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The Rise of Christianity

The Rise of Christianity (subtitled either A Sociologist Reconsiders History or How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries, depending on the edition), is a book by the sociologist Rodney Stark, which examines the rise of Christianity, from a small movement in Galilee and Judea at the time of Jesus to the majority religion of the Roman Empire a few centuries later.

Summary
Stark argues that contrary to popular belief, Christianity was not a movement of the lower classes and the oppressed but instead of the upper and middle classes in the cities and of Hellenized Jews. Stark also discusses the exponential nature of the growth of religion.

Stark points to a number of advantages that Christianity had over paganism to explain its growth:

 * While others fled cities, Christians stayed in urban areas during plague, ministering and caring for the sick.
 * Christian populations grew faster because of the prohibition of birth control, abortion and infanticide. Since infanticide tended to affect female newborns more frequently, early Christians had a more even sex ratio and therefore a higher percentage of childbearing women than pagans.
 * To the same effect: Women were valued higher and allowed to participate in worship leading to a high rate of female converts.
 * In a time of two epidemics (165 CE and 251 CE) which killed up to a third of the whole population of the Roman Empire each time, the Christian message of redemption through sacrifice offered a more satisfactory explanation of why bad things happen to innocent people. Further, the tighter social cohesion and mutual help made them able to better cope with the disasters, leaving them with fewer casualties than the general population. This would also be attractive to outsiders, who would want to convert. Lastly, the epidemics left many non-Christians with a reduced number of interpersonal bonds, making the forming of new ones both necessary and easier.
 * Christians did not fight against their persecutors by open violence or guerrilla warfare but willingly went to their martyrdom while praying for their captors, which added credibility to their evangelism.

Stark's basic thesis is that, ultimately, Christianity triumphed over paganism because it improved the quality of life of its adherents at that time.

Reception
"Stark has produced a provocative, insightful, challenging account of the rise of Christianity. The thesis—that Christianity was a success because it provided those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life—may anger many readers and force all readers to stop and think. It is a marvelous exercise in the sociological imagination and a warning to those who like simple explanations--such as that Constantine was ultimately responsible for the success of Christianity when he made it the official religion of the Roman Empire" (Andrew M. Greeley, National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago).

"For years, biblical scholars and church historians have used sociological jargon to promote ideological views. Now an established sociologist has entered the fray with devastating results. This brilliant and highly provocative book will revolutionize the way people think about both biblical studies and church history. Love it or hate it, Rodney Stark's The Rise of Christianity is a book nobody interested in the study of religion can ignore" (Irving Hexham, University of Calgary).

In the media
This book prominently featured within the storyline of Hidden Empire by Orson Scott Card, according to the book's afterword, and The Rise of Christianity even inspired the book's plot.

title: The Rise of Christianity


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Shire of Hepburn

The Shire of Hepburn is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of 1473 km2 and, in the 2021 Census the shire had a population of 16,604.

It includes the towns of Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Hepburn Springs and Trentham and the villages of Glenlyon, Allendale, Kingston, Leonard's Hill, Lyonville, Newlyn, Denver and Smeaton.

It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Creswick, Shire of Daylesford and Glenlyon and parts of the Shire of Kyneton and Shire of Talbot and Clunes.

The shire is governed and administered by the Hepburn Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Daylesford. It also has a service centre located in Creswick. The shire is named after an early squatter named John Hepburn, who established the Smeaton Hill pastoral run, which was located a few kilometres north of present-day Creswick.

Current composition
The council is composed of five wards and seven councillors, with two councillors per ward elected to represent each of the Creswick and Birch wards, and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards. As of 2020, the councillors are:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Daylesford Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Daylesford, and its service centre in Creswick.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 16,604, up from 15,330 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

Traditional owners
The traditional owners of the Shire of Hepburn are the Dja Dja Wurrung.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Shire of Hepburn


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Shire of Indigo

The Shire of Indigo, a local government area (LGA) in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, lies in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 2040 km2 and in August 2021 had a population of 17,368.

It includes the towns of Beechworth, Chiltern, Rutherglen and Yackandandah. It formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Rutherglen, Shire of Chiltern, Shire of Yackandandah and United Shire of Beechworth.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Indigo Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Beechworth, it also has service centres located in Chiltern, Rutherglen and Yackandandah. The Shire is named after the Indigo Valley and Indigo Creek, geographical features that meander through the LGA and into the Murray River.

In 2008, the Bankwest Quality of Life Index rated Indigo fifteenth of 590 Australian local government areas.

Current composition
As of 22 September 2016, the council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.

The makeup of the council is as follows:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Beechworth Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Beechworth, and its service centres in Chiltern, Rutherglen and Yackandandah.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 17,368 up from 15,952 in the 2016 census

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Indigo


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Grigori Trilogy

The Grigori Trilogy is a series of three gothic horror novels by British author Storm Constantine. The series tells the story of the Grigori, a race of fallen angels who are being rewoken in preparation for the new millennium, and their children by human women, the Nephilim.

Constantine draws upon a wide-ranging bibliography of references for her novels. Elements of John Milton's Paradise Lost, Lord Byron's Heaven and Earth and the writings of paranormal author Andrew Collins can be found throughout the series.

Originally published in the United Kingdom by Signet/Penguin, the books were later published by U.S. publisher Meisha Merlin. In 2006, the first book in the series was brought back into print by UK-based Immanion Press. The remaining two books will follow.

Books

 * Stalking Tender Prey (1995)
 * Scenting Hallowed Blood (1996)
 * Stealing Sacred Fire (1997)

title: Grigori Trilogy


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Shire of Hindmarsh

The Shire of Hindmarsh is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 7527 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 5,645, having fallen from 5,852 in June 2013.

It includes the towns of Dimboola, Nhill, Rainbow and Jeparit. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Lowan and Shire of Dimboola.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Hindmarsh Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the Council headquarters in Nhill, it also has service centres located in Dimboola, Rainbow and Jeparit. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, Lake Hindmarsh, (which in turn was named after John Hindmarsh) located in the east of the LGA.

Current composition
The council is composed of three wards and six councillors, with two councillors per ward elected to represent each ward. The current councillors, in order of election at the 2020 election, are:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Nhill Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It provides customer services at its administrative centre in Nhill, and its service centres in Dimboola, Jeparit, and Rainbow.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 5,698 down from 5,721 in the 2016 census

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Hindmarsh


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City of Latrobe

The City of Latrobe is a local government area in the Gippsland region in eastern Victoria, Australia, located in the eastern part of the state. It covers an area of 1426 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 75,211. It is primarily urban with the vast majority of its population living within the four major urban areas of Moe, Morwell, Traralgon, and Churchill, and other significant settlements in the LGA include Boolarra, Callignee, Glengarry, Jeeralang, Newborough, Toongabbie, Tyers, Yallourn North and Yinnar. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the City of Moe, City of Morwell, City of Traralgon, Shire of Traralgon, and parts of the Shire of Narracan and Shire of Rosedale. The Yallourn Works Area was added in 1996. When formed, the municipality was called the Shire of La Trobe, but on 6 April 2000, it adopted its current name.

The city is governed by the Latrobe City Council, with its seat of local government and administrative centre located at the council headquarters, 141 Commercial Road, Morwell. It also has service centres located in Moe, Churchill and Traralgon. The city is named after the Latrobe River and Latrobe Valley, major geographical features that meander through the north of the LGA.

Industry and economy
The City has traditionally been recognised as the centre of Victoria's electricity industry, which is derived from one of the largest brown coal reserves in the world. It also the centre of a large forestry industry which services Australian Paper's pulp and paper mill (the largest in Australia) and other sawmills. Other industries in the area include food processing (Lion Foods – Morwell), engineering, post secondary education (Federation University Australia), and the service sector. Being the largest population centre in the Gippsland region, Latrobe acts as the regional headquarters for Government agencies and private operators including banks and insurance companies.

Latrobe is also close to popular tourist attractions including the Baw Baw and Tarra-Bulga National Parks and is the natural service centre to the historic gold mining town of Walhalla.

The power generators include:
 * Loy Yang A & B Power Stations, Loy Yang
 * Yallourn Power Station, Yallourn
 * Jeeralang Power Station, Hazelwood North

Two power stations have closed in recent years, including International Power Hazelwood (2017), and EnergyBrix (Morwell) power station and briquette manufacturing facility (2014).

Townships and localities
The 2021 census, the city had a population of 77,318 up from 73,257 in the 2016 census

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

Current composition
The council is composed of four wards and nine councillors, with four councillors elected to represent the East Ward, two councillors per ward elected to represent each of the Central and West wards, and one councillor elected to represent the South Ward.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Morwell Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Morwell, and its service centres in Moe and Traralgon.

title: City of Latrobe


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Addressing scheme

There are three different addressing schemes for display devices: direct, matrix, and raster. The purpose of each scheme is to set (or maintain) the state of a pixel to either black/white or, more commonly, a grayscale level.

