The Hay Shire is a local government area in the Riverina area of south-western New South Wales, Australia. The Shire comprises 11,326 square kilometres (4,373 sq mi) and is located adjacent to the Sturt, Mid-western and Cobb Highways. The area includes the towns of Hay, Booligal and Maude.

Hay Shire New South Wales
Location of Hay Shire in New South Wales
Coordinates	34°30′S 144°51′E
Population	2,946 (2016 census)[1] 2,979 (2018 est.)[2]
• Density	0.26011/km2 (0.67369/sq mi)
Established	1965
Area	11,325.89 km2 (4,373.0 sq mi)[3]
Mayor	Cr. Bill Sheaffe (Unaligned)[4]
Council seat	Hay
Region	Riverina
State electorate(s)	Murray
Federal division(s)	Farrer
Website	Hay Shire
LGAs around Hay Shire: Balranald Carrathool Carrathool Balranald Hay Shire Murrumbidgee Murray River Edward River Edward River

Hay Shire was established in 1965 by the amalgamation of the Municipality of Hay with the surrounding Waradgery Shire.[5]

The mayor of Hay Shire is Cr. Bill Sheaffe, an unaligned politician.[4]

Demographics

Selected historical census data for Hay Shire local government area
Census year			2001[6]	2006[7]	2011[8]	2016[1]
Population		Estimated residents on census night	3,562	3,383	2,956	2,946
		LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales			123rd	121st
		% of New South Wales population	0.06%	0.05%	0.04%	0.04%
		% of Australian population	0.02%	0.02%	0.01%	0.01%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry, top responses		Australian			35.3%	35.3%
		English			33.2%	29.4%
		Irish			8.8%	8.6%
		Scottish			6.8%	6.9%
		Italian			n/c	2.4%
Language, top responses (other than English)		Italian	1.1%	0.8%	1.2%	0.8%
		Fijian	0.2%	n/c	n/c	0.5%
		Punjabi	n/c	n/c	n/c	0.3%
		Greek	0.3%	0.3%	0.1%	0.3%
		Portuguese	n/c	n/c	n/c	0.2%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation, top responses		Catholic	36.4%	36.1%	35.8%	31.9%
		Anglican	31.8%	31.1%	31.1%	24.7%
		No Religion	7.1%	10.4%	10.9%	16.3%
		Not stated	n/c	n/c	n/c	12.8%
		Presbyterian and Reformed	9.2%	7.9%	7.9%	5.8%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income		Median weekly personal income		A$404	A$441	A$587
		% of Australian median income		86.7%	76.4%	88.7%
Family income		Median weekly family income		A$983	A$981	A$1,344
		% of Australian median income		83.9%	66.2%	77.5%
Household income		Median weekly household income		A$741	A$805	A$1,075
		% of Australian median income		72.2%	65.2%	74.8%

Council

Current composition and election method

Hay Shire Council is composed of eight 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 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the council is as follows:[9]

The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election, is:[9]

Literary reference

Banjo Paterson (1864–1941) wrote a poem called Hay and Hell and Booligal about the district.[10]

References