AGY-6474 | Municipal District of Concord (1883-1906) Municipality of Concord (1906-1993) Concord Council (1993-2000)

Full description

The Municipal District of Concord was incorporated on 11 August 1883. (1)

Under the Municipalities Act 1867 (31 Vic. Act No.12) 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. (2)

A petition signed by 141 potential ratepayers asking for the establishment of the Municipal District of Concord was published in the NSW Government Gazette on 16 March 1883. (3) The proposed Concord local government area was located in inner-west Sydney, along the Parramatta River, in the Parish of Concord, County of Cumberland. The petition stated that the area had a population of over 500 people and would cover about three and a half square miles. 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 Concord was proclaimed on 11 August 1883. Under s65 of Municipalities Act 1867 the first election of aldermen could take place within three months of incorporation to allow time for the making of the electoral rolls. A returning officer was appointed on 11 September 1883 to conduct the first election, nominations were received on 20 October and the election was held on 27 October. The first council meeting was held on 1 November, at which the first Mayor was elected. (5) The Municipal District of Concord was not divided into wards.

Additional land was added to the Municipal District of Concord on 26 April 1884 when land dedicated on 21 April 1880 for public recreation at Hen and Chicken Bay was placed under the control of the Municipal District of Concord. It had previously been under the control of the Borough Council of Burwood but was now within the boundaries of Concord. (6)

Under s27 of the Municipalities Act, 1897 (Act No.23, 1897) potential ratepayers of an unincorporated area adjoining a municipality could petition to join the municipality, as long as the council agreed. The petition had to be signed by at least 20 people or if fewer than 30 lived in the area then by a majority. It could be defeated if a counter petition with more signatures was received within three months of the publication of the first petition. On 4 October 1898 a petition from 32 resident householders or owners of rateable property in the Cooper Street and Salisbury Road area was published in the NSW Government Gazette. The area was added to the Municipal District of Concord on 5 April 1899. (7)

The Municipal District of Concord became the Municipality of Concord 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. (8)

The Valuation of Land Act, 1916 (Act No.2, 1916) was applied to the Municipality of Concord on 3 December 1920. 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 December 1920 and thereafter the Council ceased to create valuation books. (9)

Boundary exchanges occurred between Concord and the Municipality of Burwood on 10 February 1922 and 6 September 1929; the Municipality of Homebush on 3 December 1937; the Municipality of Strathfield on 22 December 1972; and the Municipality of Drummoyne on 10 April 1981. Also on 17 August 1979 and 10 April 1981 reclaimed land was added to Concord. (10)

Concord Municipal Council became Concord Council on 1 July 1993. Under s221(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. (11) Concord Council does not appear to have resolved to do this.

In April 2000 Concord Council and Drummoyne Council sought the permission of the Minister of Local Government for a voluntary amalgamation. The Local Government Boundaries Commission’s inquiry began on 2 May 2000. On 4-5 July 2000 a public hearing was held at Concord and Drummoyne. The Boundaries Commission decided that the merger should go ahead if the councils still agreed. (12)

The amalgamated Concord and Drummoyne Councils became the City of Canada Bay Council which began operations on 1 December 2000. (13)

Endnotes.
1. NSW Government Gazette No.337, 11 August 1883, p.4345.
2. Municipalities Act 1867 (31 Vic. Act No.12) s10.
3. NSW Government Gazette No.104, 16 March 1883, pp.1447-8.
4. Municipalities Act 1867, s8.2.
5. NSW Government Gazette No.337, 11 August 1883, p.4345; No.386, 11 September 1883, p.4969; No.545, 21 December 1883, p.7009; No.545, 21 December 1993, p.7014.
6. NSW Government Gazette No.183, 25 April 1884, p.2688.
7. NSW Government Gazette No.859, 4 October 1898, p.7937; No.50, 17 January 1899, p.476; No.278, 5 April 1899, p.2698.
8. Local Government Extension Act, 1906 (Act No.40, 1906) s3, Schedule One, s9; NSW Government Gazette No.286, 31 December 1906, p.7019.
9. NSW Government Gazette No.207, 3 December 1920, p.7138; No.3, 6 January 1922, p.199; Department of Local Government, Annual Report 1920/21, p.53 Appendix XXIII in NSW Parliamentary Papers 1921 Session, Vol.3, p.61.
10. NSW Government Gazette No.113, 5 August 1921, pp.4647-8; No.23, 10 February 1922, p.1043; No.40, 22 March 1929, p.1358; No.119, 6 September 1929, p.3682; No.84, 18 June 1937, p.2279; No.182, 3 December 1937, pp.4787-8; No.138, 22 December 1972, pp.5207-8; No.109, 17 August 1979, pp.3962-3; No.54, 10 April 1981, pp.2088-9.
11. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 (Act No.44, 1994) inserted s6 of Schedule 8 into the Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993).
12. Department of Local Government, Annual Report 2000/2001, pp.66-7.
13. ibid; NSW Government Gazette No.127, 29 September 2000, pp.10889-92; 'Boundaries Commission - new councils' http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au/dlg/boundariescommission/SAIndex.asp?mi=4&ml=4&areaindex=BC&index=35 cited 9 May 2013.