Direct addressing
A direct addressed display runs individual control signals to each pixel. This allows the state, whether on/off or grayscale, to be set and maintained on each pixel. For a screen size of m×n pixels, this scheme would require m×n control signals. This is generally considered to be an inefficient use of I/O and physical space.

Matrix addressing
A matrix addressed display runs control signals only to the rows (lines) and columns of the display. (See also: Display matrix) For a screen size of m×n pixels, this scheme requires m+n control signals. To address all pixels of such a display in the shortest time, either entire rows or entire columns have to be addressed sequentially. As many images are shown on a 16:9 aspect ratio, the sequential addressing is typically done row-by-row (i. e. line-by-line). In this case, fewer rows than columns have to be refreshed periodically. Passive matrix addressing is used with the help of persistence of vision of the (usually human) eye so the cell need not be bistable. Persistence of vision is used in simpler, slower changing displays with relatively few picture elements such as clocks. In active matrix addressing, some sort of capacitor (external to the cell proper) is used to maintain the state of the cell. When the electro-optical property of cells itself is bistable, passive matrix addressing without external capacitor can be implemented.

Raster addressing
A raster addressed display (e.g., a CRT) works by scanning across the entire display in sequence while modulating control signal to activate each pixel as it is scanned. This display uses persistence of the pixel element (e.g., phosphor) to maintain the pixel state until the scan can visit that pixel again. There are only three control signals required for this to work: a horizontal scan control signal, a vertical scan control signal, and an intensity control signal. Timing between these signals is very important, else the image on the screen will show artifacts.

title: Addressing scheme


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Shire of Loddon

The Shire of Loddon is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the northern part of the state. It covers an area of 6696 km2 and in 2021 had a population of 7,759.

It includes the towns of Inglewood, Boort, Serpentine, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of East Loddon, Shire of Gordon, Shire of Korong, and parts of the Rural City of Marong, Shire of Bet Bet, Shire of Maldon and Shire of Tullaroop.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Loddon Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Wedderburn, it also has a service centre located in Serpentine. The Shire is named after the Loddon River, a major geographical feature that meanders through the LGA.

Current composition
The council is composed of five wards and five councillors, with one councillor per ward elected to represent each ward.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the Wedderburn Municipal Offices. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Wedderburn, and its service centre in Serpentine.

Traditional owners
The Dja Dja Wurrung and Barababaraba are the traditional owners of this land.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census recorded the shire's population of 7,759, compared to 7,516 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: Shire of Loddon


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Shire of Macedon Ranges

The Shire of Macedon Ranges is a region in Central Victoria, Australia, best known for its native forests, geographical attraction Hanging Rock, and artisan food and wine industries. The region covers an area of 1748 km2. It is located in between the cities of Bendigo and Melbourne. In August 2021 the shire had a population of 51,458. It includes the towns of Gisborne, Gisborne South, Kyneton, Lancefield, Macedon, Malmsbury, Mount Macedon, New Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Romsey and Woodend.

The Shire is named after the region's major geographical feature, the Macedon Ranges. It has become one of Victoria's most popular tourist attractions and contains some of its most sought-after real estate.

It is governed and administered by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Kyneton, it also has service centres located in Gisborne, Romsey and Woodend.

Macedon Ranges was one of the highest-rated areas in Australia in the Quality of Life Index 2008. It was the highest rated in Victoria (outside Melbourne), and was 13th of 590 Australian local government areas.

Current composition
The Shire of Macedon Ranges was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Romsey, Shire of Gisborne, Shire of Newham and Woodend, and most of the Shire of Kyneton.

The council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.

Administration and governance
The Council meets in the Council chambers at Gisborne, which is also the location of one of the Council's administrative centres. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Kyneton, and its service centres in Gisborne, Romsey and Woodend.

Education
Gisborne Secondary College, the largest Secondary School in the shire, is located in Gisborne and provides both academic and vocational programs for over 1000 students from across the Macedon Ranges. Kyneton Secondary College is Kyneton's state secondary school, along with Sacred Heart College (Catholic), and Braemar College east of Woodend (Ecumenical, co-educational) as the largest non-government secondary schools in the shire. In addition to a range of primary schools across the shire, Candlebark Primary School and Alice Miller High School (whose principal is John Marsden, Australian author and educator) provide alternative education options.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 51,458 compared to 46,100 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: Shire of Macedon Ranges


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Shire of Mitchell

Mitchell Shire is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located North of Melbourne. It covers an area of 2862 km2 and, in April 2024, had a projected population of 61,362. Larger towns include Beveridge, Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour, Tallarook, Pyalong and Wallan. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Pyalong, the Shire of Kilmore, most of the Shire of Broadford, and parts of the Shire of McIvor and Rural City of Seymour.

The Shire is governed and administered by Mitchell Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the Council headquarters in Broadford, it also has service centres located in Kilmore, Beveridge, Seymour and Wallan. The Shire is named after an early British surveyor and explorer, Major Thomas Mitchell, who explored the south-eastern part of Australia, and whose return route for his third expedition passed through the present-day LGA.

The Shire is Victoria’s fastest growing municipality. As an interface growth area, it offers a mix of rural and urban living with affordable housing and a diversity of lifestyle and housing choices. By 2041 it is expected that 170,000 people will live in Mitchell Shire. It is anticipated that most of this growth will occur in and around the southern townships of Beveridge, Kilmore/Kilmore East and Wallan.

Current composition
The Council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.

Administration and governance
Mitchell Shire Council meets in the Council Chambers at Mitchell Civic Centre in Broadford. It also has Customer and Library Service Centres in Broadford, Kilmore, Seymour and Wallan.

Townships and localities
Mitchell Shire has a population of 61,362. Individual locality populations are based on the most recent available data on ID Forecast

title: Shire of Mitchell


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Glückstadt

Glückstadt (Lykstad) is a town in the Steinburg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Lower Elbe at the confluence of the small Rhin river, about 45 km northwest of Altona. Glückstadt is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region (Metropolregion Hamburg).

History
Glückstadt was founded in 1617 on the marsh lands along the Elbe by the Duke of Holstein, King Christian IV of Denmark, who had levees and fortifications built as well as a ducal residence. Its name translates to English literally as "Luck City" or "Fortune City". As Christian IV promised the settlers tax exemption and freedom of religion, Glückstadt soon became an important trading centre, intended to compete with the Imperial city of Hamburg, located upstream on the Elbe. Calvinists, Remonstrants and Mennonites (Anabaptists) from the Netherlands settled here, as well as Sephardic Jews and Catholics.

After the king had interfered in the Thirty Years' War, the town in 1627/28 was besieged for fifteen weeks by the united Imperial and Catholic troops under the command of Albrecht von Wallenstein and Count Tilly, though without success.

In 1649 Christian’s son and successor King Frederik III of Denmark had the seat of the Holstein administration moved to Glückstadt, whereafter the duchy became known as Holstein-Glückstadt. In 1773 the town became the capital of all Holstein lands, when the lands of the Holstein-Gottorp line were finally incorporated. During the War of the Sixth Coalition in 1814 Glückstadt was blockaded by the allies and capitulated, whereupon its fortifications were demolished. In 1830 it was made a free port.

Holstein-Glückstadt remained a possession of the Danish Crown until its defeat in the Second Schleswig War of 1864. It was occupied by Austria, but finally incorporated into the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein in the aftermath of the 1866 Austro-Prussian War.

Transport
In 1845, Glückstadt station opened on the Marsh Railway line from Elmshorn, which in 1857 was continued to Itzehoe. Today trains run from Hamburg-Altona station to Westerland on Sylt island. Glückstadt also has a ferry service across the Elbe to Wischhafen in Lower Saxony. It is a stop on the Deutsche Fährstraße theme road and the Elbe Cycle Route.

