AGY-2332 | Municipality of Grafton (1859-1885) Grafton City Council (1885-2004)

Full description

The Municipalities Act, 1858 provided for the establishment of a municipality on the receipt of a petition of at least 50 residents from the proposed area. The petition and names of the signatories were to be published in the NSW Government Gazette. If no counter petition was received in three months the Governor could proclaim a municipality.

A petition of 69 householders from North and South Grafton requesting the formation of a municipality in the Clarence river district was published in the NSW Government Gazette of 10 March 1859. (1) No counter petition was received and the Municipality of Grafton consisting of three wards along with the Temporary Council for the Municipality of Grafton was proclaimed on 20 July 1859 under the Municipalities Act of 1858. (2)

The Municipalities Act, 1867 enabled the division of a Municipality into four wards if the population exceeded 4000. On 18 December 1882 the Municipality of Grafton was divided into four wards. (3)

The Municipality of Grafton was proclaimed as a city on 20 March 1885. (4)

On 11 November 1896 the Municipality of South Grafton was proclaimed and part of the territory of the City of Grafton was transferred to the new Municipality. (5)

From 1 January, 1957 the Municipality of South Grafton was abolished and absorbed into the City of Grafton together with part of the Shires of Copmanhurst and Orara. (6)

Part of the City of Grafton (in Clarence River-Swan Creek area) was transferred to Ulmarra Shire. (7)

On 25 February 2004, Grafton City amalgamated with the Local Government areas of Pristine Waters, Copmanhurst, and Maclean to form the Local Government area of Clarence Valley. (8) The Lower Clarence County Council (trading as North Coast Water) and the Clarence River County Council were dissolved and their operations were subsumed into the Clarence Valley Council. (9)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette, 10 March 1859, p.593.
2. NSW Government Gazette, 20 July 1859, pp.1599-1600.
3. NSW Government Gazette, 18 December 1882, p.6685.
4. NSW Government Gazette, 30 March 1885, p.1853
5. NSW Government Gazette, 11 November 1896, p.8057.
6. NSW Government Gazette, 30 November 1956, pp.3503-4, 3508-3509.
7. NSW Government Gazette, 27 February 1976, p.839.
8. NSW Government Gazette Special Supplement No.46, 25 February 2004, p.809.
9. ibid., p.810.