# Gilgandra Shire

Gilgandra Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the junction of the Newell, Oxley and Castlereagh highways and can be reached in about six hours by car from Sydney CBD. The Shire lies on the Castlereagh River and includes part of the Warrumbungles National Park. The shire was constituted in 1906.
The mayor of Gilgandra Shire Council is Cr. Doug Batten, an independent politician.

## Settlements and geography

Gilgandra Shire includes Gilgandra, Balladoran and Curban.
The geography of the Gilgandra Shire is very flat. The soil is composed mostly of sand, making it very porous and difficult to grow certain plants. The weather is hot and dry, reaching 40 °C (104 °F) for consecutive days during summer.

## Demographics

Selected historical census data for Gilgandra Shire local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2011 | 2016 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on census night | 4,386 | 4,236 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | 115th | 115th |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Italian | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Chinese | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Mandarin | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Korean | |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Greek | |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No religion | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Eastern Orthodox | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Buddhism | |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | A$ |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | |

## Heritage listings

Gilgandra Shire has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
* East Coonamble Road, Curban: Corduroy Road Ruin Historic Site
* Myrtle Street, Gilgandra: St Ambrose Church

## Council
### Current composition and election method

Gilgandra Shire Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election was held on 4 December 2021.
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Independents | 9 |
| | Total | 9 |

## Election results
### 2024

2024 New South Wales local elections: Gilgandra :
| Party | Party | Candidate |
| | Independent | Ian Freeth |
| | Independent National | Greg Peart |
| | Independent | Nicholas White |
| | Independent | Doug Batten |
| | Independent | Brian Mockler |
| | Independent | Madeline Foran |
| | Independent | Amber Bunter |
| | Independent | Gail Babbage |
| | Independent National | Ashley Walker |
| | Independent | Paul Mann |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout |

### 2021

2021 New South Wales local elections: Gilgandra :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Independent | Paul Mann (elected) | 337 | 13.5 |
| | Independent National | Ashley Walker (elected) | 328 | 13.2 |
| | Independent | Ian Freeth (elected) | 263 | 10.6 |
| | Independent | Doug Batten (elected) | 262 | 10.5 |
| | Independent | Gail Babbage (elected) | 238 | 9.6 |
| | Independent | Noel Mudford (elected) | 206 | 8.3 |
| | Independent | Amber Bunter (elected) | 193 | 7.7 |
| | Independent | Brian Mockler (elected) | 188 | 7.5 |
| | Independent National | Greg Peart (elected) | 160 | 6.4 |
| | Independent | Helen Naef | 160 | 6.4 |
| | Independent | Nicholas White | 157 | 6.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 2,492 | 97.6 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 60 | 2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,552 | 80.6 |