| Type: | lga |
| Shire of Hastings | |
| State: | vic |
| Region: | Mornington Peninsula |
| Area: | 304.6 |
| Est: | 1960 |
| Seat: | Hastings |
| Pop: | 30,600 |
| Pop Year: | 1992 |
| Pop Footnotes: | [1] |
| County: | Mornington |
| Near-Nw: | Frankston |
| Near-N: | Cranbourne |
| Near-Ne: | Cranbourne |
| Near-W: | Mornington |
| Near-E: | Western Port |
| Near-Sw: | Flinders |
| Near-S: | Western Port |
| Near-Se: | Western Port |
| Noautocat: | yes |
The Shire of Hastings was a local government area about 60km (40miles) south-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, encompassing the eastern extremity of the Mornington Peninsula. The shire covered an area of 304.6km2, and existed from 1960 until 1994.
The Mornington Road District was created on 6 November 1860, and became a shire on 24 November 1871. On 31 May 1893, it was renamed the Shire of Frankston and Hastings, and lost its western riding to the New Mornington Shire, which itself was later renamed the Shire of Mornington.
On 19 October 1960, the Central and Eastern Ridings of the Shire of Frankston were severed, and with parts of the Eastern Riding of the Shire of Flinders, were incorporated as the Shire of Hastings.[2]
On 15 December 1994, the Shire of Hastings was abolished, and along with the Shires of Flinders and Mornington, and a small part of the City of Frankston, was merged into the newly created Shire of Mornington Peninsula.[3] The Age reported in July 1994 that the result had been supported by Hastings and Mornington councils from the beginning, but opposed by Flinders, which wanted to merge with the southern coastal section of Hastings.[4]
Council formerly met at the Shire Offices, at High Street and Marine Parade, Hastings. The facility is still used today by the Shire of Mornington Peninsula.
The Shire of Hastings was divided into four ridings, each of which elected three councillors:
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 2,622 | |
| 1958 | 2,950* | |
| 1961 | 6,883 | |
| 1966 | 7,274 | |
| 1971 | 8,927 | |
| 1976 | 13,142 | |
| 1981 | 17,751 | |
| 1986 | 23,216 | |
| 1991 | 28,742 |