Shire of Mornington Peninsula: History
The Mornington Peninsula Shire came into existence on 15 December 1994 when the state government amalgamated the previous Shires of Flinders, Hastings and Mornington.
On August 13, 2019, the Shire voted to declare a climate emergency in response to other similar declarations from councils around Australia. This declaration was later overturned by a motion in April 2025, which passed with a 6–5 vote.
The Shire abolished the 150-year-old tradition of reciting a prayer before Council meetings in December 2020. According to the Australian National Secular Lobby, the Shire was "the first council or parliament to be removed from their list of government institutions that impose prayers on elected representatives”.