| Type: | lga |
| Shire of Lowan | |
| State: | vic |
| Region: | Wimmera |
| Area: | 2861 |
| Est: | 1875 |
| Seat: | Nhill |
| Pop: | 2,940 |
| Pop Year: | 1992 |
| Pop Footnotes: | [1] |
| County: | Lowan, Weeah |
| Near-Nw: | Walpeup |
| Near-N: | Walpeup |
| Near-Ne: | Dimboola |
| Near-W: | Kaniva |
| Near-E: | Dimboola |
| Near-Sw: | Kowree |
| Near-S: | Kowree |
| Near-Se: | Arapiles |
| Noautocat: | yes |
The Shire of Lowan was a local government area in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 2861km2, and existed from 1875 until 1995.
Lowan was originally part of the Shire of Wimmera, which was incorporated in 1862. On 31 December 1875, Lowan became a shire in its own right. Several parts of the shire split away in its first 20 years;
Like many western shires, it lost a remote section to its north, when the Shire of Walpeup was created on 1 November 1911.[2]
On 20 January 1995, the Shire of Lowan was abolished, and along with the Shire of Dimboola, was merged into the newly created Shire of Hindmarsh.[3]
The Shire of Lowan was divided into four ridings on 31 May 1901, each of which elected three councillors:
| Year | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 3,999 | |
| 1958 | 4,130* | |
| 1961 | 3,872 | |
| 1966 | 3,822 | |
| 1971 | 3,489 | |
| 1976 | 3,510 | |
| 1981 | 3,350* | |
| 1986 | 3,220* | |
| 1991 | 2,990 |