Municipality of Redfern

Municipality of Redfern
New South Wales
Established 11 August 1859
Abolished 31 December 1948
LGAs around Municipality of Redfern:
Darlington Sydney Sydney
Newtown Municipality of Redfern Sydney
Erskineville Alexandria
Waterloo		 Waterloo

The Municipality of Redfern was a local government area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The small municipality was proclaimed in 1859 and was centred on the suburbs of Redfern, Eveleigh, Darlington and Surry Hills.

Council history

Redfern Town Hall, designed by George Allen Mansfield, was the seat of the council from 1870 to 1948.

When Redfern Municipality was proclaimed in August 1859, the area initially included the areas of Waterloo and Alexandria. However the Municipality of Waterloo was proclaimed in May 1860 and the Municipality of Alexandria separated from Waterloo in August 1868.[1] Upon incorporation in 1859, the municipality was divided into three wards: Redfern, Waterloo and Surry Hills, each electing three Aldermen. With the secession of Waterloo a few months later the wards were rearranged to be Redfern, Belmore and Surry Hills and in 1880 Golden Grove Ward was added to that number.[2] Under the enactment of The Municipalities Act of 1867, the title of 'Chairman' for the council was changed to be 'Mayor'. The Mayor had a set of official robes to wear as part of the office, but they were boycotted by Labor mayors who affirmed they were against their 'democratic principles'.[3]

Redfern was notable for being the first suburb in Sydney to have electricity and electric street lighting, which occurred when the Council voted unanimously in 1891 to build its own power station, in Turner Street, to power the suburb. From the late 1910s and 1920s the Redfern area became increasingly populated by the unemployed and working class, employed by industry and the nearby Eveleigh Railway Workshops, resulting in the increasing domination of the Australian Labor Party and left-wing groups in the area.[4] In the 1940s the Communist Party of Australia succeeded in getting Aldermen elected to the council.[5] As a consequence the council, traditionally held by the merchant and middle classes, frequently found itself divided on simple matters, including the election of the mayor, which required the Minister for Local Government and the Governor to instead appoint the mayor several times.[6][7][8][9][10] This was a situation occurring within many of the inner-city councils as demographics of the area changed dramatically, but Redfern was considered the worst example of a council paralysed by party politics.[11]

With the Redfern area's close involvement with the labor movement and the Labor Party, the wartime conscription debate affected Redfern Council most particularly. In October 1916 Redfern Council passed a motion "without a dissentient that conscription was not in the best interests in Australia", in direct opposition to the views of ALP Prime Minister Billy Hughes and the Member for Redfern James McGowen. McGowen lost his preselection in Redfern and in response the Redfern ALP Branch president, Alderman John Leitch (Mayor, 1908–1910, 1914–1915) resigned to join the pro-conscriptionists with his friend McGowen.[12]

By the end of the Second World War, the NSW Government had realised that its ideas of infrastructure expansion could not be realised by the present system of the mostly-poor inner-city municipal councils and the Minister for Local Government, Joseph Cahill, pushed through a bill in 1948 that abolished a significant number of those councils. Under the Local Government (Areas) Act 1948, Redfern Municipal Council was merged with the larger neighbouring City of Sydney which was located immediately to the west.

Thomas Clarke (1846–1922), Mayor (1890–1891, 1898–1900) and Member of Parliament for Darlington (1898–1901).
John Beveridge (1848–1916), Alderman for Belmore Ward (1886–1891) and Mayor (1891).
Patrick Mooney (1880–1942), Mayor (1925) and Senator for New South Wales (1931–1932).

