Heidelberg (Road Trust 1841-1860; Road District 1860-1871; Shire 1871-1934; City 1934-1994)

Full description

The Heidelberg Road Trust was constituted in 1841 as a result of an Act of the Governor and Legislative Council of New South Wales entitled An Act to provide for the making and repairing of Parish Roads in the Colony of New South Wales 1841 (4 Vic., No. 12). This Act was repealed by Section 1 of An Act for Making and Improving Roads in the Colony of Victoria 1853 (16 Vic., No.40), which authorised the transformation of Road Trusts into District Road Boards. The Heidelberg Road Trust was proclaimed the Heidelberg Road District in accordance with the 1853 Act on the 8th of October 1860 (published in the Government Gazette on 12th October 1860).

The Shires Statute Amendment Act 1870 (34 Vic., No. 387) Section 22 enabled Road Districts where the net annual value of the general rate amounted to or exceeded the sum of twelve thousand pounds to become Shires. In such situations, any subdivisions of the Road District were to become the Ridings of the Shire. In accordance with the 1870 Act, the Heidelberg Road District became the Shire of Heidelberg on 23rd of January 1871 (published in the Government Gazette on 27th January 1871). Its three subdivisions became the Ridings of Heidelberg, Greensborough & Ivanhoe.

The Local Government Act 1890 (54 Vic., No. 1112) enabled the Governor-in-Council to subdivide or resubdivide any municipal district into up to eight subdivisions upon receipt of a petition signed by more than a quarter of the rate payers requesting that the subdivision be undertaken. Notice of receipt of a petition requesting that the Shire of Heidelberg be resubdivided into four Ridings was published in the Government Gazette on 10th of April 1891. In response to the petition, the Governor-in-Council resubdivided the Shire of Heidelberg into the Ridings of Fairfield, Heidelberg, Greensborough, and Ivanhoe. The boundaries of the Shire of Heidelberg were altered by the Governor-in-Council on the advice of the Executive Council on 30th of May 1916 (published in the Government Gazette on 31st of May 1916) in accordance with the Local Government Act 1915 (Act No. 2686).

The Shire of Heidelberg was declared a City on the 10th of April 1934 (published in the Government Gazette on the 11th of April 1934). This was in response to a petition requesting that the Governor in Council declare the Shire a City in accordance with the Local Government Act 1928 (Act No. 3720) as amended by the Local Government (Shire of Heidelberg) Act 1933 (Act No. 4153).

The City of Heidelberg was resubdivided from four to six subdivisions in accordance with the Local Government Act 1946 (Act No. 5203), which enabled the Governor-in-Council to divide any municipal district into up to eight subdivisions upon application by the council of the municipal district involved. Notification of the subdivision, which occurred on the 27th of May 1952, was published in the Government Gazette on the 28th of May 1952. The Ridings of Fairfield, Heidelberg, Greensborough, and Ivanhoe became the North Ward, West Ward, East Ward, West Central Ward, East Central Ward, and South Ward. The South Ward was severed from the City of Heidelberg and annexed to the City of Northcote (VA 520) by Order in Council dated 24th of July 1962 in accordance with the Local Government Act 1958 (Act No. 6299), as amended. This was to take effect on the 1st of October 1962. As a consequence the boundary of the City of Heidelberg was reduced and redefined, and the West Central Ward was redefined (notice of which was published in the Government Gazette on 25th of July 1962).

The North Ward of the City of Heidelberg was severed to create the Shire of Diamond Valley (VA 717) by Order-in-Council on 17th of March 1964 (published in the Government Gazette on 18th March 1964). The Order was to take effect on the 30th of September 1964, except for the purposes of the first elections of councillors and related matters which was to commence from 29th of May 1964. As a result, the boundaries and wards of the City of Heidelberg were redefined by Order-in-Council dated the 13th of October 1964 (published in the Government Gazette on 21st of October 1964). The East Ward was redefined, and the remaining wards (East Central, West, and West Central) remained unaltered. This changed on the 24th of May 1966 when a further resubdivision (published in the Government Gazette on the 25th of May 1966) constituted the Wards of Warringal and Macleod, and changed the names of the West Central Ward to the Ivanhoe Ward, the East Central Ward to Ivanhoe East Ward, and the West Ward to Heidelberg West Ward. The alteration was to take effect from the day of the next annual election of Councillors, which occurred on the 1st of September 1966). A further resubdivision occurred by Order-in-Council dated the 7th of December 1976 (published in the Government Gazette on the 15th of December 1976). The Order, which was to take effect from the 31st of May 1977, constituted the ward of Banyule and Eaglemont, reduced and redefined the Ward of Macleod, and enlarged and redefined the wards of Ivanhoe and Heidelberg West.

The City of Heidelberg council was abolished on 15 December 1994 as part of a state wide program of local government reform enacted between 1993 and 1995. The reform process reduced the number of councils from 210 to 78. The Banyule City Council (VA 3670) has been appointed as the successor in law of the City of Heidelberg and has assumed its rights, assets and liabilities. The Mont Park/Bundoora Health Precinct of the City of Heidelberg became part of the City of Darebin (VA 3683), whilst the rest of the City of Heidelberg became part of Banyule City.