Bland Shire is a local government area in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. it covers an area of . As at the the population was 5,995. It is a member of the League of Extraordinary Communities which was established by Dull, Perth and Kinross, Scotland; and Boring, Oregon, US.
The major economic activities of the shire are agriculture, mining, transport, tourism and wholesale distribution.
History The farm community of Bland Shire was a former gold prospecting site in the Riverina region, centred on West Wyalong.
Bland Shire was proclaimed on 6 March 1906. The shire was named in honour of William Bland.
In 1935 Bland Shire absorbed the Municipality of Wyalong local government area.
Location and settlements Bland Shire is located on the boundary between the central west and Riverina regions. The area is adjacent to the Newell and Mid-Western highways.
The largest town and council seat is West Wyalong. The region also includes the towns of Wyalong, Barmedman, Tallimba, Ungarie, Weethalle and Mirrool. The major economic activities of the shire are agriculture, mining, transport, tourism and wholesale distribution.
Twin towns In 2013, the community joined Dull in Perthshire, Scotland and Boring in Oregon, US to create a "League of Extraordinary Communities" to group Dull, Boring and Bland as a means of encouraging travel, promoting all three communities.
This grouping is not officially a "twin towns" relationship, as Bland is a shire, Dull is a village, and Boring is a town, and all three have very different population sizes.
Climate
Average annual rainfall is . Average temperature are: maximum , minimum . The prevailing wind direction is north east in the morning and south west in the afternoon and evening, with predominantly calm conditions.
Topography, flora and fauna, and geology
Topography is generally undulating or flat, with the altitude ranging from .
Main tree species include: kurrajong, cypress pine, mallee, box, ironbark, belah and wilga. Native pasture plants include: wallaby grasses, Queensland blue grass and plains and wire grass. Native fauna include: water fowl, red and grey kangaroos, echidnas, goannas, possums, bats and mallee fowls.
Soil are predominantly clay with some granite soil and red brown earth, mostly neutral in pH.
Council Current composition and election method
Bland Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021, and the make-up of the council is as follows:
PartyCouncillors Independents 8 Independent Labor 1 Total 9
The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:
CouncillorPartyNotes Kerron Keatley Unaligned Elizabeth McGlynn Unaligned Brian Monaghan IndependentMayor Rodney Crowe Unaligned Deputy Mayor Roger Moore Independent Tony Lord Independent Labor Jill Funnell Unaligned Monica Clark Unaligned Bruce Baker Unaligned
Election results 2024
2021
Demographics
Selected historical census data for Bland Shire local government areaCensus year 2011 2016Population Estimated residents on census night LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales % of New South Wales population % of Australian population Cultural and language diversity Ancestry,top responses EnglishAustralianItalianChineseIrishLanguage,top responses(other than English) ItalianMandarinCantoneseKoreanGreekReligious affiliation Religious affiliation,top responses CatholicNo religionAnglicanEastern OrthodoxBuddhismMedian weekly incomes Personal income Median weekly personal income% of Australian median incomeFamily income Median weekly family income% of Australian median incomeHousehold income Median weekly household income% of Australian median income
References
External links