Notable people
Chronological list
 * Christoffer Gabel (1617-1673), Danish statesman and merchant, governor of the Faroe Islands and Copenhagen, most powerful adviser of Frederick III of Denmark.
 * Frederic Louis Norden (1708–1742), a Danish naval captain, cartographer and archaeological explorer.
 * Ludvig Manthey (1769-1842), a Danish pharmacist.
 * Adolph Carl Peter Callisen(1786–1866), a German-Danish physician and lexicographer.
 * August Detlev Christian Twesten (1789-1876), Lutheran theologian.
 * Theodor Olshausen (1802-1869), lawyer, politician, 1848 revolutionary.
 * August Friedrich Schenck (1828-1901), a painter, well known for his landscapes and paintings of animals
 * John C. Petersen (1842-1887), butcher, farmer, and Wisconsin legislator
 * Rudolf von Willemoes-Suhm (1847-1875), zoologist, and research traveller
 * Theodor Heinrich Engelbrecht (1853–1934), an agronomist, geographer, farmer and politician.
 * Fritz Lau (1872–1966), Low German playwright and author.
 * Kurt Benirschke (1924-2018), pathologist, geneticist, inventor of the Frozen zoo
 * Willi Holdorf (1940 in Blomesche Wildnis - 2020), 1964 Summer Olympics gold medallist in the decathlon

title: Glückstadt


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Shire of Moira

Moira Shire Council is a Local Government Area in the Northern Victoria Region of Victoria, Australia. Located in the north-east part of the state, it covers an area of 4045 km2. As at August 2021 the population was 30,522.

It includes the towns of Cobram, Nathalia, Numurkah, Tungamah and Yarrawonga. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Cobram, Shire of Nathalia, Shire of Numurkah, and parts of the Shire of Tungamah and Shire of Yarrawonga.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Moira Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Cobram, it also has a service centre located in Yarrawonga. The Shire is named after the county of Moira, of which the LGA occupies the northern part.

Current composition
The council is composed of nine councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.

In the wake of a report detailing the "preventable" murder of a senior manager, the Moira Shire council was dismissed by the Minister for Local Government, Melissa Horne on 7 March 2023. An interim administrator has been appointed. Elections to elect a new council will not be held until 2028.

Administration and governance
The council meets in various locations around the Shire. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Cobram and its service centre in Yarrawonga.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 30,522, up from 29,112 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Moira


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Shire of Moorabool

The Shire of Moorabool is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 2111 km2 and, in June 2018, had a population of 34,158. It includes the towns of Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, Mount Wallace, Myrniong, Blackwood, Greendale, Gordon, Korweinguboora and Mount Egerton, Bungaree, Elaine and Wallace. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Bacchus Marsh, Shire of Ballan and parts of the Shire of Bungaree and City of Werribee.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Moorabool Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Ballan, it also has service centres located in Bacchus Marsh and Darley. The Shire is named after the Moorabool River, a major geographical feature that meanders through the area, which is named after the Wathawurrung word moo-roo-bul referring to Bunyip-like creature that lives in the river.

Current composition
The council is composed of four wards and seven councillors, with four councillors elected to represent the East Moorabool Ward and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards. Council Composition as of September 2022:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Ballan Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Ballan, and its service centre in Bacchus Marsh.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire's population was 37,632, compared to 31,818 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Moorabool


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Mount Alexander Shire

The Mount Alexander Shire (officially Shire of Mount Alexander) is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central part of the state. It covers an area of 1530 km2 and, in August 2021, had a population of 20,253. It includes the towns of Castlemaine, Chewton, Elphinstone, Maldon, Newstead, Harcourt, Taradale, Vaughan, Fryerstown and Campbells Creek. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the City of Castlemaine, Shire of Newstead, and most of the Shire of Maldon and Shire of Metcalfe. The traditional owners of the land are Dja Dja Wurrung.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Mount Alexander Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Castlemaine. It also has service centres located in Maldon and Newstead. The Shire is named after the first European settlers' name for the Castlemaine region and goldfields.

Current composition
The council is composed of five wards and seven councillors, with three councillors elected to represent the Castlemaine Ward and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Castlemaine Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Castlemaine, and its service centres in Maldon and Newstead.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 20,253, up from 18,761 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Mount Alexander Shire


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Shire of Moyne

The Shire of Moyne is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 5481 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 16,887. It includes the towns of Port Fairy, Koroit, Mortlake, Macarthur, Peterborough, Caramut, Ellerslie, Framlingham, Garvoc, Hawkesdale, Kirkstall, Panmure, Mailors Flat, Purnim, Wangoom and Woolsthorpe. It also entirely surrounds the City of Warrnambool, a separate local government area. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Belfast, Shire of Minhamite, Borough of Port Fairy, and parts of the Shire of Mortlake, Shire of Warrnambool, Shire of Dundas, Shire of Mount Rouse and Shire of Hampden.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Moyne Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Port Fairy, it also has a customer service centre in Mortlake, a works depot in Koroit, Mortlake and Macarthur. The Shire is named after the Moyne River, a major geographical feature that meanders through the LGA.

The industry base for the area includes: Dairy, beef cattle, sheep, vegetable production, seafood, other food products, pharmaceuticals,  manufacturing, quarrying, and tourism.

Traditional ownership
The formally recognised traditional owners for the area in which the Shire of Moyne sits are the Eastern Maar peoples and Gunditjmara people, who are represented by the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC) and the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (GMTOAC).

Current composition
The council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the Mortlake Municipal Office. Administrative activities are conducted at both the Port Fairy and Mortlake offices, which also provide customer services centres.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census recorded the shire population at 17,374, up from 16,495 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: Shire of Moyne


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Shire of Murrindindi

The Shire of Murrindindi is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 3880 km2 and, in August 2021, had a population of 15,197. It includes the towns of Alexandra, Buxton, Eildon, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Marysville, Molesworth, Strath Creek, Taggerty, Yarck and Yea. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Alexandra, Shire of Yea, and parts of the Shire of Broadford, Shire of Eltham, Shire of Euroa, Shire of Healesville and City of Whittlesea.

The Shire is governed by the Murrindindi Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Alexandra, it also has service centres located in Kinglake and Yea. The Shire is named after the locality of Murrindindi, which is located near the geographical centre of the LGA.

Parts of Murrindindi were badly affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires, notably the towns of Marysville and Kinglake. In total, 106 people died across the Shire including 38 in Kinglake and 34 in Marysville.

The Lake Mountain ski resort is an unincorporated area near the southern border of the shire, which creates a small exclave.

Current composition
The council is composed of seven wards and seven councillors, with one councillor elected to represent each ward.

Administration and governance
The Council meets on a monthly basis for Scheduled Meetings and from time to time for Unscheduled Meetings. The meetings are streamed live on Council's Facebook page. Council provides customer services from its Library and Customer Service Centres in Alexandra, Kinglake and Yea and also from its Mobile Library and Customer Service.

Media
Murrindindi Shire activities are covered weekly in local print publications and also on local radio UGFM. The latest information is also made available on Council's website and Facebook pages.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census recorded the shire population at 15,197, compared to 13,732 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Murrindindi


text:
Lake Pedder

Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the Serpentine and Huon rivers by the Hydro-Electric Commission for the purpose of hydroelectric power generation. Consequently, the lake is also known, somewhat derisively, as the Huon-Serpentine Impoundment.

As a result, the flooded Lake Pedder now has a surface area of approximately 242 km2, making it Tasmania's second largest lake.

The original and modified lake
In early 20th century the original lake was named after Sir John Pedder, the first Chief Justice of Tasmania. The new artificial impoundment received the official name of the original lake. Although the new Lake Pedder incorporates the original lake, it does not resemble it in size, appearance or ecology.

The new lake consists of an impoundment contained by three dams:
 * Serpentine Dam – a 38 m high rockfill dam with a concrete upstream face on the Serpentine River.
 * Scotts Peak Dam – a 43 m high rockfill dam with a bitumen upstream face on the upper reaches of the Huon River near Scotts Peak.
 * Edgar Dam – a 17 m high rockfill dam at Lake Edgar near Scotts Peak.

The dams were designed and constructed by Tasmania's Hydro Electric Commission (HEC) as part of the Upper Gordon River hydro-electric generation scheme. The aim of this scheme was to increase Tasmania's capacity to generate hydro-electricity in accordance with the Tasmanian Government's policy of attempting to attract secondary industry to the State with the incentive of cheap renewable energy.

The new Huon Serpentine impoundment, which filled after the dams were completed in 1972, drains into Lake Gordon via the McPartlan Pass Canal at -42.85111°N, 146.18389°W. Together, the lakes form the biggest water catchment and storage system in Australia.

Climate
Lake Pedder has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb).

Damming
There were protests in Tasmania and mainland Australia at the flooding of the original lake, before, during and after construction of the dams. Protests began when in 1967 the Tasmanian Government revoked the status of the Lake Pedder National Park that had protected the lake since 1955. The role of the HEC as a surrogate wing of the Tasmanian government was perceived when the political or wider social dissent against the HEC power over the Tasmanian environment seemed impregnable. Tasmania's political leader, Premier Eric Reece and Allan Knight, the HEC Commissioner, were seen as the leading proponents of the 'damming' of Tasmania against any opinion to the contrary, and were not averse to taking their opinions to statewide and national advertising campaigns asserting their right to dam the lake.

