Full description
The Municipal District of Ulmarra was incorporated under the Municipalities Act, 1867 (31 Vic. No.12) on 16 November 1871. (1)
The Municipal District of Ulmarra was located in the north coast region of New South Wales, on the south bank of the Clarence River, in the parishes of Ulmarra and Lavadia, County of Clarence. It included the villages of Ulmarra, Coldstream in the east and Cowper and Brushgrove to the north. After 1905 it was bordered by the Shires of Orara, Harwood and Copmanhurst. (2)
Under the Municipalities Act, 1867, s.10, the Governor could approve the creation of a borough or municipal district if a petition asking for it was signed by at least 50 persons. Only those who would pay municipal taxes if the area was incorporated could sign the petition, but they did not have to be residents. The petition was published in the NSW Government Gazette and a local newspaper, and if no counter petition signed by a greater number of persons was received within three months, the Governor could proclaim the area a municipality and define its boundaries.
A petition asking for the establishment of the Municipal District of Ulmarra was published on 23 June 1871. The petition requested that the Parish of Ulmarra be incorporated; with an area of about 45 square miles and a population exceeding 1,000. (3) Whether a local government area was designated a borough or municipal district depended on its size, both in population and area. Municipal districts had to have a minimum population of 500 people and could not be larger than 50 square miles with no part more than 20 miles distant from the rest. (4)
The Municipal District of Ulmarra was proclaimed a municipality on 16 November 1871 and its boundaries published. It included land in both the Parishes of Ulmarra and Lavadia. The same proclamation divided it into two wards: North ward and South ward. (5)
Under s.65 of Municipalities Act 1867 the first election of aldermen should take place within three months of incorporation to allow time for the making of the electoral rolls. On 29 November 1871 the returning officer was appointed and the nomination day for the first election of six aldermen and two auditors set for 6 February 1872. The election was held on 10 February 1872. (6) The first mayoral election was held on 16 February 1872 and by 15 May 1872 a town clerk was appointed. (7)
On 15 January 1876 the wards of Ulmarra were readjusted as the result of a petition from the Council under s.23 of the Municipalities Act 1867. As the population of the Municipal District of Ulmarra was now above 1,000 but less than 4,000, it was entitled to three wards and therefore nine aldermen. The wards were named South, North and East. (8)
The Municipal District of Ulmarra became the Municipality of Ulmarra on 31 December 1906. Under the Local Government Extension Act, 1906 (Act No.40, 1906) the terms municipal district and borough ceased to be used. (9)
Boundary exchanges occurred between the Municipality of Ulmarra and the Shire of Orara on 24 July 1912. Subsequent changes to the boundaries of all three wards of Ulmarra occurred on 7 May 1913. (10)
The division of the Municipality of Ulmarra into wards was abolished on 10 October 1919. (11)
The Valuation of Land Act, 1916 (Act No.2, 1916) was applied to the Municipality of Ulmarra on 20 October 1952. Under this legislation the Valuer-General took over the valuing of land within the municipality from the council. He issued a valuation list to the Council by 3 December 1952 and thereafter the Council ceased to create valuation books. (12)
A review of local government areas in the Clarence Region was conducted by staff of the Department of Local Government in early 1956. This led to a proposal gazetted on 8 June 1956 to merge the ten existing local government areas into five: one municipality and four shires which would include new shires centred on Maclean, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen. Due to local opposition, a Commissioner was appointed to inquire and report on the matter. He recommended that the establishment of six local government areas: one municipality and five shires. (13) The Municipality of Ulmarra was reconstituted as the Shire of Ulmarra on 1 January 1957 with the addition of land from the defunct Shires of Dorrigo [II] and Orara. (14) The Shire of Ulmarra was divided into three ridings (A, B, and C) on 17 January 1958, with C Riding amended on 21 March 1958. The first election was held on 9 August 1958. (15)
