District Council of Elliston: History
The council was established by the District Councils Act 1887 on 5 January 1888. The bounds were defined in the act as "Comprising the whole of the County of Musgrave, and portion of the County of Robinson south of a true east line from the most northern point of Venus Bay to the east boundary of the said county." This meant that the lands defined as the Hundred of Downer, Hundred of Wallis, most of the Hundred of Wright and an unincorporated area approximately 100 square miles between the three (proposed to be Hundred of McBeath but never gazetted) outside Musgrave county were included in the north west of the council area.