District Council of Orroroo (GA1537)

The township of Orroroo was surveyed in 1875 and the first blocks were offered for sale in 1876. The town area was a hive of activity as business premises were erected to cater for the large influx of settlers to the area.

In August 1887, a public meeting was called to discuss the possibility of forming a District Council, and in December of the same year another pubilc meeting was called for the purpose of nominating the members and auditor of the first Council under the Shires Bill.

The new Council, formed under Act 419 of 1887 and gazetted on 5 January 1888, was known as the District Council of Orroroo and comprised five Wards representing the five Hundreds: Walloway, Coomooroo, Pekina, Black Rock and Erskine. The first Council meeting was held on 28 January 1888. There were ten Councillors, two to represent each Ward.

The Orroroo Water District, formed in 1898, was leased to the Council one year later. The water was pumped from a permanent spring in the Pekina Creek and was reticulated to the town area from a tank on the hill above the town. The water scheme was operated by the Council until 1962 when it was taken over by the E & WS Department, who built a larger tank and sank several bores to increase the supply.

In 1923 the Council erected a power-house and installed two Crossley crude oil engines to generate electricity for street lights and power for industrial and domestic use. This system continued to operate until 1962, when ETSA connected Orroroo to the State grid. The power-house has since been demolished to make way for extensions to the bowling club greens.

The sealing of the streets in the town area was started in1930, and by 1982 all streets in the town proper were sealed. The Orroroo EFS (later CFS) was formed in 1952, and the Council undertook responsibility for provided fire fighting equipment. A Fire Station was opened during the District's Centenary celebrations in 1975.
A community library financed by the Council and the Education Department was established in 1981 at the Orroroo Area School to provide a free service for all school children and adults in the District.

In March 1997, the District Council of Orroroo amalgamated with the District Council of Carrieton, with the main office of the new Council maintained in Orrooo.