Reece was well known for his staunch support of the HEC and its power development schemes on the Gordon River, which earned him the nickname "Electric Eric". In 1972, Reece approved the flooding of Lake Pedder, which proceeded despite a determined protest movement and a blank cheque offer from Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to preserve the Lake Pedder area. Reece refused Whitlam's offer, stating that he would "not have the Federal Government interfering with the sovereign rights of Tasmania".

"'There was a National Park out there, but I can't remember exactly where it was . . . at least, it wasn't of substantial significance in the scheme of things. The thing that was significant was that we had to double the output of power in this state in ten years in order [to] supply the demands of industry and the community. And this was the scheme that looked as though it could do a greater part of [the] job for us.'"

A series of photographs in the 1976 Tasmanian Year book illustrated the process of flooding of the Lake Pedder area.

Community response
Opposition to the flooding of Lake Pedder extended well beyond Tasmania and spread throughout Australia and internationally. The focus on the South West Tasmania Wilderness area as an environmental battleground increased interest in the area, and many travelled to Lake Pedder before it was flooded to see what the issues were about.

In 1971, a large number of people travelled to Pedder to see the lake before it was to be inundated, and a particular weekend in March of that year became known as the Pedder Pilgrimage due to the large number of people present.

The protests included the United Tasmania Group who were the precursor to the Tasmanian Greens and are now recognised as the world's first green party. The group that preceded the Tasmanian Wilderness Society – the South West Tasmania Action Committee continued after the flooding, with the knowledge that surveying and appraising other catchments in the south west and west of Tasmania was well underway by the HEC. Although increasingly sophisticated economic, environmental and engineering arguments were raised by the opponents of the dam, it was not until the Franklin scheme that either the Hydro or its defenders were even considering the critiques. In 1972, the Christian activist Brenda Hean perished with pilot Max Price in a tiger moth aircraft they were flying from Tasmania to Canberra to protest the damming of Lake Pedder; it was alleged that pro-dam campaigners had entered the plane's hangar and placed sugar in one of its fuel tanks.

Hesba Fay Brinsmead, an Australian children's author and environmentalist, wrote two books about the damming of Lake Pedder:
 * Echo in the Wilderness is a children's novel set on Lake Pedder on the eve of its flooding (published 1972)
 * I Will Not Say the Day Is Done (her only non-fiction/adult book) describes the struggle to save Lake Pedder (published 1983)

Concerns over the construction of the dam revolved around the loss of the distinctive pink quartzite beach of the original lake, and an increased understanding of the unique nature of the wilderness quality to the south west of Tasmania. This developed further with the Franklin Dam issue.

In 1994, a campaign group was launched called Pedder 2000. They proposed, unsuccessfully, the draining and restoration of the lake to its original state. There is an ongoing low-key campaign with the same goal by the group known as the Lake Pedder Action Committee which remains active.

A controversial and contested name
As is the case in many land use, land ownership and territorial disputes, the name currently officially assigned to this body of water has considerable significance. It is also important in terms of understanding the technical status of the body of water as a component of a hydro-electric scheme.

From a technical, hydro-electric scheme point of view, the current Lake Pedder can be correctly termed a lake or reservoir as the water from Lake Pedder can flow into Lake Gordon via the McPartlan's Pass canal and is thereby connected to the Gordon power station. However, people opposed to the flooding of the original lake do not accept the legitimacy of the official, gazetted name of Lake Pedder for the body of water that drowned it in 1972. Instead, they prefer to use the name Huon–Serpentine Impoundment. This name denotes the two major rivers dammed to create the current lake (Huon and Serpentine) and describes the technical status of the lake as an element of a hydro-electric scheme (impoundment) more accurately than the terms lake or reservoir. Bushwalkers sometimes informally refer to it as "Fake Pedder".

Lake Pedder extinctions
The Lake Pedder earthworm (Hypolimnus pedderensis) is only known by the type specimen collected from a beach on Lake Pedder, Tasmania in 1971. After the flooding of the lake, this invertebrate was never seen again. A 1996 survey that sought to determine whether the species still existed in the area failed to find any examples. Since 2003 the Lake Pedder Earthworm has been listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

An extinction claimed to have occurred after the flooding is that of the Lake Pedder planarian (Romankenkius pedderensis), an endemic flatworm. Since 1996 this invertebrate has also been listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In 2012, the continued existence of this species was reported.

The Pedder galaxias, an Australian freshwater fish, is considered extinct in its natural habitat of Lake Pedder and its tributaries, although it still exists in captivity and in two translocated populations, one at Lake Oberon in the Western Arthurs mountain range and the other at a modified water supply dam near Strathgordon.

Restoration Campaign
To coincide with the United Nations Decade of Ecological Restoration, 2021–2030, the Lake Pedder Restoration Committee is aiming to have the lake restored to its original state. The committee, convened by Christine Milne with support from Todd Dudley, Bob Brown, Paul Thomas and Tabatha Badger, plans to have an Ecological Management Plan to restore the original Lake Pedder and surrounding iconic ecosystems.

title: Lake Pedder


text:
Shire of Pyrenees

The Shire of Pyrenees is a local government area (LGA) in Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 3435 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 7,353.

It includes the towns of Avoca, Beaufort, Lexton and Trawalla. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Avoca, Shire of Lexton and Shire of Ripon.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Pyrenees Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Beaufort, it also has a service centre located in Avoca. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, The Pyrenees Ranges which also gives its name to the Pyrenees wine region, which is located in the north of the Local Government Area.

Current composition
The council is composed of five wards and five councillors, with one councillor per ward elected to represent each ward. Council Composition as of September 2022:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Beaufort Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Beaufort, and its service centre in Avoca.

Traditional owners
The traditional owners of this land are the Wadawurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Wotjobaluk and Eastern Maar.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire's population was 7,671, up from 7,238 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Pyrenees


text:
Counties of Lithuania

The territory of Lithuania is divided into 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular apskritis, plural apskritys), all named after their capitals. The counties are divided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: singular savivaldybė, plural savivaldybės): 9 city municipalities, 43 district municipalities and 8 municipalities. Each municipality is then divided into elderates (Lithuanian: singular seniūnija, plural seniūnijos). This division was created in 1994 and slightly modified in 2000.

Until 2010, the counties were administered by county governors (Lithuanian: singular – apskrities viršininkas, plural – apskrities viršininkai) appointed by the central government in Vilnius. Their primary duty was to ensure that the municipalities obey the laws and the Constitution of Lithuania. They did not have great powers vested in them, and so it was suggested that 10 counties are too much for Lithuania as the two smallest counties administer only four municipalities. Therefore, on 1 July 2010, the county administrations were abolished, but the counties themselves are retained for statistical and reporting purposes.

Modern apskritys should not be confused with apskritys that existed in the independent Lithuania during the interwar period. At that time Lithuania had a two-tier administrative division: apskritys that were subdivided into valsčiai. Modern apskritys remain only a territorial and statistical unit, while the top-tier administrative division are the municipalities (savivaldybės), followed by elderships (seniūnijos), and sub-elderships in some areas (seniūnaitijos). See subdivisions of Lithuania for details.

Map
This map shows counties as well as municipalities. Eight city municipalities and two municipalities are marked by numbers:

title: Counties of Lithuania


text:
Shire of Northern Grampians

The Shire of Northern Grampians is a local government area in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 5730 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 11,431, having fallen from 12,087 in 2008. It includes the city of Stawell and the towns of St Arnaud, Great Western, Marnoo, Glenorchy, Stuart Mill, Navarre and the tourist town of Halls Gap. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the City of Stawell, Town of St Arnaud, Shire of Stawell, Shire of Kara Kara and parts of the Shire of Wimmera, Shire of Dunmunkle and Shire of Donald.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Northern Grampians Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Stawell, it also has a service centre located in St Arnaud. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, The Grampians, and that the northern part of this feature occupies the southern part of the LGA.

The local economy is based on a diverse range of industries including agriculture, tourism, wine production, gold mining, brick manufacturing and meat production.

Current composition
The council is composed of four wards and seven councillors, with three councillors elected to represent the Stawell Ward, two councillors elected to represent the Kara Kara Ward and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Stawell Town Hall Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Stawell, and its service centre in St Arnaud.

Traditional owners
The traditional owners of the Northern Grampians are the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Dja Dja Wurrung.

