Springfield Shire
Springfield Shire (1871-1916) was east of Romsey and Lancefield, about 60 km north of Melbourne. It was proclaimed on 23 January 1871 and amalgamated with Romsey shire on 31 May 1916.
The shire’s sole village (and administrative centre) was Goldie for several years. In 1881 a railway line was constructed through Bolinda at the corner of the shire and in 1892 another line was opened along a circuitous route across the north of the shire. It was the short lived line from Kilmore to Lancefield, which closed in 1904. Mount William overlooked the north of the shire.
Springfield and district was described in the 1903 Australian handbook:
In 1916 the shire had Chintin and Springfield, both dairying areas, and localities bearing the names of closed railway stations at Forbes, Goldie and High Park.
Springfield’s census populations were:
| census date | population |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 1223 |
| 1881 | 881 |
| 1911 | 601 |
Further Reading
John Reid, When memory turns the key: the history of the Shire of Romsey, Bacchus March, 1992
