The Shire of Beverley is a local government area in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia about 130 kilometres (80 mi) southeast of Perth, the state capital. The Shire covers an area of 2,372 square kilometres (916 sq mi), starting 20 kilometres (12 mi) outside Armadale in the Darling Scarp and extending eastwards beyond the scarp into agricultural lands which support broad acre activities such as livestock and cropping. Its seat of government is the town of Beverley, which accommodates just over half of the Shire's population.

History

The Beverley Road District was proclaimed on 24 January 1871. It was initially far larger on its eastern and southern sides than the present shire, extending east to the colonial border.

The township of Beverley itself was separated as the Municipality of Beverley on 31 March 1892 and the East Beverley Road District separated on 18 October 1895.

The Brookton Road District was separated from Beverley on 26 April 1906. However, on 27 April 1906, the East Beverley district was abolished, partially re-absorbed into Beverley and partially into the new Brookton board.

The Municipality of Beverley was re-absorbed into the road district on 4 April 1913.

It was declared a shire and named the Shire of Beverley with effect from 1 July 1961 following the passage of the Local Government Act 1960, which reformed all remaining road districts into shires.

Wards

The Shire is divided into three wards, which became effective on 2 May 1987.

• North Ward (three councillors)
• West Ward (three councillors)
• South Ward (three councillors)

Prior to 1986, the Shire was represented by eight councillors across four wards which had existed in some form since the amalgamation of the Municipal District in 1913:

• Kokeby Ward
• North East Ward
• Central Ward
• Dale Ward

2023 election results

Towns and localities

The towns and localities of the Shire of Beverley with population and size figures based on the most recent Australian census:

Locality	Population	Area	Map
Bally Bally	54 (SAL 2021)	184.5 km (71.2 sq mi)
Beverley	1,109 (SAL 2021)	384.1 km (148.3 sq mi)
Dale	190 (SAL 2021)	399.9 km (154.4 sq mi)
East Beverley	96 (SAL 2016)	254.3 km (98.2 sq mi)
Flint	0 (SAL 2016)	568.7 km (219.6 sq mi)
Kokeby	90 (SAL 2021)	199.9 km (77.2 sq mi)
Morbinning	36 (SAL 2021)	147.2 km (56.8 sq mi)
Talbot West	26 (SAL 2021)	55.9 km (21.6 sq mi)
Westdale	93 (SAL 2021)	174.2 km (67.3 sq mi)

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1921 1,882 —     1933 1,992 +0.47% 1947 1,629 −1.43% 1954 1,968 +2.74% 1961 1,899 −0.51% 1966 1,773 −1.36% 1971 1,628 −1.69% 1976 1,577 −0.63% 1981 1,554 −0.29%

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1986 1,502 −0.68% 1991 1,433 −0.94% 1996 1,399 −0.48% 2001 1,461 +0.87% 2006 1,562 +1.35% 2011 1,567 +0.06% 2016 1,745 +2.18% 2021 1,694 −0.59%

Notable councillors

• Henry Lukin, Beverley Road Board member 1876; later a state MP
• Edmund Smith, Beverley Road Board member 1894–1896, chairman 1896; later a state MP
• Frank Broun, Beverley Road Board member 1902–1904, 1906–1914, 1917–1919, chairman 1908–1909, 1911–1914, 1917–1919; also a state MP

Heritage-listed places

As of 2023, 95 places are heritage-listed in the Shire of Beverley, of which 18 are on the State Register of Heritage Places.