Federation Council area
About the area
Key Statistics
Initial Note
Note: This profile applies to the boundaries of the Federation Council as proclaimed on 12 May 2016. Federation Council incorporates the previous Corowa Shire and Urana Shire.Location
The Federation Council area is located in southern New South Wales, about 560-600 kilometres south-west of the Sydney CBD, 350-400 kilometres south-west of the Canberra CBD, and 300-380 kilometres north of the Melbourne CBD. The Federation Council area is bounded by Narrandera Shire in the north, Lockhart Shire and Greater Hume Shire in the east, the Murray River and the Victorian border in the south, and Berrigan Shire and the Murrumbidgee Council area in the west.
Included Areas
The Federation Council area includes the localities of Balldale (part), Boree Creek (part), Collendina, Coreen, Corowa, Daysdale, Hopefield, Howlong, Lowesdale, Morundah (part), Mulwala (part), Oaklands (part), Redlands, Rennie, Ringwood, Sanger, Savernake (part), Rand (part) and Urana (part).Land Use
The Federation Council area is predominantly rural, with several townships. The largest township is Corowa, with smaller townships at Boree Creek, Howlong, Morundah, Mulwala, Oaklands, Rand and Urana, and several small villages. The Council area encompasses a total land area of about 5,700 square kilometres. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, particularly sheep and cattle grazing, with some wheat and cereal growing, pig rearing and timber production. Tourism is also an important industry.Indigenous Meaning
The original inhabitants of the Federation Council area were the Bangerang and Wiradjuri Aboriginal people.Settlement
European settlement dates from the late 1830s, with land used mainly for grazing. Population was minimal until the late 1850s when the townships of Corowa, Howlong, Mulwala and Urana were established. Growth took place during the late 1800s and early 1900s, spurred by gold mining in nearby areas and the opening of the railway line. In 1939 Lake Mulwala was constructed by damming the Murray River, providing irrigation water storage. The population was fairly stable from the post-war years to the 1970s. Some growth took place between the 1970s and the 1990s. The population was then relatively stable between 1991 and 2011, at about 12,000 people.Major Features
Major features of the Council area include the Murray River, Murray Valley National Park, Murray Valley Regional Park, Lake Urana Nature Reserve, Lake Mulwala, Lake Urana, Corowa Golf Club, Howlong Country Golf Club, Oaklands Golf Club, Rand Golf Club, Urana Golf Club, Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club Resort, Mulwala Waterslide, Urana Aquatic Centre, Corowa Federation Museum, Oaklands Vintage Machinery Museum, Urana Court House Museum, Yarrawonga-Mulwala Pioneer Museum, Corowa District Hospital, Urana Multi Purpose Service (Hospital), Corowa Ponds Wildlife Sanctuary, J M Smith Flora and Fauna Reserve, Australian Soaring Centre, TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (Corowa Campus) and various state forests.Transport
The Federation Council area is served by the Newell Highway, the Riverina Highway and the Corowa Airport.