Cities, towns and localities
The 2021 census, the shire had a population of 11,948 up from 11,439 in the 2016 census

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census

title: Shire of Northern Grampians


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Magnolia virginiana

Magnolia virginiana, most commonly known as sweetbay magnolia, or merely sweetbay (also laurel magnolia, swampbay, swamp magnolia, white bay, or beaver tree), is a member of the magnolia family, Magnoliaceae. It was the first magnolia to be scientifically described under modern rules of botanical nomenclature, and is the type species of the genus Magnolia; as Magnolia is also the type genus of all flowering plants (magnoliophytes), this species in a sense typifies all flowering plants.

Taxonomy
Magnolia virginiana was one of the many species described by Carl Linnaeus.

Description

Magnolia virginiana is an evergreen or deciduous tree to 30 m (100 ft) tall, native to the lowlands and swamps of the Atlantic coastal plain of the eastern United States, from Florida to Long Island, New York. Whether it is deciduous or evergreen depends on climate; it is evergreen in areas with milder winters in the south of its range (zone 7 southward), and is semi-evergreen or deciduous further north. The leaves are alternate, simple (not lobed or pinnate), with entire margins, 6–12 cm long, and 3–5 cm wide. The bark is smooth and gray, with the inner bark mildly scented, the scent reminiscent of the bay laurel spice.

The flowers, which appear in late spring or early summer, are creamy white, 8–14 cm diameter, with 6-15 petal-like tepals. The flowers carry a very strong vanilla scent that can sometimes be noticed several hundred yards away. The fruit is a fused aggregate of follicles, 3–5 cm long, pinkish-red when mature (in early fall ), with the follicles splitting open to release the 1 cm long seeds. The seeds are black but covered by a thinly fleshy red coat, which is attractive to some fruit-eating birds; these swallow the seeds, digest the red coating, and disperse the seeds in their droppings.

Cultivation
Magnolia virginiana is often grown as an ornamental tree in gardens, and used in horticultural applications to give an architectural feel to landscape designs. It is an attractive tree for parks and large gardens, grown for its large, conspicuous, scented flowers, for its clean, attractive foliage, and for its fast growth. In warmer areas Magnolia virginiana is valued for its evergreen foliage.

The English botanist and missionary John Banister collected Magnolia virginiana in the southeastern United States in 1678 and sent it to England, where it flowered for Bishop Henry Compton. This species was the first magnolia to be cultivated in England, although it was soon overshadowed by the evergreen, larger-flowered southern magnolia (M. grandiflora)

The sweetbay magnolia has been hybridized horticulturally with a number of species within subgenus Magnolia. These species include M. globosa, M. grandiflora, M. insignis, M. macrophylla, M. obovata, M. sieboldii and M. tripetala. Some of these hybrids have been given cultivar names and registered by the Magnolia Society.

Chemistry
Flowers contain the neolignans 3,5′-diallyl-2′,4-dihydroxybiphenyl, 4,4′-diallyl-2,3′-dihydroxybiphenyl ether, 5,5′-diallyl-2,2′-dihydroxybiphenyl and 3,5′-diallyl-2′-hydroxy-4-methoxybiphenyl.

title: Magnolia virginiana


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Shire of Southern Grampians

The Shire of Southern Grampians is a local government area (LGA) in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 6654 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 16,135. It includes the city of Hamilton and the towns of Coleraine, Dunkeld and Penshurst. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the City of Hamilton, Shire of Wannon and parts of the Shire of Dundas, Shire of Kowree, Shire of Mount Rouse and Shire of Heywood.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Southern Grampians Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Hamilton, it also has service centres located in a couple of other locations within Hamilton. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, The Grampians, and that the southern part of this feature occupies the northern part of the LGA.

Traditional owners
The traditional owners of this shire are the Gunditjmara, Tjap Wurrung and Bunganditj people.

Current composition
The council is composed of seven councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality. Council Composition as of September 2022:

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Hamilton Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre on Brown Street in Hamilton, and its service centres on Market Pl and Roberts St in Hamilton.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census recorded the shire population at 16,588, compared to 15,944 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Southern Grampians


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South Gippsland Shire

The Shire of South Gippsland is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the south-eastern part of the state. It covers an area of 3296 km2 and, in June 2018, had a population of 29,576.

It includes the towns of Leongatha, Korumburra, Foster, Poowong, Mirboo North and Meeniyan. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the former Shire of South Gippsland with the Shire of Mirboo, and parts of the Shire of Korumburra and Shire of Woorayl.

The Shire is governed and administered by the South Gippsland Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Leongatha, it also has a service centre located in Mirboo North. The Shire is named after the Gippsland region, in which the LGA occupies the southernmost portion, including Wilsons Promontory at the southern tip of the Australian continent.

Current composition
The council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward. The entire council were sacked by the state government on 19 June 2019 due to bullying allegations and general dysfunctionality. The council was run by administrators until 2021 when a new council was elected.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Leongatha Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Leongatha, and its service centre in Mirboo North.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 30,577, up from 28,703 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: South Gippsland Shire


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Shire of Strathbogie

The Shire of Strathbogie is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 3303 km2 and in August 2021 had a population of 11,455.

It includes the towns of Avenel, Euroa, Longwood, Nagambie, Strathbogie and Violet Town. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of parts of the Shire of Euroa, Shire of Goulburn, Shire of Violet Town, Shire of McIvor and Rural City of Seymour.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Strathbogie Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Euroa, it also has service centres located in Nagambie and Violet Town. The Shire is named after the major geographical feature in the region, the Strathbogie Ranges, which is located in the south-east of the LGA.

The Shire is about 150 km from Melbourne and bordered to the east by the Strathbogie Ranges and to the west by the Nagambie Lakes district. It is also known for its sheep production, horse studs (earning the title "The Horse Capital of Victoria"), wineries (Mitchelton, Tahbilk, Fowles Wines), olives and alpacas. Tourism is a growing industry in the area, with many B&Bs, hotels and restaurants.

Current composition
The council is composed of five wards and seven councillors, with two councillors per ward elected to represent each of the Seven Creeks and Lake Nagambie wards, and one councillor per remaining ward elected to represent each of the other wards.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Euroa Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Euroa, and its service centres in Nagambie and Violet Town.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 11,455, up from 10,274 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Strathbogie


text:
The Nairobi Trio

The Nairobi Trio was a sketch comedy skit that Ernie Kovacs performed many times for his TV shows. It combined several existing concepts and visuals in a novel and creative way.

People in gorilla suits had long been a comedy staple. The ploy of well-known, predictable music pieces gone awry had been practiced by artists as diverse as Stan Freberg, Spike Jones, and P. D. Q. Bach. The "slow burn" of one character being annoyed by another, resulting in eventual retaliation, was not new. But the combination of all of those ingredients, combined with impeccable timing, produced a unique and memorable result.

Origins
The skit was a live-action version of a child's animatronic wind-up music box, performed to the tune "Solfeggio" by Robert Maxwell. According to an interview with Edie Adams in John Barbour's 1982 documentary Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius, Barry Shear, Kovacs's director at DuMont Television Network, brought the tune to Kovacs's attention in 1954.

The theme song
Harpist and songwriter Robert Maxwell had recorded "Solfeggio" himself in 1953. The lyrics, sung by The Ray Charles Singers, were simply the notes of the musical scale as the melody progressed ("Mi-sol-la, re-fa-re-sol..."). When Ernie Kovacs heard the Maxwell record, he immediately came up with a mental image of what would become The Nairobi Trio:

"Solfeggio" became the permanent theme song for the sketch. The Nairobi Trio became so popular that M-G-M Records reissued the Maxwell record of "Solfeggio" as "Song of the Nairobi Trio" in 1957. Composer Maxwell recorded a new, lyrics-free version of the melody, now known as "Song of the Nairobi Trio," in 1961, billing his ensemble as "The Fortune Tellers." In 1966, as "Robert Maxwell, His Harp and Orchestra," he recorded yet a third arrangement of the melody.

Cast members and skit scenarios
Of the three gorillas shown, all wearing hats, long coats, and white gloves, the middle gorilla, always played by Kovacs with a cigar, conducted the musicians with either a baton or a banana. To the viewer's left stood a gorilla holding two oversized timpani mallets. The identity of this ape varied, but among Kovacs's celebrity friends both Jack Lemmon and Frank Sinatra are known to have performed the character. Seated at a piano at screen right was a female simian, variously played by Barbara Loden, Jolene Brand, and Kovacs's wife, Edie Adams, who robotically thumped her hands up and down on the keys.

