Road districts of Victoria (Australia)
Road districts were established in the colony of Victoria, Australia pursuant to legislation passed in 1853, and were an early form of local government in Victoria. The districts were outside towns which were instead incorporated either as municipalities or boroughs. The road districts were created between 1853 and 1871.
Road districts were established after public meetings to discuss boundaries etc. followed by a petition to the Governor. Upon the proclamation of a district a public meeting was held to elect officers of the Road Board. The board was responsible for the building and maintenance of local roads and bridges and raised finance from rates levied on landowners.
From 1862 many road districts became shires, pursuant to the District Councils Bill 1862, with additional responsibilities related to pounds, slaughtering licences, thistles, dogs, licensed publicans, brewer's and spirit merchants' licences, and commons. They were also permitted to borrow money for permanent works.
Road districts included:
| Name | Date proclaimed | Notes | Succeeded by | Date | - |
| Portarlington | 1853 | Shire of Bellarine | 1865 | - | |
| Barrabool | 1853 | Shire of Barrabool | 1865 | - | |
| Hawthorne | 1854 | Hawthorn municipal district | 1860 | - | |
| Epping | 1854 | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | - | |
| Boroondara | 1854 | Shire of Boroondara | 1871 | - | |
| Belfast | 1854 | Shire of Belfast | 1863 | - | |
| Warrnambool | 1854 | Shire of Warrnambool | 1863 | - | |
| Lower Leigh | 1855 | - | |||
| Alberton | 1855 | Shire of Alberton | 1864 | - | |
| Portland | 1856 | Shire of Portland | 1863 | - | |
| Bacchus Marsh | 1856 | Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley Road District | 1862 | - | |
| Gardiner | 1856 | Shire of Gardiner | 1871 | - | |
| Templestowe | 1856 | Shire of Bulleen | 1875 | - | |
| Upper Yarra | 1856 | - | |||
| Lillydale | 1856 | Shire of Lillydale | 1872 | - | |
| Dandenong | 1857 | Shire of Dandenong | 1873 | - | |
| Willowmavin | 1857 | - | |||
| South Barwon | 1857 | Borough of South Barwon | 1863 | - | |
| Dundas | 1857 | Shire of Dundas | 1863 | - | |
| Eltham | 1857 | Shire of Eltham | 1871 | - | |
| Ballarat | 1857 | Shire of Ballarat | 1863 | - | |
| Caulfield | 1857 | Shire of Caulfield | 1871 | - | |
| Hampden and Heytesbury | 1857 | named from the counties | Shire of Hampden | 1863 | - |
| Broadmeadows | 1857 | Shire of Broadmeadows | 1871 | - | |
| Nunawading | 1857 | Shire of Nunawading | 1872 | - | |
| Great Brighton | 1858 | - | |||
| Buninyong | 1858 | Shire of Buninyong | 1864 | - | |
| Flinders | 1868 | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874 | - | |
| Oakleigh and Mulgrave | 1858 | Shire of Oakleigh | 1871 | - | |
| Woodstock | 1858 | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | - | |
| Creswick | 1858 | Shire of Creswick | 1863 | - | |
| Pentridge | 1859 | Coburg Road District | 1869 | - | |
| Greensborough | 1859 | United with... | Shire of Heidelberg | 1875 | - |
| Upper Plenty | 1859 | - | |||
| Colac | 1859 | Shire of Colac | 1864 | - | |
| Lexton | 1860 | Shire of Lexton | 1864 | - | |
| Cranbourne | 1860 | Shire of Cranbourne | 1868 | - | |
| Braybrook | 1860 | Shire of Braybrook | 1871 | - | |
| Yandoit and Franklin | 1860 | - | |||
| Heidelberg | 1860 | Shire of Heidelberg | 1871 | - | |
| Amherst and Clunes | 1860 | Shire of Talbot | 1865 | - | |
| Campaspe | 1860 | - | |||
| Tullaroop | 1860 | Shire of Tullaroop | 1865 | - | |
| Newstead | 1860 | Shire of Newstead | 1865 | - | |
| Fryers | 1860 | - | |||
| Glenlyon | 1860 | Shire of Glenlyon | 1865 | - | |
| Gisborne | 1860 | Shire of Gisborne | 1871 | - | |
| Metcalfe | 1860 | Shire of Metcalfe | 1865 | - | |
| Mount Eliza | 1860 | Shire of Mornington | 1871 | - | |
| Mount Eliza | 1860 | - | |||
| Mount Rouse | 1860 | Shire of Mount Rouse | 1864 | - | |
| Mortlake | 1860 | Shire of Mortlake | 1864 | - | |