Mayors

Years Chairmen
1859
1860–1861 Michael Williamson
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866 William Williamson
Years Mayors
1867–1870 George Renwick
1873 Henry Hudson (Free Trade)[13]
1880 Henry Hudson (Free Trade)[13]
1882 Patrick Stanley[14]
1882–1885 Francis Augustus Wright
1885–1887 George Lander
1887–1888 Edwin Berry[15]
1888–1889 Thomas Williamson[16]
1889–1890 John Crowe
1890–1891 Thomas Clarke (Free Trade)
1891 John Beveridge (Free Trade)[17][18]
1891–1893 George Howe[19]
1893–1894 Cornelius Gorton[20]
1894–1895 William Davis[21]
1895–1896 William Poole
1896 David Thomas Morrow
1896–1897 George Parkes[22]
1897–1898 Joseph Medcalf[23]
1898 Edwin Berry[24]
1898–1900 Thomas Clarke MLA (Free Trade)[25]
1900–1901 Henry Vernon
1901–1902 James Jackson
1902–1903 Thomas Fanning
1903–1904 George Parkes
1904–1905 Joseph Medcalf[26]
1905–1906 Cornelius Gorton[27]
1906–1907 J. Batchelor
1907–1908 George Todd
1908–1911 John Leitch (ALP)[6][28]
1911–1914 Tom Holden MLC (ALP)[29]
1914–1915 John Leitch (ALP)[30] OBE[31]
1915–1917 Tom Holden MLC (ALP)[32]
1917–1920 Albert Clarke Isaacs[33][34]
1920–1922 Patrick Roberts (ALP)[35][36]
1922–1923 John Joseph Castle (ALP)[37]
1923–1925 George Boyd (ALP)[38]
1925–1926 Patrick Mooney (ALP)[39]
1926–1928 Francis James Gilmore[40][41]
1928–1930 John Hanifan
1930 G. Waite (ALP)
1930–1931 Kenneth J. Alexander MacRae (ALP)[42]
1932 G. Wheatley (ALP)
1933 John Joseph Castle (ALP)
1934–1935 Harry Gardiner[8]
1936–1937 James Francis Edward Gilmore
1937 Alex Howarth[9]
1937–1939 Frank J. Gilmore[43]
1939–1941 James Francis Edward Gilmore[44]
1942 John Stephen O’Brien[45]
1944 T. O. Powell
1945–1946 Edward 'Ted' Elvy
1946 J. Warburton[10]
1947–1948 Alex Howarth
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "JUBILEE OF WATERLOO.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 10 June 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Redfern Municipal Council (1909). Souvenir to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of the Municipality of Redfern, 1859-1909. Sydney: McCarron, Stewart & Co.: Redfern Municipal Council.
  3. ↑ "Donning the Mayor Robes.". The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser (NSW : 1886 - 1942) (NSW: National Library of Australia). 2 April 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  4. ↑ Attarjarusit, T.; Burdon, D.; Burgess, A.; Boyle, R. "Pre and Post Colonial Redfern: A Social History". University of Sydney.
  5. ↑ Mulheron, Maurie (2010). "Review – Radical Sydney: places, portraits and unruly episodes". Illawarra Unity – Journal of the Illawarra Branch of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History 10 (1): 66–68.
  6. 1 2 "REDFERN'S MAYOR.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 21 February 1908. p. 6. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  7. ↑ "MUNICIPAL FARCE AT REDFERN. Governor Will Appoint Mayor.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 15 February 1910. p. 4. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  8. 1 2 "LORD MAYOR.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 1 January 1935. p. 7. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  9. 1 2 "FILLING THE GAPS.". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate (NSW: National Library of Australia). 7 January 1937. p. 1. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  10. 1 2 "MINISTER NAMES REDFERN MAYOR.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 16 January 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  11. ↑ "PARTY POLITICS.". Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW: National Library of Australia). 31 December 1936. p. 5 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  12. ↑ Cunneen, Christopher (2000). William John McKell: Boilermaker, Premier, Governor-General. Sydney, New South Wales: UNSW Press. p. 47. ISBN 0868405876.
  13. 1 2 Walsh, G. P. (1972). "Hudson, Henry (1836–1907)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "OBITUARY. MR. PATRICK STANLEY, REDFERN.". Freeman's Journal (Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia). 11 November 1915. p. 16. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  15. ↑ "THE LATE MR. EDWIN BERRY.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: National Library of Australia). 6 March 1899. p. 4. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  16. ↑ "Thomas Michael Williamson". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Resignation of the Mayor of Redfern.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 30 May 1891. p. 6. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  18. ↑ Alderman, Belmore Ward, 1886–1891.
  19. ↑ "New Mayor for Redfern.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 4 June 1891. p. 6. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: National Library of Australia). 18 February 1893. p. 10. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: National Library of Australia). 15 February 1894. p. 6. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  22. ↑ "Municipal Elections.". Evening News (Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia). 13 February 1896. p. 3. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "Joseph Medcalf". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  24. ↑ "RESIGNATION OF THE MAYOR OF REDFERN.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 14 October 1898. p. 3. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  25. ↑ "Mr Thomas CLARKE (1922)". Former Members. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "MUNICIPAL MATTERS.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 15 February 1904. p. 8. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  27. ↑ "REDFERN.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 21 February 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  28. ↑ "THE NEW MAYOR OF REDFERN.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 30 March 1910. p. 7. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  29. ↑ "Mr Thomas Douglas Percy HOLDEN (1859–1938)". Former Members. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  30. ↑ "MR. JOHN LEITCH.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 9 May 1927. p. 20. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  31. ↑ "LEITCH, John – The Order of the British Empire – Officer (Civil)". It's an Honour database. Australian Government. 19 October 1920. Retrieved 27 March 2015. Soldiers Comforts Fund
  32. ↑ "MAYORAL ELECTIONS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: National Library of Australia). 5 February 1915. p. 10. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  33. ↑ "AFTER 18 YEARS. Mayor of Redfern retires.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 23 January 1920. p. 7. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  34. ↑ "Redfern War Memorial". Register of War Memorials in NSW. New South Wales Government. 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  35. ↑ "ACTION OF REDFERN'S MAYOR.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 19 March 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  36. ↑ "MR. P. ROBERTS' DEATH.". Evening News (Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia). 13 November 1923. p. 4. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  37. ↑ "LUCKY DIP. Redfern's Mayor.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 7 December 1922. p. 15. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  38. ↑ "MAYOR OF REDFERN.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 21 December 1923. p. 6. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  39. ↑ "PERSONAL.". The National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW: National Library of Australia). 2 January 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  40. ↑ "REDFERN'S MAYOR.". The Evening News (Sydney: National Library of Australia). 28 December 1927. p. 8. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  41. ↑ "Donning the Mayor Robes.". The Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser (NSW : 1886–1942) (NSW: National Library of Australia). 2 April 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  42. ↑ "MAYOR OF REDFERN. Application For Leave.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 15 January 1931. p. 8. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  43. ↑ "MAYOR SUCCEEDED BY BROTHER.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 22 December 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  44. ↑ "Death Of Ex-Mayor Of Redfern.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 18 September 1954. p. 5. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  45. ↑ "John Stephen O’Brien". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 27 March 2015.

External links

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