VPRS 12516 Records Relating to the Fitzroy Ward Improvement Act

Full description

The series consists of a collection of documents that were received by the Fitzroy Council in relation to the administration of An Act for Improvements in Fitz Roy Ward in the City of Melbourne 1854. The ward was first known as Fitz Roy. At some stage the name changed to Fitzroy.

The purpose of the Act was to enable the Melbourne City Council to make improvements to the 'drainage and ventilation of most of the public thoroughfares' in Fitz Roy Ward. Specifically, this involved the construction, widening and completion of a number of streets that were identified in a schedule to the Act.

The Act also gave the Council a number of additional powers to complete the task. It was given the power to acquire any land and demolish buildings. The council could also impose a special rate as determined by elected arbitrators to raise funds additional to the sum of 50,000 pounds made available under the Act.

As one means of dealing with this task, the Melbourne City Council established the Fitzroy Ward Improvements Committee (FIWC). This functioned as a normal committee. It met between May 1854 and October 1858. One can assume that the then-Melbourne City Council Legislative Committee took over the responsibilities of the Fitzroy Ward Improvements Committee between 1859 - 1860 as the entries outline the acquisition of property from individuals which was similar to previous entries.

The records were primarily extracts from FIWC minutes, correspondence and financial documents used to record the acquisition of land and compensation to property owners as specified under the Act.

These records were handed to the Fitzroy Council at some point following its establishment in 1858. It is most likely that this occurred during 1860 following the passing of an Amending Act that transferred all powers, authorities and duties conferred on the Melbourne City Council by the original Act to the Fitzroy Council. This amendment also specified the hand over of certain documents.