Nearly all of the Nairobi Trio skits operated in the same fashion. As "Solfeggio" plays, the gorilla with the mallets repeatedly uses the center gorilla's (Kovacs's) head like a drum at the end of every phrase, punctuating the song's sharp "ba-da-BUM" bongo riff. Every time this happens it brings a slightly changed and escalating response from the victim, who eventually tries to anticipate the mallet assaults and outwit the perpetrator. Ultimately staring him down, Kovacs, in the gorilla suit, is eventually distracted by the third gorilla, which allows the drummer to give him three final blows. The victimized gorilla then stands up and smashes a prop vase over the percussionist's head. The sketch was repeated many times over the course of Kovacs's career. The audio was always "Solfeggio" but the staging changed occasionally; one variation had the first and second gorillas handling building blocks in tempo, with the third gorilla pounding at a xylophone.

Edie Adams later said that the skits were simple enough for any one of Kovacs's friends and associates to step into the drummer's role without needing a rehearsal, and that the gorilla masks provided anonymity.

The last time the routine was performed was on one of Kovacs's 1960s ABC specials shortly before his untimely death. On this occasion the combination of a bigger budget, the use of videotape, and the luxury of retakes helped him to perfect the timing of the sketch. But the Nairobi Trio wasn't always confined to silence with "Solfeggio" playing; they went into outer space and also became safe crackers on a US Steel special, Private Eye, Private Eye, which aired on CBS on March 8, 1961.

In popular culture

 * A popular New Zealand jazz group adopted the name, as did a radio-played Los Angeles jazz group.
 * The music video for the Harry Nilsson song "Coconut" features a similar arrangement as the trio. The instrumental cover band Hot Butter includes a Moog synthesizer version of "Solfeggio" in its 1972 album Popcorn (Musicor MS-3242; 1972).  On the album, the song is retitled "Song of the Narobi Trio" with Nairobi having the variant spelling of Narobi.
 * Jim Knipfel entitled the second volume of his memoirs Quitting The Nairobi Trio, recounting his time in a mental institution.
 * From the early 60s to the late 70s, commercials for Colt 45 Malt Liquor used music resembling "Solfeggio" as Billy Van patiently sat at a small table waiting for a server to bring him a can of Colt 45. One of these commercials won a Clio Award in 1975.

title: The Nairobi Trio


text:
Surf Coast Shire

The Surf Coast Shire is a local government area in the Barwon South West region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-western part of the state. It covers an area of 1553 km2. It had a population of 32,251 in June 2018. It includes the towns of Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Lorne, Moriac, Torquay and Winchelsea. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Winchelsea, Shire of Barrabool and part of the former City of South Barwon, which was, at that point, part of the City of Greater Geelong.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Surf Coast Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Torquay. The Shire is named after its location on the popular surf coast of Victoria.

Post-2008, following an electoral representation review, the decision was made to re-subdivide the municipality into four wards, the current wards are Torquay, Anglesea, Winchelsea and Lorne. Between 2004 and 2008, the Shire was an unsubdivided municipality and as a result, the entire municipality voted to elect nine councillors. Between 1996 and 2004, the municipality was subdivided into six wards, where three councillors per ward were elected from the Torquay and Anglesea wards, and one councillor per ward was elected from the Lorne, Winchelsea, Moriac and Aireys Inlet wards. A position of Deputy Mayor was created in 2004, but it was abolished for the 2005 mayoral election.

Current composition
The council is composed of four wards and nine councillors, with four councillors elected to represent the Torquay Ward, two councillors per ward elected to represent each of the Anglesea and Winchelsea wards, and one councillor elected to represent the Lorne Ward.

List of former and current mayors

 * Cr Noel Bates (1995–1997)
 * Cr Henry Love (1997–1998)
 * Cr Julie Hansen (1998–2000)
 * Cr Mike Barrow (2000–2001)
 * Cr Beth Davidson (2001–2004)
 * Cr Keith Grossman (2004–2005)
 * Cr Libby Mears (2005–2006)
 * Cr Rose Hodge (2006–2007)
 * Cr Dean Webster (2007–2008)
 * Cr Libby Mears (2008–2009)
 * Cr Libby Coker (2009–2010)
 * Cr Dean Webster (2010–2011)
 * Cr Brian McKiterick (2011–2012)
 * Cr Libby Coker (2012–2013)
 * Cr Rose Hodge (2013–2014)
 * Cr Margot Smith (2014–2015)
 * Cr Rose Hodge (2015–2016)
 * Cr Brian McKiterick (2016-2017)
 * Cr David Bell (2017-2018)
 * Cr Rose Hodge (2018–2020)
 * Cr Libby Stapleton (2020–2022)
 * Cr Liz Pattison (2022–Present)

Administration and Governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Torquay Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its Municipal Office in Torquay.

Elections
Surf Coast Shire holds elections every 4 years to determine the composition of the council. Lorne Ward was uncontested at the 2016 election, with Councillor Clive Goldsworthy being re-elected unopposed.

Townships and localities
According to the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 37,694, up from 29,397 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Surf Coast Shire


text:
Talk:Eclogue

Removed
Original sentence: "Hesiod's poem is a matter of fact description of the seasonal life of a farmer, relatively sober and realistic; its truer literary descendant is Ovid's Fasti." Removed "truer" because the does not appear to be any comparison. Does someone see the specific intent of the original sentence who can better rephrase it? --Tablesaw 13:29, Feb 28, 2004 (UTC)

Etymology of "eclogue";
Deriving "eclogue" from the Greek "aix" and "logos" (goat-speech (!)) is pure fantasy; there is not a scrap of linguistic evidence to back it up. Bucolics did not originally refer to the poetry of goatherds at all, in fact, but oxherds. Cf. Richard Hunter's introduction to his editing of Theocritus' Idylls, which I have cited in the main page. Always be skeptical of people who begin eytmologies with "one theory says ... another says," especially those who can't be troubled to cite any sources. Existent80 July 6, 2005 23:21 (UTC) ====

In the old spelling by Alexander Barclay and others, Ecloges are pastoral poems rich in moral fibre.

Perhaps the best explanation of an Ecloge is that provided by Alexander Barclay Priest in his prologue to the "Certayne Ecloges* of Alexander Barclay, priest, gathered out of a Booke named in Latin, Miseriae Cvrialivm, and compiled by Aneas Siluius (poet and oratour) printed in black letter in 1570, which follows:

Prologue

"The famous poetes with the Muses nine

With wit inspired, fresh, pregnant and divine,

Say, boldly indite in style substantial:

Some in Poemes bye (high?) and heroicall,

Some them delite in beauty Tragedies,

Some in Satyres against vices dare carpe,

Some in sweete tonges accordant with the harpe.

And eche of these all had laude and excelience

After their reason and stile of eloguence.

Who in fayre speeche could briefly comprehende

Whose fruitfull matter, men did him moste commende.

And who were fruitflesse, and in speeche superflue,

Men by their writing scantly set a go.

Therefore wise Poets to sharpe and prove their wit,

In homelly jestes wrote many a mery fit.

Before they durst be of audacitie

Tintative thinges of weight and gravitie.

In this saide maner the famous Theocvite

First Sivacuse attempted to write

Certayne Egloges of speeches pastorall,

Inducing Shepherdes, men homely and rurall,

Which in playne language, according to their name,

Had sundry talking, sometimes of mirth and game,

Sometime of thinges more like to gravitie

And not exceeding their small capacitie.

Most noble Virgill after him longe while

Wrote also egloges after like maner stile.

His Wittes proving in matters pastorall,

As he durst venture to stile heroicall.

And in like maner nowe lately in our dayes

Hath other Poetes attempted the same wayes:

As the most famous Baptist Wantuan

The best of that sort since Poetes first began.

And Franuncis Peruarke also in Italy

In like maner stile wrote playe and meryly.

What shall I speake of the father auncient,

Which in briefe language both playne and eloquent,

Betwene Alathae, Sewstis stouve and bolde

Hath made rehearsall of all the storues olde,

By true historyes is teaching to object

Against bayne fables of olde Gentiles sect.

Beside all these yet finde I many mo

Which have employed their diligence also,

Betwene Shepherdes, as it were by fable,

To write of matters both true and profitable.

But all their names I purpose not to write,

Whch is this maner made bookes infinite.

Nowe to my purpose, their workes worthy fame

Did in my young age my heart greatly inflame.

Dull youth beicheing, my selfe to execite

In such small matters, as I durst enterprise

To hyer matter, like as these children do,

Which first use to creepe, and afterwarde to go.

The birde unused first flying from her nest

Dare not adventure, and is not bolde nor prest

With winges abroade to flye as both the olde,

For use and custome causeth all thing be bolde:

And little cunning by craft and exercise

To perfect science causeth a man to rise.

But as the Payntere can sure his craft attayne,

Such forward fashion transfourmeth he in bayne.

But rasing superflute, and adding that both want,

Rude picture is made both perfect and pleasant.

So where I in youth in certayne worke began,

And not concluded, as oft doth many a man:

Yet thought I after to make the same persite,

But long I missed that which I first did write.

