local governance in the area was the Yea District Road Board, formed in 1869, which became the Shire of Yea in 1873. Although subject to (sometimes severe) financial constraints at various times, and the substantial costs involved in maintaining the local road infrastructure in the face of fires and floods, the shire managed to develop some substantial public facilities, and to successfully lobby for improved transport and communication links to the area. As part of the general re-arrangement of local government in Victoria, the Shire of Yea was incorporated into the Shire of Murrindindi in 1994. The town of Yea is in the Cheviot Ward of the shire. Demography At the , Yea had a population of 1,170. Census records show the population of Yea has remained relatively stable since the beginning of the 20th century, except for a dip in the post second-world-war period. The number of dwellings has doubled over the same period. The higher than average proportion of older people in the town was recognised at least as early as 1991. Only half of the population over 15 years old is in the labour force. Economy Yea has been a town servicing the agricultural and resources industries of the surrounding area since its inception. These included pastoral agriculture for the entire period, gold mining before 1900, and timber cutting and dairying from then until the late 20th century. The Yea Dairy Factory opened in 1891, and closed in 1993, but other industrial or manufacturing activities have never reached significant scale. The Yea Saleyards has become a significant livestock selling centre for Central Victoria, with sales occurring at least every month. The retail area of Yea still services the farming activities of the area, but over half of the shops now involve food service. Transport The Yea District Road Board and its successor the Shire of Yea achieved substantial improvements in transport infrastructure in the area, including the bridges at Molesworth (1874) and King Parrot Creek (1872), and the successful lobbying for the rail line from Tallarook (opened 1883). The railway was extended to Molesworth in 1889, chiefly for timber transport to Melbourne. The last passenger service ran on 28 May 1977, with the line closed on 18 November 1978. The railway line from Tallarook to Mansfield has now been converted to the Great Victorian Rail Trail. With the withdrawal of the train service, public transport services to