Shire of Murray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shire of MurrayWestern Australia |
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Location in Western Australia
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| Population | 16,698 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 9.7643/km2 (25.289/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1868 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1,710.1 km2 (660.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Shire President | David Bolt | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Pinjarra | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Peel region Outer Mandurah |
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| State electorate(s) | Murray-Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Canning | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | Shire of Murray | ||||||||||||||
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The Shire of Murray is a local government area of Western Australia. It has an area of 1,710.1 square kilometres (660.3 sq mi) and is located in the Peel Region about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of the Perth central business district.
The Shire extends across the Peel Inlet and the Swan Coastal Plain into the Darling Scarp, including about 77,000 hectares (190,000 acres) of State forests. Timber logging and agriculture were the traditional enterprises of the district. However, in recent decades, bauxite mining and a significant equine and tourism industry have emerged. The Murray River flows all year throughout the district. It offers premier country racing and trotting facilities, a golf course and an array of festivals and events.
The Shire is centred on the town of Pinjarra, one of the oldest towns in Western Australia where a number of 19th-century mud brick buildings are still in use today.
History
The area was first settled in 1834 by Sir Thomas Peel.
On 7 November 1868, the Murray District Roads Committee had its first meeting in Pinjarra. The Murray Road District was gazetted on 25 January 1871. On 1 July 1961, it became the Shire of Murray.
Suburbs and towns
Bold denotes major settlements
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Population
| Year | Population |
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| 1911 | 2,199 |
| 1921 | 3,400 |
| 1933 | 4,060 |
| 1947 | 4,118 |
| 1954 | 3,897 |
| 1961 | 3,592 |
| 1966 | 3,329 |
| 1971 | 4,061 |
| 1976 | 5,035 |
| 1981 | 6,306 |
| 1986 | 6,634 |
| 1991 | 8,157 |
| 1996 | 9,144 |
| 2001 | 10,035 |
| 2006 | 11,969 |
| 2011 | 14,149 |
- At the 1954 census, Mandurah, which had seceded from Murray, had a population of 1,687.
Notable councillors
- John McLarty, Murray Roads Board member 1870; later a state MP
- Edward McLarty, Murray Roads Board member 1875–1915; also a state MP
- William Paterson, Murray Roads Board member 1875–1895; also a state MP
