 It is in the Federal electorate Division of Lyons and is in the Derwent Valley Council local government area.At the , Westerway and the surrounding area had a population of 156.Westerway was originally known as Russell or Russelldale and was named after Surgeon J J Russell, one of the party who discovered a set of waterfalls 3 km from Fenton Forest (these are not the present day Russell Falls).