | 1861 | |||
| Stawell | 1861 | Shire of Stawell | 1864 | |
| St Arnaud | 1861 | Shire of St Arnaud | 1864 | |
| Woady Yallock | 1861 | |||
| Woodend, Newham and Rochford |
1861 | Shire of Newham | 1871 | |
| Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley | 1862 | |||
| Ballan | 1862 | Shire of Ballan | 1864 | |
| Bannockburn | 1862 | Shire of Bannockburn | 1864 | |
| Berwick | 1862 | Shire of Berwick | 1868 | |
| Bulla | 1862 | Shire of Bulla | 1866 | |
| Campbell's Creek | 1862 | Mount Alexander United Shire | 1871 | |
| Chiltern | 1862 | Shire of Chiltern | 1874 | |
| Horsham | 1862 | |||
| Kangerong | 1862 | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874 | |
| Kingower and Wedderburne | 1862 | |||
| Korong | 1862 | Shire of Korong | 1864 | |
| Kowree | 1862 | Shire of Kowree | 1872 | |
| Melton | 1862 | Shire of Melton | 1871 | |
| Moorabbin | 1862 | Shire of Moorabbin | 1871 | |
| Oxley | 1862 | Shire of Oxley | 1865 | |
| Romsey | 1862 | Shire of Romsey | 1871 | |
| Rutherglen | 1862 | Shire of Rutherglen | 1871 | |
| Swan Hill | 1862 | Shire of Swan Hill | 1871 | |
| Whittlesea | 1862 | Shire of Whittlesea | 1874 | |
| Wyndham | 1862 | Shire of Wyndham | 1864 | |
| Yackandandah | 1862 | Shire of Yackandandah | 1864 | |
| Baringhup | 1863 | Shire of Maldon | ||
| Bungaree | 1863 | Shire of Bungaree | 1871 | |
| Carngham and Beaufort | 1863 | previously Carngham | ||
| Donnybrook, Wallan Wallan and Bylands |
1863 | Shire of Merriang | ||
| Glenelg | 1863 | Shire of Glenelg | 1864 | |
| Keilor | 1863 | Shire of Keilor | 1871 | |
| Maldon | 1863 | Shire of Maldon | 1864 | |
| Malvern | 1863 | Shire of Malvern | 1878 | |
| McIvor | 1863 | Shire of McIvor | 1864 | |
| North Ovens | 1863 | Shire of North Ovens | 1867 | |
| Pyalong | 1863 | Shire of Pyalong | 1871 | |
| Seymour | 1863 | Shire of Seymour | 1871 | |
| Waranga | 1863 | Shire of Waranga | 1865 | |
| Avon | 1864 | Shire of Avon | 1865 | |
| East Loddon | 1864 | Shire of East Loddon | 1871 | |
| Echuca | 1864 | Shire of Echuca | 1871 | |
| Kyneton | 1864 | Amalgamation of Kyneton Borough and Lauriston & Edgecombe, Tylden & Trentham and Carlsruhe RDs |
Shire of Kyneton | 1865 |
| Bairnsdale | 1867 | Shire of Bairnsdale | 1868 | |
| Alexandra | 1868 | Shire of Alexandra | 1869 | |
| Benalla | 1868 | Shire of Benalla | 1869 | |
| Goulburn | 1868 | Shire of Goulburn | 1871 | |
| Broadford | 1869 | Shire of Broadford | 1875 | |
| Coburg | 1869 | renaming of Pentridge | Shire of Coburg | 1875 |
| Howqua | 1869 | Shire of Howqua | 1875 | |
| Rosedale | 1869 | Shire of Rosedale | 1871 | |
| Towong | 1869 | Shire of Towong | 1874 | |
| Yea | 1869 | Shire of Yea | 1873 | |
| Phillip Island | 1871 | Shire of Phillip Island and Woolamai |
1874 | |
| Morang | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | ||
| Lauriston and Edgecombe | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | ||
| Tylden and Trentham | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | ||
| Carlsruhe | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | ||
| Bylands and Glenburnie | ||||
| Carisbrook | ||||
| Heathcote | ||||
| Indented Heads | ||||
| Indigo | ||||
| Lancefield | ||||
| Meredith | ||||
| North Harrow | ||||
| Wooragee |
References
- The progress of Victoria: A statistical essay (Intercolonial Exhibition essays, 1866-67) by William Henry Archer. ASIN: B0008BRIUG