Shire profile
South Gippsland Shire is in south-eastern Victoria, about 100 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, between the Strzelecki Ranges and Bass Strait. Its main towns are Leongatha, where the council offices are, and Korumburra, with smaller towns including Mirboo North, Foster, Meeniyan, Nyora, Poowong, Loch, Fish Creek and Toora, and coastal settlements such as Venus Bay, Sandy Point, Waratah Bay and Port Welshpool. Wilsons Promontory National Park is at its southern tip. Much of the land is used for farming — dairy, beef, sheep and horticulture — and forestry. The shire was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of four municipalities.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- Local Government Area (LGA)
- The official area a council governs.
- Estimated Resident Population (ERP)
- The official population count for an area.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
- The national statistics agency behind population figures.
The area at a glance
- Population (ERP, 30 June 2025)
- 31,109ABS Estimated Resident Population (preliminary).
- Area
- 3,296.3 km²ABS. The council's 'Our Region' page gives about 3,300 km², and its Council Plan and the VEC 3,308 km².
- Population density
- About 9 people per km²ABS population ÷ ABS area (our calculation).
- Wards
- 3 (Coastal Promontory, Strzelecki, Tarwin Valley), with 3 councillors each
- Council group (LGPRF)
- Large Shire
- Rateable properties
- 20,558 assessments (2026–27 budget)
- Traditional Custodians
- Bunurong and Gunaikurnai peoplesAs named in the council's Acknowledgement of Country.
- Council offices
- 9 Smith Street, Leongatha
Suburbs & postcodes
- Agnes3962
- Allambee Reserve (part)3871
- Allambee South (part)3871
- Arawata3951
- Baromi3871
- Bena3946
- Bennison3960
- Berrys Creek3953
- Binginwarri (part)3966
- Boolarong3960
- Boorool3953
- Buffalo3958
- Darlimurla (part)3871
- Delburn (part)3871
- Dollar3871
- Dumbalk3956
- Dumbalk North3956
- Fairbank3951
- Fish Creek3959
- Foster3960
- Foster North3960
- Gunyah3960
- Hallston3953
- Hazel Park3966
- Hedley (part)3967
- Inverloch (part)3996
- Jeetho3945
- Jumbunna3951
- Kardella3951
- Kardella South3950
- Kongwak (part)3951
- Koonwarra3954
- Koorooman3953
- Korumburra3950
- Korumburra South3950
- Krowera (part)3945
- Leongatha3953
- Leongatha North3953
- Leongatha South3953
- Loch (part)3945
- Mardan3953
- Meeniyan3956
- Middle Tarwin3956
- Mirboo (part)3871
- Mirboo North3871
- Mount Best3960
- Mount Eccles3953
- Mount Eccles South3953
- Moyarra3951
- Nerrena3953
- Nyora (part)3987
- Outtrim (part)3951
- Poowong3988
- Poowong East (part)3988
- Poowong North (part)3988
- Port Franklin3964
- Port Welshpool3965
- Pound Creek (part)3996
- Ranceby3951
- Ruby3953
- Sandy Point3959
- Stony Creek3957
- Strzelecki (part)3950
- Tarwin3956
- Tarwin Lower3956
- Thorpdale South (part)3824
- Tidal River3960
- Toora3962
- Toora North (part)3962
- Trida (part)3953
- Turtons Creek3960
- Venus Bay3956
- Walkerville3956
- Walkerville North3956
- Walkerville South3956
- Waratah Bay3959
- Welshpool3966
- Whitelaw3950
- Wild Dog Valley3953
- Wilsons Promontory3960
- Wonga3960
- Woorarra East3962
- Woorarra West3960
- Wooreen3953
- Yanakie3960
On the map
The shaded area is the official Local Government Area boundary.
The council doesn't publish a single list of its localities, so this list comes from the official Vicmap locality boundaries, checked against the Vicmap council boundaries. A locality is listed when at least 5% of its area is inside the council, and marked '(part)' when less than 95% is. Approximate shares inside South Gippsland: Krowera 7%, Inverloch 15%, Binginwarri 20%, Thorpdale South 22%, Allambee Reserve 23%, Hedley 29%, Delburn 43%, Loch 54%, Trida 54%, Kongwak 73%, Outtrim 76%, Poowong East 77%, Mirboo 78%, Pound Creek 85%, Nyora 86%, Strzelecki 86%, Poowong North 87%, Darlimurla 88%, Allambee South 93%, Toora North 93%. Slivers of Boolarra, Lang Lang, Mountain View, Thorpdale and Wonyip (under 5%) are left out. 'Stony Creek' is the locality Vicmap calls 'Stony Creek (Foster)'. Postcodes come from the CSA's suburb and postcode table; for Krowera and Thorpdale South from a neighbouring council's rows, and for Moyarra, Mount Eccles South and Tidal River (no row in that table) from Vicmap postcode boundaries. If you live in a split locality, your rates notice shows which council you pay. The shaded area on the map is the council boundary from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ASGS 2025) — the same boundary the ABS area and population figures are measured on.
Sources — check it yourself
- ABS — Regional population 2024–25, data cube 32180DS0002 Table 2 (Victoria; LGA 26170) · ERP 30 Jun 2025
- ABS — Regional population, latest release · Released Mar 2026
- South Gippsland Shire Council — Our Region · Sep 2026
- South Gippsland Shire Council — Council Plan 2025–2029 (region, Acknowledgement of Country, PDF) · 2025–2029
- Victorian Electoral Commission — South Gippsland Shire Council (3 wards, 3 councillors each; area) · Sep 2026
- South Gippsland Shire Council — Budget 2026/27, section 4.1.1(d) number of assessments (PDF) · 2026–27
- Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) — LGA Recorded Offences, Table 03 (suburb and postcode by LGA) · Jul 2025 to Jun 2026
- DataVic — Vicmap Admin locality polygons · Sep 2026
- Local Government Victoria — LGPRF 2020–2025 Full Council Data Set (council group: Large Shire) · 2024–25
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.