Wodonga Shire was created in 1876 when the colonial government agreed to ratepayers' petitions to have their part of the local government district severed from the Yackandandah Shire to form a new municipality. After meeting for 14 years in rented remises, in the Prince of Wales Hall, Wodonga Council built its first Shire Hall on the corner of High and Elgin Streets in 1890. The date on the façade of the building, 1876, represents the date of the formation of the Shire. In 1957 the second Shire Office was built in Woodland Grove by A.B. and M. A. Chick. These offices were considered more than adequate for future needs. The façade featured floor to ceiling windows and several different meeting rooms in addition to the council chamber, which featured an impressive “horse shoe” table. It also included a kitchen equipped with modern fittings and a President’s room. In the late 1960s the area between Hovell and Havelock Streets as far as Jack Hore Place was zoned for civic purposes. In 1969 plans for a civic centre providing a library, theatre and senior citizens’ rooms. It was opened on 22 April 1971. In 1973, the Council engaged Bruce Marshall to design new offices beside the Civic Centre. Jennings Industries were contracted to complete the offices. The Governor, Sir Henry Winneke, laid the foundation stone of the new offices on 10 March 1976. The Civic Centre was demolished in 2011 to make may for a new $10 million community and entertainment centre which opened in August 2012.These photos are significant because they depict the different buildings which have housed the centre of local government in Wodonga since its inception as an independent shire in 1876.A series of photographs depicting the different buildings used to house the Wodonga Council and Civic buildings over time.wodonga civic buildings, wodonga council, shire of wodonga, rural city of wodonga

The official opening of the Shire of Diamond Valley offices in Greensborough on 26/02/1972. These photographs show an exterior view of the new building and the crowd in attendance.Photographs taken by a member of SDV staff.Photographs from of a folder of 21 colour photographsOn cover of folder "Opening of S.D.V. Office"shire of diamond valley, shire of diamond valley offices 1972

June Meeting (Newsletter No. 240, Jun. 2018) Prior to Shillinglaw Cottage (c1878-80) being relocated to where it is now operated as a popular cafe near the Eltham Library, it was within Josiah Holloway’s 1850s subdivision known as Little Eltham, which later became the centre of the first Eltham township. Originally a farmer’s cottage it is historically significant because it is one of the Shire’s oldest dwellings and a fine example of the work of the well-known pioneer builder George Stebbing. In 1964 the then Shire of Eltham purchased the Shillinglaw property with the intention of demolishing the cottage and constructing new Shire offices on the site. However extensive community action resulted in funds being raised to have the building saved and relocated further south to the Eltham Common, where it was joined by the Eltham Library 1994. New Shire offices opened in 1965, but following municipal restructure in 1994 these were demolished and the land sold to a developer, which precipitated a dramatic trail of community angst, threats of legal action, the sacking of a newly elected council and several unsuccessful development proposals, by subsequent councils. After all these years the vacant site there is still guarded by the three trees that were outside the front of the Shillinglaw Cottage. At our Society meeting on Wednesday 13th June 2018 Jim Connor will speak about the dramatic tale encompassing the history of the former Eltham Shire office site and the adjoining War Memorial Buildings complex, which are now being considered for sale or redevelopment by the current Nillumbik Shire Council.1:17:57 duration Digital MP3 File 27 MB audio recording, eltham district historical society, jim connor, meeting, shire of eltham office site, society meeting