The Shire of Yarra Ranges, also known as Yarra Ranges Council, is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the outer eastern and northeastern suburbs of Melbourne extending into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It has an area of , of which 3% is classified as urban. In June 2018, it had a population of 158,173.
History Prior to European settlement, the land within and beyond the Yarra Ranges was occupied by the Wurundjeri people.
European settlement was established from the 1830s with settlers engaging in agriculture and gold mining.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges was formed on 15 December 1994 by the merger of parts of the Shire of Sherbrooke, Shire of Lillydale, Shire of Healesville and Shire of Upper Yarra.
Council Yarra Ranges is divided into nine wards, each of which elects one councillor for a period of four years.
Wards
Billanook Ward, named after the Wurundjeri name for the region and pioneered by explorer Robert Hoddle Chandler Ward, named after a pioneering family Chirnside Ward, named after George Chirnside, a Mooroolbark settler and owner of the Werribee Park Mansion Lyster Ward, named after William Saurin Lyster, an impresario who had a dairy farm in the area Melba Ward, named after opera singer Dame Nellie Melba O'Shannassy Ward, named after O'Shannassy River and reservoir, in turn named after John O'Shanassy (sic.), Premier of Victoria in the mid-1800s Ryrie Ward, named after William Ryrie who planted the first vineyards in the area Streeton Ward, named after Sir Arthur Streeton, a painter who lived in Olinda Walling Ward, named after landscape designer Edna Walling
Current composition WardSuburbs PartyCouncillorElectedNotes Billanook Lilydale, Mt Evelyn, Wandin North Independent Tim Heenan 2016 Chandler Kalorama, Macclesfield, Monbulk, Seville, Silvan, Wandin, Olinda (part), Montrose (part), Mt Evelyn (part) Independent Liberal Gareth Ward 2024Deputy Mayor Chirnside Chirnside Park, Mooroolbark Independent Richard Higgins 2016 Mayor Lyster Belgrave, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South, Kallista, Lysterfield, Menzies Creek, Narre Warren East, Selby, Sherbrooke, Tecoma, The Patch Independent Peter Mcilwain 2024 Melba Lilydale, Mooroolbark Independent Liberal Mitch Mazzarella 2024 O'Shannassy Don Valley, Gladysdale, Hoddles Creek, Launching Place, McMahons Creek, Millgrove, Powelltown, Reefton, Warburton, Wesburn, Woori Yallock, Yarra Junction, Yellingbo Independent National Jim Child 2012 Ryrie Badger Creek, Chum Creek, Coldstream, Dixon's Creek, Gruyere, Healesville, Steels Creek, Tarrawarra, Yarra Glen, Yering Independent Fiona McAllister 2012 Streeton Ferny Creek, Montrose, Mt Dandenong, Olinda, Sassafras, Tremont, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey Independent Jeff Marriott 2024 Walling Kilsyth, Mooroolbark, Montrose Independent Len Cox 1982
Election results 2024
Townships and localities The shire had a population of 156,068 at the 2021 census, an increase from 149,537 recorded at the 2016 census.
Population Locality 2016 2021 1,563 1,610 25 17 3,929 3,894 1,360 1,398 1,645 1,670 73 60 0 0 9,872 11,779 983 981 2,164 2,199 334 344 576 586 864 906 ^ 5,778 5,890 0 0 1,518 1,524 65 62 444 423 946 966 7,461 7,589 627 676 1,437 1,418 1,239 1,277 ^ 10,891 11,699 2,394 2,495 16,531 17,348 ^ 6,663 6,681 851 878 ^ 4 7 125 143 ^ 998 966 1,653 1,666 3,577 3,651 6,761 6,900 21,967 23,059 1,251 1,271 9,702 9,799 140 119 419 434 1,738 1,773 217 214 59 102 ^ 1,061 970 1,652 1,626 2,378 2,559 797 837 265 294 1,246 1,323 225 276 78 81 2,082 2,064 1,065 1,046 199 188 ^ 344 366 ^ 0 0 77 69 ^ 3,416 3,417 6,652 6,818 431 408 3,051 3,132 2,012 2,020 1,019 1,052 ^ 3,796 3,843 2,913 2,964 2,869 3,012 2,549 2,875 534 582 115 138
^ - Territory divided with another LGA
Major thoroughfares
Burwood Highway (State Route 26) Canterbury Road/Swansea Road/Anderson Street (south) (State Route 32 / C401) (briefly merges with C415 before turning to SR32 (and SR22 respectively)) Maroondah Highway (State Route 34 / B300) Belgrave-Hallam Road/Monbulk Road/Hereford Road (C404) (briefly merges with C406) Belgrave Road (State Route 26) Olinda-Monbulk Road/Emerald Monbulk Road Warburton Highway (B380) Healesville- Koo Wee Rup Road (C411) Mount Dandenong (Tourist) Road (State Route 22 / C415)
Notes
References
External links
Official website Community profile at .id.com.au Public transport map at PTV