Stawell was first incorporated as a
road district on 29 January 1861, and became a shire on 30 December 1864. On 26 October 1926, it annexed part of the North Riding of the
Shire of Ararat. On 20 January 1995, the Shire of Stawell was abolished, and along with the City of Stawell, the
Town of St Arnaud, parts of the Shires of Ararat,
Avoca,
Donald,
Kara Kara,
Dunmunkle and the
Grampians National Park section of the
Shire of Wimmera, was merged into the newly created
Shire of Northern Grampians. The
Armstrong district was transferred into the
Rural City of Ararat. ==Wards==