But here a wonder, I fortie yere save twayne

Proceeded in age, founded my first youth agayne.

To find youth in age is a problem diffuse,

But nowe heare the truth, and then no longer cause.

As I late turned olde bookes to and fro,

On a litle treatise I founde among the mo:

Because that in youth I did compile the same,

Egloges of youth I did call it by name.

And being some men have in the same delite,

At their great instance I made the same persite (prerequisite?).

Adding and bating where I perceived need,

All them beliving which shall this treatise rede,

Not to be grieved with any playne sentence

Rudely convayed for lack of eloquence.

It were not fitting a beard of man rucall

To speake in termes gay and rhetoricall.

So teacheth Horace in arte of poetry,

That writers namely their reason should apply

Wete (with?) speeche appropring (appropriate?) to every personage,

After his estate, behavour, with and age.

But if that any would nowe to me object

That this my labour shall be of small effect,

And to the Reader not greatly profitable,

And by that maner as bayne and reprovable,

Because it maketh onely ve(x)iation

Of Shepherdes maner and disputation.

If any suche reade my treatise to the ende

He shall well perceyve, it he thereto intende,

That it conteyneth hath laudes of vertue,

And man infourmeth misiuing to eschue,

With diverse hourdes and sentences morall,

Closed in shadowe of speeches pastorall,

As many Poetes (as I have sayde before)

have used longe time before that I was borne.

But of their writing though I ensue the rate,

No nome I chalenge of Poete laureate

(Barclay had a running feud with John Skelton).

That name unto them is mete and both agree

Which writeth matters with criositee.

Mine habite blacke accordeth not with grene,

Black betokeneth death as it is dayly sene,

The grene is pleasour, freith lust and idlite,

Then who would ascribe, wxcept he were a foole,

The pleasant lauver unto the morning cowle.

Another rewarde abideth my labour,

The glorious light of God my saviour,

Which is chiefe shepherd and head of other all,

To him for succour in this my worke I call,

And not on Clio nor olde Melpomene,

My hope is such of him ayded to be

So to accomplush my purpose and entent

To laude and pleasour of God omnipotent,

And to the profite, the pleasour and the mede,

Of all them which shall this treatise here and rede.

But to the Reader noee to returne agayne,

First of this I will thour be certayne,

That five Egloges this whose treatise doth holde,

To imitation of other Poetes of olde.

In which Egloges shepheardes thoul mayst see

In homely language not passing their degree,

Sometime disputing of courtly misery,

Sometime Tenus disceatfull tirany,

Sometime commending love honest and laudable,

Sometime despising love false and deceuable,

Someime despising and blaming avarise,

Sometime of (w)arre abhoring the outrage,

And of the same time the manifolde damage,

And other pleasure which that them reade or heare."

Where the words are unclear as to meaning the best guess has been made and it is hoped that someone with a deep interest in Alexander Barclay's works will provide an improvement. Yet, written in his youth and certainly before being printed in 1570, the eloquence of what constitutes an Ecloge (Eclogue) is clear.

 * Printed by the Spencer Society in 1885

209.4.42.240 17:06, 15 August 2007 (UTC)Sidi Mahtrow

This entry needs a great deal of work.

Verification
The article as been tagged per WP:V since 2015 and it is high time the mixture there of bare listing and original research was addressed. I have made a start on the first and the last sections and will return to clear up the rest during the course of the next few days. Sweetpool50 (talk) 16:04, 18 November 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Eclogue


text:
Warwick Davis

Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor and television presenter. Active within the industry since he was eleven, Davis is one of the highest grossing supporting actors of all time and has the highest average gross revenue of all time. He played the title character in Willow (1988) and the Leprechaun film series (1993–2003); several characters in the Star Wars film series (1983–2024), most notably Wicket the Ewok; and Professor Filius Flitwick and the goblin Griphook in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2011).

Davis starred as a fictionalised version of himself in the sitcom Life's Too Short (2011–2013). He has also presented the ITV game shows Celebrity Squares (2014–2015) and Tenable (2016–).

Early life
Davis was born on 3 February 1970 in Epsom, Surrey, the son of Susan J. ( Pain) and Ashley Davis, an insurance worker. He has a younger sister. He was educated at Chinthurst School in Tadworth, Surrey and later the City of London Freemen's School.

Davis was born with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a rare bone growth disorder that results in dwarfism. When Davis was 11, his grandmother heard a radio advertisement calling for people who were 4 ft tall or shorter to be in Return of the Jedi. As a Star Wars fan, this was a dream come true for Davis. During the filming of Return of the Jedi, Mark Hamill bought Davis every Star Wars action figure that he did not already own.

Acting
Davis was originally cast as an extra Ewok, but when Kenny Baker, who was originally going to be Wicket, fell ill, George Lucas picked Davis to be the new Wicket after seeing how he carried himself as an Ewok.

Davis based his Ewok movements on his dog, who tilted his head from side to side whenever he saw something strange. During production on the film, Davis was the subject of a short mockumentary film about his experience as Wicket, titled Return of the Ewok, made by Return of the Jedi's first assistant director, David Tomblin. The unreleased film was a fictional look at his decision to become an actor and act in the film and his transformation into Wicket the Ewok. Davis reprised his role as Wicket in the ABC made-for-TV films Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.

In 1987, Davis was called to Elstree Studios near London to meet with Ron Howard and George Lucas to discuss a new film project called Willow, which was written with Davis specifically in mind. Willow was his first opportunity to act with his face visible. He co-starred with Val Kilmer in the film, which received a Royal Premiere before the Prince and Princess of Wales. He then moved to television to be in the BBC Television adaptation of the classic The Chronicles of Narnia, specifically in Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (as Reepicheep), and The Silver Chair (as Glimfeather) and an episode of Zorro filmed in Madrid. In 1993, he played the villainous Irish lead character in Leprechaun, opposite Jennifer Aniston, a role he reprised in five sequels, from 1994 to 2003. He also played a leprechaun in the 1998 family film A Very Unlucky Leprechaun. Davis returned to the Star Wars universe, playing four roles in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace: Weazel, a gambler sitting next to Watto at the Podrace; Wald, who was Anakin's Rodian friend, Yoda in some scenes where Yoda was seen walking, and finally, an extra seen walking around the streets of the city of Mos Espa.

Davis played the role of Professor Filius Flitwick in the Harry Potter film series. In addition to playing Flitwick, Davis played the role of the goblin Griphook in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, despite the role being played previously by Verne Troyer.

In 2004, Davis played the character "Plates" in the indie film Skinned Deep, directed by special effects artist Gabriel Bartalos. In 2006, Davis appeared, alongside fellow Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, in an episode of BBC's comedy series Extras as a satirical version of himself. Davis starred in the film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as the "body" of Marvin the Paranoid Android (the voice was provided by Alan Rickman). In December 2006, Davis starred in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Opera House, Manchester, and again in 2007–08 at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

Davis appeared in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, in which he played Nikabrik the Dwarf, adding to his previous involvement in TV adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia series. He also appeared as a contestant on the 2007 series of Children in Need reality show Celebrity Scissorhands. Davis starred as a fictional version of himself in Life's Too Short, written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who also starred. In December 2012, Davis returned to New Wimbledon Theatre to reprise his role in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Davis also appeared in the 2008 TV series Merlin as the character Grettir, the gatekeeper to the "lands of king fisher" in the episode "The Eye of the Phoenix" in Series 3.

In March 2013, Davis presented an episode of the ITV series Perspectives: "Warwick Davis – The Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz", in which he explored the story of the Ovitz family, a touring musical troupe which included seven dwarfs who survived the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp and the experiments of Josef Mengele.

Davis appeared as the character Porridge in the Doctor Who episode "Nightmare in Silver", first broadcast in May 2013.

In late 2013, Davis appeared for one month as Patsy in the musical comedy Spamalot, based on the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail in London. At the same time, Davis hosted a press conference to announce the Monty Python reunion.

In 2014, Davis hosted a factual series for ITV called Weekend Escapes with Warwick Davis. The show saw Davis and his family travelling around Britain, enjoying short weekend holiday breaks. The show returned for a second series in spring 2015. From 2014 to 2015, he hosted the revived version of game show Celebrity Squares on ITV. The first series was shown in 2014 and a second aired in 2015.

Davis appeared in the 2015 sequel Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In July 2015, he became the voice of Gordon the Gopher in a pilot developed for BBC Taster, and the pilot progressed well, becoming one of the highest rated on the BBC's Taster section.