Boundary exchanges occurred between Ulmarra and the Shire of Coff's Harbour on 1 May 1961, and with the City of Grafton on 27 February 1976 and 1 January 1981. The riding divisions of Ulmarra were consequently altered in March 1961, February 1976, and January 1981. (16)
On 15 July 1983 the division of the Shire of Ulmarra into ridings was abolished. (17)
Ulmarra Shire Council retained the word Shire in its name in 1994. Under s.221(1) of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) the corporate name of all councils were changed by deleting any reference to 'municipality' or 'shire'. However, this was opposed by some local government areas. The Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994) enabled local government areas to retain the words 'municipality' or 'shire' as part of their corporate name if they resolved to do so before 31 December 1994. Ulmarra Shire Council appears to have done this. (18)
In November 1999 Ulmarra Shire Council and Nymboida Shire Council sought the permission of the Minister of Local Government for a voluntary amalgamation. The Local Government Boundaries Commission's inquiry began on 18 January 2000. The Boundaries Commission reported to the Minister on 31 March 2000 recommending that the merger should proceed. (19)
Ulmarra Shire Council and Nymboida Shire Council became the Pristine Waters Council which began operations on 1 July 2000. (20)
Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette No.273, 16 November 1871, pp.2603-4.
2. Secondary Industries Section of the Division of Reconstruction and Development; NRS 5399, Map of New South Wales showing Local Government Shires and Municipalities, c.1941 [X1365].
3. NSW Government Gazette No.152, 23 June 1871, pp.1321-22; No.168, 4 July 1871, pp.1462-63.
4. Municipalities Act, 1867 (31 Vic. No.12), s.8.2.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.273, 16 November 1871, pp.2603-4.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.287, 29 November 1871, p.2729; No.63, 28 February 1872, p.533.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.63, 28 February 1872, p.534; No.109, 16 April 1872, p.1026; No.143, 21 May 1872, p.1324.
8. New South Wales Government Gazette No.13, 15 January 1876, pp.201-202.
9. Local Government Extension Act, 1906 (Act No.40, 1906) s.3, Schedule One, s.9; NSW Government Gazette No.286, 31 December 1906, p.7019.
10. NSW Government Gazette No.110, 24 July 1912, p.4623; No.147, 16 October 1912, pp.6220-21; No.22, 12 February 1913, p.946; No.71, 7 May 1913, p.2721.
11. NSW Government Gazette No.84, 17 April 1919, p.2233; No.237, 10 October 1919, p.5556.
12. NSW Government Gazette No.215, 17 October 1952, p.3718; No.266, 12 December 1952, p.4503.
13. Department of Local Government, Annual Report 1955/56, p.22; Annual Report 1956/57, pp.23-24; NSW Government Gazette No.65, 8 June 1956, pp.1557-58.
14. NSW Government Gazette No.129, 30 November 1956, pp.3503-13; ibid., p3505 paragraph 10(d) and 10(e); No.114, 9 October 1959, pp.3065-67.
15. NSW Government Gazette, No.9, 17 January 1958, p.80; No.31, 21 March 1958, p.734; No.57, 6 June 1958, p.1685.
16. NSW Government Gazette No.33, 17 March 1961, p.759; No.26, 27 February 1976, pp.839-40; No.2, 2 January 1981, pp.7-9.
17. NSW Government Gazette No.71, 13 May 1983, p.2143; No.100, 15 July 1983, p.3304.
18. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994), Sch. 17 inserted into the Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) s.6 of Schedule 8 . Department of Local Government, Annual Report 1994/95, p.94; 2001/2002. p.121.
19. ibid., 2000/2001, pp.10-11, 60.
20. ibid.; NSW Government Gazette No.64, 26 May 2000, pp.4481-84; 'Boundaries Commission - new councils' http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/boundariescommission/SAIndex.asp?mi=4&ml=4&areaindex=BC&index=35 (cited 6 March 2014).
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