AGY-3464 | Borough of Annandale (1894-1897) / Municipality of Annandale (1897-1948)

Full description

An Act to establish Municipalities, 1867 (31 Victoria Act No.12) provided for the division of an existing municipality into a borough or municipal district following the petition to the Governor by at least two-thirds of residents or owners of rateable property in the area. (1)

A petition from at least two thirds of the electors of the East Ward of the Municipality of Leichhardt proposing that a separate Borough of Annandale be established was published in the NSW Government Gazette of 17 June 1893. (2) The signatories argued that the ward received too little benefit from their rates and were assigned too great a share of the liabilities, that the population of approximately 5,000 people and the area of 320 acres, the value of the property (£44,000) and the potential rateable value of £2,200 p.a. were sufficient to support a separate borough. (3)

In a proclamation of 29 December 1893 the Governor declared that the borough of Annandale consisting of 336 acres with boundaries in Parramatta Road, Johnston’s Creek and White’s Creek would be established (4) and the Borough was constituted on 1 February 1894. (5)

In 1937 agreement was reached between the Council of the City of Sydney and the inner city councils of Annandale, The Glebe, and Petersham for the rationalisation of their borders. Six small parcels of land in the Johnston’s Creek area were transferred from Annandale to Sydney and a further six portions were taken from the City of Sydney and added to Annandale. (6)

The Municipality of Annandale was transferred to the Leichhardt Municipal Council under the Local Government (Areas) Act, 1948 (Act No.30, 1948). (7) The former Municipality became the first ward of the Leichhardt Municipal Council returning four aldermen. (8)

The abolition of the Municipality of Annandale took effect following the election which occurred under the Local Government (Areas) Act on 4 December 1948. (9) Although the Act was proclaimed to commence on 1 January 1949 some time elapsed before the transfer of assets and liabilities and other administrative details were organised.

Endnotes
1. An Act to establish municipalities, 1867 (31 Victoria Act No.12), s.18.
2. NSW Government Gazette, 17 June 1893, pp.4815-4824.
3. Loc. cit.
4. NSW Government Gazette, 2 January 1894, p.3.
5. NSW Government Gazette, 25 January 1894, p.583.
6. NSW Government Gazette, 12 February 1937, pp.676-679.
7. Local Government (Areas) Act, 1948 s.5 (1), Schedule 1.
8. Ibid. Schedule 2.
9. Ibid. s.18.