NRS-24139 | Meeting minutes [Hornsby Shire Council]

Full description

This series consists of minutes of the General or Ordinary meetings and the Special or Extraordinary meetings of the Hornsby Shire Council.

These minute books were created under Ordinances 111 to 113 authorised by section 44 of the Local Government (Shires) Act, 1905 (Act No.33, 1905) which commenced on 26 February 1905, and subsequent legislation and ordinances. On 14 May 1908 the ordinances were rearranged under the Local Government Act, 1906 (Act No.56, 1906) which commenced on 1 January 1907. Procedures of Council were consolidated into Ordinance 1 with Clauses 13 and 14 dealing with minutes.

The Ordinary or General meeting minutes document the most important decisions made by Council. The purpose of an Ordinary Council meeting is to conduct the business of Council, to debate matters and make decisions. Occasionally Council holds Extraordinary or Special meetings, held outside the normal meeting cycle most often to consider matters of an urgent nature.

The Shire of Hornsby was incorporated by proclamation published in the Government Gazette No.121 of 7 March 1906. A Provisional Council of five members were appointed to govern the Shire until elections could be held. These took place on 24 November 1906, and six Councillors were elected with John Charles Hunt chosen as Shire President for the following twelve months (an office which is currently titled Mayor). At the next election held in 1908 the number of Councillors was increased to nine - three to represent each of the three Ridings. In its first year the Council spent $8,000 and served the needs of 4,700 people. Minutes of the first meeting of the temporary Councillors of Hornsby Shire were held in the Reading Room of the Hornsby School of Arts on Thursday evening the 14 June 1906 at 7:00 pm.

The minutes are handwritten up until May 1926 and typed from then on. In later years of this series the Minutes of Informal Workshops have been bound with the general meeting minutes. Held prior to Council making a resolution in a Council Meeting, they are not decision-making forums but an opportunity to provide background information or context and present options that supports a resolution or action in Council.