History

The Southern Grampians Shire encompasses and area of 6,654 square kilometres with a population of approximately 16,000 smiling locals.

The Shire consists of a number of towns with the main population hubs being the city of Hamilton and the towns of Coleraine, Dunkeld and Penshurst.

Settled in the 1830’s by explorers searching for grazing land, they were not disappointed by the rolling hills and verdant plains of what would go on to become one of the best regarded wool centres in the world.

Hamilton serves as the seat of local government and is the biggest population centre in the area. While Hamilton has long been called the capital of the Western District, anyone can tell you that every inch of the shire is packed with character all its own.

The major geographic feature of the region, and the feature for which the Shire was named, are The Grampians, a dramatic and rugged range of remarkable sandstone mountains. The area surrounding the mountain range, from Stawell in the north to Horsham in the south, was declared a National Park in 1984, cementing the area as one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the nation.