| Type: | lga |
| Shire of Eltham | |
| State: | vic |
| Region: | Northeast Melbourne |
| Area: | 277.13 |
| Est: | 1856 |
| Seat: | Eltham |
| Pop: | 44,800 |
| Pop Year: | 1992 |
| Pop Footnotes: | [1] |
| County: | Evelyn |
| Near-Nw: | Whittlesea |
| Near-N: | Yea |
| Near-Ne: | Yea |
| Near-W: | Diamond Valley |
| Near-E: | Healesville |
| Near-Sw: | Heidelberg |
| Near-S: | Doncaster & Templestowe |
| Near-Se: | Lillydale |
| Noautocat: | yes |
The Shire of Eltham was a local government area about 25km (16miles) northeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 277.13km2, and existed from 1856 until 1994.
Eltham was first incorporated as a road district on 26 September 1856, and became a shire on 6 April 1871.[2] In 1878, it was altered and re-defined.[3] In 1912, it lost some of its area to the Shire of Healesville.
In August 1918, Eltham Shire Council discussed and "generally expressed themselves as favourable to the proposal" to obtain a "piece of land on the summit of Garden Hill, Kangaroo Ground, and the formation of a memorial park in which a monument could be erected to represent the whole of the Shire."[4] It was opened on Armistice Day, 11 November 1926, by the governor-general, Lord John Baird Stonehaven.[5] The site became known as the Kangaroo Ground War Memorial Park.
On 18 June 1958, it lost its 218km2 East Riding to the Shire of Healesville. This area comprised Yarra Glen, Dixons Creek and parts of Christmas Hills.[6] It also lost part of its North Riding, near Kinglake, to the Shire of Yea, on 1 October 1972.[7]
On 15 December 1994, the Shire of Eltham was abolished, and along with parts of the City of Whittlesea and the Shire of Diamond Valley, was merged into the newly created Shire of Nillumbik. The Kinglake district was transferred to the Shire of Murrindindi, while Montmorency and Lower Plenty, in the shire's far southwest, were transferred to the newly created City of Banyule.[8]
The Shire of Eltham was divided into three ridings on 16 March 1955, each of which elected three councillors:
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1911 | 3,423 | |
| 1947 | 7,028 | |
| 1954 | 11,441 | |
| 1958 | 14,660* | |
| 1961 | 16,575 | |
| 1966 | 20,213 | |
| 1971 | 23,712 | |
| 1976 | 28,631 | |
| 1981 | 34,648 | |
| 1986 | 39,784 | |
| 1991 | 42,670 |