The Shire of Bungaree was located east of Ballarat, north-west of Melbourne. The district was earlier known as Badger Hill, and also as Clarktown; it was located in the County of Talbot. The township of Bungaree was partly in the Shire of Bungaree and partly in the Shire of Buninyong.

The name 'Bungaree' derives from the Aboriginal word 'bungairie', meaning hut.

Irish potato-farming families were amongst local migrants to the Bungaree district, taking advantage of its rich soil. In the early twentieth century so many settlers from Irish families in the Bungaree region took up blocks in the area between Tynong, Nar Nar Goon and Cora Lynn that the area became known as 'Little Bungaree'.

However, it was the discovery of gold in 1851 that had the greatest influence on the development of the region. By the following year there were around 20,000 diggers in the Ballarat goldfields.

Bungaree was proclaimed a Shire on 27 January 1871.

In 1880 a reservoir was created in Bungaree and a stand of Corsican pine trees planted.

In 1902 the Shire of Bungaree issued a medal to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII (NU 20479).

On 6 May 1994 parts of the Shires of Bungaree, Buninyong, Grenville and Riponwere, the City of Ballaarat, Shire of Ballarat and the Borough of Sebastopol, united in the new Ballarat City Council by Order of the Governor in Council. Another part of the Shire of Bungaree became part of the Moorabool Shire Council, together with the Shires of Ballan and Bacchus Marsh, part of Shire of Buninyong, and Werribee.

References:
Municipal Association of Victoria website http://www.mav.asn.au/
Australian Places website, Monash University, http://arts.monash.edu/ncas/multimedia/gazetteer/list/cranbourne.html, accessed 10/12/2003.
Blake, L. (1977). Place Names of Victoria.
National Trust of Australia (Victoria) website http://www.nattrust.com.au//register/viewreg.cfm?register_id=111, accessed 10/12/2003.
Matthew Cunningham website http://members.dcsi.net.au/cunninghamtree/pafn02.htm, accessed 10/12/2003

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