# Gloucester Shire

Gloucester Shire (/ˈɡlɒstər/ GLOST-ər) was a local government area in the Mid North Coast and Upper Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire was situated adjacent to the Bucketts Way and the North Coast railway line.
The last mayor of the Gloucester Shire Council was Cr. John Rosenbaum, an independent politician.

## Towns and localities

The Shire included the following towns and localities:
* Gloucester
* Gloucester Tops
* Barrington
* Barrington Tops
* Copeland
* Craven
* Stratford

## Amalgamation

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that the Gloucester Shire merge with adjoining councils. The government considered two proposals. The first proposed a merger of Gloucester Shire and Dungog Shire councils to form a new council with an area of 5,200 square kilometres (2,000 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 14,000. Following the lodging of an alternate proposal by Gloucester Shire Council to amalgamate the Gloucester, Great Lakes and Greater Taree councils, the NSW Minister for Local Government proposed a merger between the Dungog Shire and City of Maitland.
The council was dissolved on 12 May 2016 and the area included in the Mid-Coast Council, along with city of Greater Taree and Great Lakes Council.

## Demographics

At the 2011 census, there were 4,877 people in the Gloucester Shire local government area, of these 49.8 per cent were male and 50.2 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.7 per cent of the population, which was significantly higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Gloucester Shire was 50 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 16.0 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 26.0 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 54.7 per cent were married and 13.1 per cent were either divorced or separated.
Population growth in the Gloucester Shire between the 2001 census and the 2006 census was 2.54 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 1.56 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Gloucester Shire local government area was approximately one-third of the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Gloucester Shire was significantly lower than the national average.
At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Gloucester Shire local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 86 per cent of all residents (national average was 65.2 per cent). In excess of 66% of all residents in the Gloucester Shire nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Gloucester Shire local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion (2.0 per cent) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4 per cent); and a significantly higher proportion (96.0 per cent) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8 per cent).
Selected historical census data for the Gloucester Shire local government area :
| Census year | Census year | Census year | 2001 | 2006 | 2011 |
| Population | Population | Estimated residents on Census night | 4,683 | 4,802 | 4,877 |
| Population | Population | LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales | | | |
| Population | Population | % of New South Wales population | | | 0.07% |
| Population | Population | % of Australian population | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | Cultural and language diversity | | | |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Australian | | | 36.3% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | English | | | 34.8% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Scottish | | | 9.0% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | Irish | | | 6.7% |
| Ancestry, top responses | Ancestry, top responses | German | | | 3.5% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | German | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Cantonese | n/c | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Dutch | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | Italian | n/c | n/c | 0.2% |
| Language, top responses (other than English) | Language, top responses (other than English) | French | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | Religious affiliation | | | |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Anglican | 40.4% | 37.5% | 36.3% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | No Religion | 9.8% | 12.1% | 16.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Catholic | 16.5% | 15.7% | 15.5% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Presbyterian and Reformed | 8.9% | 8.0% | 7.7% |
| Religious affiliation, top responses | Religious affiliation, top responses | Uniting Church | 8.1% | 7.3% | 7.3% |
| Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | Median weekly incomes | | | |
| Personal income | Personal income | Median weekly personal income | | A$343 | A$422 |
| Personal income | Personal income | % of Australian median income | | 73.6% | 73.1% |
| Family income | Family income | Median weekly family income | | A$846 | A$971 |
| Family income | Family income | % of Australian median income | | 72.2% | 65.6% |
| Household income | Household income | Median weekly household income | | A$665 | A$810 |
| Household income | Household income | % of Australian median income | | 64.8% | 65.6% |

## Council
### Composition and election method

At the time of dissolution, Gloucester Shire Council was composed of seven councillors, elected proportionally as a single ward. All councillors were elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The mayor was elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The last election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the council was as follows:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Independents and Unaligned | 7 |
| | Total | 7 |
The last Council, elected in 2012 and dissolved in 2016, in order of election, was:
| Councillor | Party | Notes |
| Frank Hooke | Unaligned | Deputy Mayor |
| Aled Hoggett | Independent | |
| John Rosenbaum | Independent | Mayor |
| Jim Henderson | Unaligned | |
| James Hooke | Unaligned | |
| Tony Tersteeg | Independent | |
| Katheryn Smith | Independent | |