City of Hawkesbury

City of Hawkesbury
New South Wales

Location in New South Wales
Coordinates 33°25′S 150°47′E / 33.417°S 150.783°E / -33.417; 150.783Coordinates: 33°25′S 150°47′E / 33.417°S 150.783°E / -33.417; 150.783
Population 62,353 (2011 census)[1]
 • Density 22.46/km2 (58.2/sq mi)
Established 1989
Area 2,776 km2 (1,071.8 sq mi)
Mayor Kim Ford (Liberals)
Council seat Windsor[2]
Region Outer Metropolitan Sydney
State electorate(s)
Federal Division(s) Macquarie
Website City of Hawkesbury
LGAs around City of Hawkesbury:
Mid-Western Singleton Cessnock
Lithgow City of Hawkesbury Hills
Blue Mountains Penrith Blacktown

The City of Hawkesbury is a local government area of New South Wales, Australia, part of which is at the fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north-west of the Sydney central business district. Hawkesbury City is named after the Hawkesbury River.

The Mayor of the City of Hawkesbury is Cr. Kim Ford, a member of the Liberal Party.

A 2015 review of local government boundaries by the NSW Government Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal recommended that City of Hawkesbury merge with part of The Hills Shire to form a new council with an area of 3,161 square kilometres (1,220 sq mi) and support a population of approximately 224,000.[3] The outcome of the review, to be determined by the New South Wales Minister for Local Government is expected by mid–2016.

Suburbs and localities

Until recently the City of Hawkesbury remained largely rural, but urban expansion within Sydney has since transformed the southern part of the area into dormitory suburbs; the lack of quality roads and public transport is a major local issue. The northern part of the local government area still contains some farmlands, as well as a vast area of national park, which will remain untouched due to the inaccessible terrain.

Suburbs and localities in the City of Hawkesbury are:

Demographics

At the 2011 Census, there were 62,353 people in the Hawkesbury local government area, of these 49.3% were male and 50.7% were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 2.6% of the population which on par with the national average. The median age of people in the City of Hawkesbury was 36 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 21.4% of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 11.6% of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 49.8% were married and 12.4% were either divorced or separated.[1]

Population in the City of Hawkesbury between the 2001 Census and the 2006 Census decreased by 0.54%; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 Census, population growth was 2.96%. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78% and 8.32% respectively, population growth in Hawkesbury local government area was significantly lower than the national average.[4] The median weekly income for residents within the City of Hawkesbury was marginally higher than the national average.[1][5]

At the 2011 Census, the proportion of residents in the Hawkesbury local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon approached 76% of all residents (national average was 65.2%). In excess of 64.8% of all residents in the City of Hawkesbury nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 Census, which was significantly above the national average of 50.2%. Meanwhile, as at the Census date, compared to the national average, households in the Hawkesbury local government area had a lower than average proportion (8.1%) where two or more languages are spoken (national average was 20.4%); and a significantly higher proportion (90.4%) where English only was spoken at home (national average was 76.8%).[1]

Selected historical census data for Hawkesbury local government area
Census year 2001[4]2006[5]2011[1]
Population Estimated residents on Census night 60,887 60,561 62,353
LGA rank in terms of size within New South Wales 34th
% of New South Wales population 0.90%
% of Australian population 0.32% Decrease 0.31% Decrease 0.29%
Cultural and language diversity
Ancestry,
top responses 		Australian 32.6%
English 29.5%
Irish 7.6%
Scottish 6.3%
Maltese 3.1%
Language,
top responses
(other than English) 		Maltese0.8% Decrease 0.7% Increase 0.8%
Italian0.6% Steady 0.6% Decrease 0.5%
Macedonian0.4% Steady 0.4% Decrease 0.3%
German0.3% Steady 0.3% Steady 0.3%
Arabic0.3% Steady 0.3% Steady 0.3%
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation,
top responses 		Anglican30.9% Decrease 29.9% Decrease 29.4%
Catholic26.6% Increase 27.3% Increase 28.2%
No Religion12.2% Increase 14.8% Increase 16.7%
Uniting Church5.7% Decrease 5.0% Decrease 4.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed3.0% Increase 5.7% Decrease 2.8%
Median weekly incomes
Personal income Median weekly personal income A$527 A$622
% of Australian median income 113.1% 107.8%
Family income Median weekly family income A$1,146 A$1,598
% of Australian median income 111.6% 107.9%
Household income Median weekly household income A$1,290 A$1,385
% of Australian median income 110.2% 112.2%

Council

Current composition and election method

Hawkesbury City Council is composed of twelve Councillors elected proportionally as one entire ward. All Councillors are elected for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is elected by the Councillors at the first meeting of the Council. The most recent election was held on 8 September 2012, and the makeup of the Council is as follows:[6]

PartyCouncillors
  Liberal Party of Australia 5
  Independents and Unaligned 5
  Australian Labor Party 1
  The Greens 1
Total 12

The current Council, elected in 2012, in order of election, is:[6]

CouncillorPartyNotes
  Kim Ford Liberal Mayor
  Christine Paine Independent
  Warwick Mackay Unaligned
  Barry Calvert Labor
  Tiffany Tree Liberal
  Bob Porter Independent
  Mike Creed Liberal
  Jill Reardon Liberal
  Patrick Conolly Liberal
  Mary Lyons-Buckett Independent
  Leigh Williams Greens
  Paul Rasmussen Independent

History

It was first settled by Europeans in 1794 in a bid to acquire arable land to feed the increasing population of the penal colony at Sydney. In April 1794, Lieutenant Governor Francis Grose submitted plans for the first 22 farms on the Hawkesbury River in the present Pitt Town Bottoms area. In June 1795 a camp of aborigines opposing the landtakings was harassed by a British regiment commanded by Paterson (who later regretted the necessary injustice).[7]

By 1811 Governor Lachlan Macquarie established the five Macquarie Towns in the area. They are Windsor, Richmond, Castlereagh, Wilberforce and Pitt Town. Many of the early 19th century buildings still survive today. Ebenezer has the oldest surviving church and school building in Australia. Windsor District Council was formed in 1843 and disbanded in 1846. In 1871 the Borough Council of Windsor was founded and the Richmond Borough Council followed in 1872. The two Councils amalgamated in 1949 to become Windsor Municipal Council. Colo Shire Council was established in 1906 and joined Windsor Municipal Council in 1981 to become Hawkesbury Shire Council. In 1989, Hawkesbury became a City.[8]

Notable residents

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Hawkesbury (C)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  2. ↑ "Hawkesbury City Council". Division of Local Government. Retrieved 2 December 2006.
  3. ↑ "Merger proposal: Hawskesbury City Council, The Hills Shire (part)" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. January 2016. p. 7. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  4. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Hawkesbury (C)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  5. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Hawkesbury (C)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Hawkesbury City Council - Summary of First Preference and Group Votes for each Candidate". Local Government Elections 2012. Electoral Commission of New South Wales. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  7. ↑ Grassby, Albert Jaime; Hill, Marji (1988). Six Australian Battlefields. Angus & Robertson. p. 324. ISBN 1864486724.
  8. ↑ "History of the Hawkesbury". Hawkesbury City Council. 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.

External links

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