| Winchelsea | 1860 | Shire of Winchelsea | 1864 | - | |
| Carngham | 1861 | Carngham and Beaufort Road District | 1863 | - | |
| Strathfieldsaye | 1861 | Shire of Strathfieldsaye | 1866 | - | |
| Marong | 1861 | Shire of Marong | 1864 | - | |
| Corio | 1861 | - | |||
| Ararat | 1861 | Shire of Ararat | 1864 | - | |
| Avoca | 1861 | Shire of Avoca | 1864 | - | |
| Bet Bet | 1861 | Shire of Bet Bet | 1864 | - | |
| Huntly | 1861 | Shire of Huntly | 1866 | - | |
| Grenville | 1861 | Shire of Grenville | 1864 | - | |
| Leigh | 1861 | Shire of Leigh | 1864 | - | |
| Ripon | 1861 | Shire of Ripon | 1863 | - | |
| Shelford | 1861 | - | |||
| Stawell | 1861 | Shire of Stawell | 1864 | - | |
| St Arnaud | 1861 | Shire of St Arnaud | 1864 | - | |
| Woady Yallock | 1861 | - | |||
| Woodend, Newham and Rochford | 1861 | Shire of Newham | 1871 | - | |
| Bacchus Marsh and Maddingley | 1862 | - | |||
| Ballan | 1862 | Shire of Ballan | 1864 | - | |
| Bannockburn | 1862 | Shire of Bannockburn | 1864 | - | |
| Berwick | 1862 | Shire of Berwick | 1868 | - | |
| Bulla | 1862 | Shire of Bulla | 1866 | - | |
| Campbell's Creek | 1862 | - | |||
| Chiltern | 1862 | Shire of Chiltern | 1874 | - | |
| Horsham | 1862 | - | |||
| Kangerong | 1862 | Shire of Flinders & Kangerong | 1874 | - | |
| Kingower and Wedderburne | 1862 | - | |||
| Korong | 1862 | Shire of Korong | 1864 | - | |
| Kowree | 1862 | Shire of Kowree | 1872 | - | |
| Melton | 1862 | Shire of Melton | 1871 | - | |
| Moorabbin | 1862 | Shire of Moorabbin | 1871 | - | |
| Oxley | 1862 | Shire of Oxley | 1865 | - | |
| Romsey | 1862 | Shire of Romsey | 1871 | - | |
| Rutherglen | 1862 | Shire of Rutherglen | 1871 | - | |
| Swan Hill | 1862 | Shire of Swan Hill | 1871 | - | |
| Whittlesea | 1862 | Shire of Whittlesea | 1874 | - | |
| Wyndham | 1862 | Shire of Wyndham | 1864 | - | |
| Yackandandah | 1862 | Shire of Yackandandah | 1864 | - | |
| Baringhup | 1863 | Shire of Maldon | - | ||
| Bungaree | 1863 | Shire of Bungaree | 1871 | - | |
| Carngham and Beaufort | 1863 | previously Carngham | - | ||
| Donnybrook, Wallan Wallan and Bylands | 1863 | Shire of Merriang | |||
| Glenelg | 1863 | Shire of Glenelg | 1864 | - | |
| Keilor | 1863 | Shire of Keilor | 1871 | - | |
| Maldon | 1863 | Shire of Maldon | 1864 | - | |
| Malvern | 1863 | Shire of Malvern | 1878 | - | |
| McIvor | 1863 | Shire of McIvor | 1864 | - | |
| North Ovens | 1863 | Shire of North Ovens | 1867 | - | |
| Pyalong | 1863 | Shire of Pyalong | 1871 | - | |
| Seymour | 1863 | Shire of Seymour | 1871 | - | |
| Waranga | 1863 | Shire of Waranga | 1865 | - | |
| Avon | 1864 | Shire of Avon | 1865 | - | |
| East Loddon | 1864 | Shire of East Loddon | 1871 | - | |
| Echuca | 1864 | Shire of Echuca | 1871 | - | |
| Kyneton | 1864 | Shire of Kyneton | 1865 | - | |
| Bairnsdale | 1867 | Shire of Bairnsdale | 1868 | - | |
| Alexandra | 1868 | Shire of Alexandra | 1869 | - | |
| Benalla | 1868 | Shire of Benalla | 1869 | - | |
| Goulburn | 1868 | Shire of Goulburn | 1871 | - | |
| Towong | 1869 | Shire of Towong | 1874 | - | |
| Yea | 1869 | Shire of Yea | 1873 | - | |
| Howqua | 1869 | Shire of Howqua | 1875 | - | |
| Broadford | 1869 | Shire of Broadford | 1875 | - | |
| Coburg | 1869 | renaming of Pentridge | Shire of Coburg | 1875 | - |
| Rosedale | 1869 | Shire of Rosedale | 1871 | - | |
| Phillip Island | 1871 | Shire of Phillip Island and Woolamai | 1874 | - | |
| Connewarre | Town of South Barwon | 1874 | - | ||
| Morang | Shire of Darebin | 1870 | - | ||
| Lauriston and Edgecombe | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | - | ||
| Tylden and Trentham | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | - | ||
| Carlsruhe | Kyneton Road District | 1864 | - | ||
| Lancefield | - | ||||
| Wooragee | - | ||||
| Heathcote | - | ||||
| Indigo | - | ||||
| Indented Heads | - | ||||
| North Harrow | - | ||||
| Carisbrook | - | ||||
| Meredith | - | ||||
| Bylands and Glenburnie | - |