In November 2016, Davis began presenting the daytime ITV game show Tenable. The show returned for further series in 2017 and 2018. Davis also appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, released December 2016, as the rebel fighter Weeteef Cyubee and that was also his first Star Wars role with a blaster. In April 2017, at Star Wars Celebration Orlando, it was announced that Davis would voice Grand Admiral Thrawn's bodyguard Rukh in the fourth season of Star Wars Rebels. In December 2017, Davis appeared as Wodibin, an alien gambler, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Davis appeared in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story, released in May 2018, reuniting with his Willow director Ron Howard. This was Davis' eighth appearance in a Star Wars film. In the film, Davis reprised his role of Weazel from The Phantom Menace. Davis also briefly appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, reprising his role of Wicket. He appeared in the role alongside his son Harrison, who also cameoed as Wicket's son Pommet.

Davis reprised his role as Willow Ufgood in the Disney+ series Willow to generally positive critic reviews.

Star Wars characters
Davis plays Wicket in four films and Weazel in two films; all fifteen of Warwick Davis' Star Wars characters break down as such:

Other projects
In 1995, Davis co-founded, with fellow actor and father-in-law Peter Burroughs, the talent agency Willow Management, that specialises in representing actors under five feet (1.52 m) tall. Many of Davis's co-stars and fellow actors with dwarfism from Star Wars, Willow, Labyrinth and the Harry Potter series are represented by the agency. In 2004, the agency also began representing actors over seven feet (2.13 m) tall who had suffered from being confined to "niche" roles. Over forty members of Willow Management were cast as goblins in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

In April 2010, Davis published his autobiography, Size Matters Not: The Extraordinary Life and Career of Warwick Davis, with a foreword by George Lucas.

In October 2012, Davis appeared in a set of videos with the popular YouTube group The Yogscast, after the hosts of the yogscast's podcast "The YogPod" discussed him in several episodes. In January 2013, he appeared in a Comic Relief episode of The Great British Bake Off, winning that episode's title of "Comic Relief Star Baker".

Davis is a founder of the Reduced Height Theatre Company, which stages theatrical productions cast exclusively with short actors and using reduced height sets. Their first production was See How They Run, touring the UK in 2014. In February 2015, the production was the subject of the BBC's "Warwick Davis' Big Night" as part of the Modern Times documentary series.

On 15 July 2014, Davis appeared on stage with Monty Python during their live show Monty Python Live (Mostly). He was the special guest in their "Blackmail" sketch. In June 2016, he was the castaway on the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, choosing Jon Hopkins' Monsters theme, The Guinness Book of Records and a pen and paper as his favourite record, book, and luxury item respectively.

Davis produced a new original musical Eugenius! by Ben Adams and Chris Wilkins, which premiered as a concert performance on 29 June 2016 at the London Palladium (which Davis also starred in as Evil Lord Hector) followed by fully staged runs at The Other Palace in 2018.

In February 2017, the BBC broadcast an episode of the genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? about Davis. In the episode Davis learned that in his family tree he had an ancestor that had been married to two women at the same time, another who had died in an asylum from syphilis and another who performed at minstrel shows in blackface.

Personal life
Davis was married to Samantha (née Burroughs ), the daughter of Davis' business partner Peter Burroughs and the sister of actress Hayley Burroughs, until her death on 24 March 2024. Davis met the Burroughs family while filming Willow, where Samantha and Peter had minor roles as Nelwyn villagers. They have two surviving children; their first child died in infancy. Their daughter is actress Annabelle Davis.

Unlike most people with dwarfism who have a condition called achondroplasia (70.65%), Davis' dwarfism is caused by an extremely rare genetic condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED). Davis' wife, Samantha, had achondroplasia, and their two children have SED. As a result of inheriting both conditions, the couple's first son died nine days after birth. Their second son was miscarried at 19 weeks.

Davis has said the only real drawback to being small was the associated health problems. Of his own dwarfism, Davis has said, "Well, as you get older, it gets worse... Your joints, for a start. My hips are dislocated, so they're sitting out here. Very painful knees. I had surgery on my feet when I was very young. There's a risk of retinal detachment, but I know the signs now."

Davis is co-founder of Little People UK, a charity that provides support to people with dwarfism and their families.

On 18 April 2024, Samantha Davis died from cancer; Warwick announced his departure from social media, but the message was misinterpreted as a suicide announcement.

title: Warwick Davis


text:
Shire of Towong

The Shire of Towong is a local government area in the Hume region of Victoria, Australia, located in the north-east part of the state. It covers an area of 6675 km2 and in August 2021 had a population of 6,223.

It includes the towns of Corryong, Tallangatta, Cudgewa, Bethanga, Bellbridge, Walwa, Tintaldra and Towong. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Tallangatta and Shire of Upper Murray.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Towong Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Tallangatta, it also has a service centre located in Corryong. The Shire is named after an earlier shire, the Shire of Towong (1874–1920), which occupied the same region as the current LGA.

Current composition
The council is composed of five councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers at the council headquarters in the Tallangatta Municipal Offices, which is also the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at both its administrative centre in Tallangatta, and its service centre in Corryong.

Townships and localities
According to the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 6,223, up from 5,985 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA

title: Shire of Towong


text:
Shire of Wellington

The Shire of Wellington is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the eastern part of the state. It covers an area of 10817 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 44,019.

It includes the towns of Heyfield, Rosedale, Maffra, Sale, Stratford, Coongulla, Newry, Tinamba and Yarram. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Alberton, Shire of Avon, Shire of Maffra, City of Sale and parts of the Shire of Rosedale.

The Shire is governed and administered by the Wellington Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Sale, it also has service centres located in Maffra, Stratford and Rosedale. The Shire is named after a major geographical feature in the region, Lake Wellington, which is located in the south-east of the LGA.

Current composition
The Council is composed of three wards and nine councillors, with three councillors per ward elected to represent each ward.

Administration and governance
The Council meets in the Council Chambers of the Wellington Centre in the Port of Sale precinct at 70 Foster Street, which also houses the Gippsland Art Gallery, Visitor Information Centre and Sale Library. The council headquarters are located over the road at 18 Desailly Street which is the location of the council's administrative activities. It also provides customer services at its service centres in Maffra, Stratford, Rosedale and Yarram.

Townships and localities
In the 2021 census, the shire's population was 45,639, up from 42,983 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: Shire of Wellington


text:
Shire of West Wimmera

The Shire of West Wimmera is a local government area in the western part of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia, located in the western part of the state. It covers an area of 9108 km2 and in June 2018 had a population of 3,862. It includes the towns of Apsley, Edenhope, Goroke, Gymbowen, Harrow, Kaniva, Minimay, Nurcoung and Serviceton. It was formed in 1995 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Kaniva and parts of the Shire of Kowree, Shire of Arapiles and Shire of Glenelg.

The Shire is governed and administered by the West Wimmera Shire Council; its seat of local government and administrative centre is located at the council headquarters in Edenhope, it also has a service centre located in Kaniva. The Shire is named after the Wimmera region, in which the LGA occupies the western portion. The LGA is also located entirely to the west of the Wimmera River, which actually meanders through another municipality to the east, that is the Rural City of Horsham.

Current composition
The council is composed of five councillors elected to represent an unsubdivided municipality. Council Composition as of November 2022.

Administration and governance
The council meets in the council chambers in the Edenhope and Kaniva Municipal Offices. It also provides customer services at both centres.

Controversies
In April 2022, Mayor Bruce Meyer caused outrage by likening requests to display the internationally recognised LGBTIQ+ pride flag to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) to the promotion of pedophilia.

Townships and localities
The 2021 census documented the shire's population at 4,006, up from 3,903 in the 2016 census.

^ - Territory divided with another LGA * - Not noted in 2016 Census # - Not noted in 2021 Census

title: Shire of West Wimmera


text:
Forex Bank

FOREX Bank is currently the market-leading foreign exchange bureau in the Nordic region. The company was started in 1927 providing currency exchange for travellers, at the main Stockholm Central train station. Legend says that it started by the owner of Gyllenspet's Barber Shop at the station, when he discovered that most of his customers were tourists in need of currency for their trips. Therefore, the barber began keeping the major currencies on hand.

The company was subsequently acquired by Statens Järnvägar, the Swedish State Railways, which expanded the operations until it was sold to Rolf Friberg in 1965. The company was for many years the only one apart from the banks that was licensed to conduct currency exchange in Sweden.

The company, which is still wholly owned by the Friberg family, has expanded into neighbouring Finland in 1993, Denmark in 1994 and Norway in 2004 and has 130 branches,   principally located at railway stations or airports, but also shopping malls and high streets. In 2003, the company extended its business into retail banking and can also offer current and savings accounts including internet and mobile banking, loans, debit and credit cards, cash handling, money transfer and payments.

title: Forex Bank