District Council of Brown's Well explained

The District Council of Brown's Well was a local government area in South Australia from 1916 to 1997. The name stemmed from the Brown's Well pastoral station, which was located near the council seat of Paruna.^{[1] [2]} Meetings were also held on a regular basis in the institute at Alawoona, which was the district's major centre.^[3]

It was proclaimed on 16 November 1916, and held its first meeting on 16 December.^[4] The area had formerly been part of the District Council of Loxton.^[5] The first council chamber was a ten by ten shed and it was reported that there were "no roads and very few grubbed tracks" and "the population of the entire district [was] very small."

A permanent council chambers building was opened in May 1929.^[6] In 1935, the council had a total population of 1,100, with 85 miles of main roads and 409 miles of district roads. In 1936, it comprised the cadastral hundreds of Allen, Kekwick and McGorrery, with a total land area of 340,800 acres, having increased since the initial proclamation. The main towns were Paruna, Alawoona, Cobera (now incorporated into Alawoona), Malpas, Meribah and Veitch. It was divided into six wards: North-East, South-East, North, South, South-West and North-West.

Much of the area was isolated Mallee country that was still being opened up in the 1930s. In 1932, it was reported that the council's road-building works were sufficiently large that there was "not a single man in the whole of the area who was unemployed."^[7]

The council ceased to exist on 3 May 1997, when it amalgamated with the District Council of Loxton and the District Council of Waikerie to form the District Council of Loxton Waikerie.

The Brown's Well council's former honour board was re-unveiled in the Loxton council offices in March 2016, following calls for its reinstatement from a former Brown's Well councillor.^{[8] [9]}

Chairmen of the District Council of Brown's Well

• Cecil Stone (1916–1917) ^[10]
• L. V. Shannon (1917–1919) ^{[11] [12] [13]}
• Alex Cameron (1919–1939) ^[14]
• John Joseph Elwood (1939–1940)
• Arthur Alan Petch (1940–1944)
• Eric Milton Edwards (1944–1949)
• Albert Wyndham Broad (1949–1951)
• Eric Milton Edwards (1951–1952)
• Albert Wyndham Broad (1952–1954)
• William Westley Claude Tiller (1954–1958)
• Victor Norman Henschke (1958–1962)
• Thomas Allen Nance (1962–1963)
• Victor Norman Henschke (1963–1964)
• Norman John Flavel (1964–1967)
• Kenneth Griffiths (1967-after 1985)

Notes and References

1. Book: The Official civic record of South Australia : centenary year, 1936 . Universal Publicity Company . Hosking, P. . 1936 . Adelaide . 492.
2. Web site: Introduction . District Council of Loxton Waikerie . 31 March 2016.
3. News: BROWN'S WELL DISTRICT COUNCIL . . 31 . 35 . South Australia . 31 August 1923 . 28 May 2016 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Brown's Welts Story of Achievement . . 40 . 51 . South Australia . 19 December 1935 . 28 May 2016 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: LOXTON COUNCIL CHAMBER . . 44 . 5[?] . South Australia . 16 December 1937 . 28 May 2016 . 28 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: BROWN'S WELL DISTRICT D.C. . . 38 . 19 . South Australia . 10 May 1929 . 28 May 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: THE BROWN'S WELL DISTRICT COUNCIL . . 41 . 21 . South Australia . 26 May 1932 . 28 May 2016 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
8. Web site: Council meeting agenda Friday 18 March 2016 Council Chamber, Loxton . District Council of Loxton Waikerie . 28 May 2016.
9. News: Call for council honour boards . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 8 December 2003 . 28 May 2016.
10. News: ROUND THE FARM — AND ALL THAT . . LXXV . 3,946 . Adelaide . 21 July 1932 . 28 May 2016 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: DISTRICT COUNCIL OF BROWN'S WELL. . . 23 . 29 . South Australia . 27 July 1917 . 28 May 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: BROWN'S WELL DISTRICT COUNCIL. . . 24 . 32 . South Australia . 9 August 1918 . 28 May 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: BROWN'S WELL DISTRICT COUNCIL. . . 25 . 10 . South Australia . 7 March 1919 . 28 May 2016 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
14. Web site: Meeting of the Murray and Mallee Local Government Association – 6 June 2008 . Local Government Association of South Australia . 28 May 2016.