AGY-3993 | Wollondilly Shire Council

Full description

The Shire of Wollondilly was constituted on 7 March 1906 under the Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 (Act No.33, 1905). (1)

The Local Government (Shires) Act 1905 (Act No.33, 1905) extended local government within NSW by creating shires in those areas of the State, outside of the Western Division, that were not part of existing municipalities. Shires were less populated areas than municipalities and had fewer compulsory duties. (2)

The Shire of Wollondilly was located to the south of Sydney in the foothills of the Southern Highlands. In 1906 the Shire included a large area in part bounded by the Municipalities of Camden, Campbelltown, and Picton and also the Shires of Nepean and the Blue Mountains. By 1941 the Shire was bounded by the Municipalities of Camden and Campbelltown and the Shires of Nepean, Bulli, Nattai, Mulwaree, Oberon and Blue Mountains. In May 2002 Wollondilly Shire was comprised of sixteen towns and villages, with a population of approximately 38,500. The largest town was Tahmoor. In 2004 the Shire covered 2,560 square kilometres stretching from Yanderra in the south and Appin and Menangle in the east, to Warragamba in the north and the Nattai Wilderness and Burragorang Valley in the west. (3)

The Shire was divided into three ridings (A, B and C) which were proclaimed on the 16 May 1906. (4)

A temporary Council of five members was appointed by the Governor to commence on 9 June 1906. Its role was limited to compiling lists and rolls of electors and making arrangements within six months for the election of the first permanent council. (5)

The election of the permanent Shire Council was held on 24 November 1906. (6) This Council, consisting of 6 members, held its first meeting on 3 December 1906 at which the first president was elected. At the same meeting a temporary Shire Clerk was appointed. (7)

Parts V and VI of the Valuation of Land Act 1916, (Act No.2, 1916) were applied to the Shire of Wollondilly on 1 January 1927. Under this legislation the Valuer-General took over the valuing of land within the shire from the council. He issued a valuation list to the Council by 25 January 1928 and thereafter the Council ceased to create valuation rolls. (8)

Part of the Shire of Wollondilly was transferred to the Shire of Blue Mountains on 31 May 1911 and part of Wollondilly Shire was transferred to the Nepean Shire on 21 March 1940. These changes resulted in changes to the ridings of Wollondilly on 13 December 1911 and to A Riding on 21 March 1940. (9) On 29 May 1998, three parcels of land were transferred from the Wollondilly Shire Council area to the Camden Council area, and one was transferred from Camden to Wollondilly. (10)

From 1 May 1940 the Municipality of Picton was amalgamated with the Shire of Wollondilly. The Shire Council was increased to eight councillors representing four ridings, named A, B, C and D. The latter consisted of the old Municipality of Picton. A Provisional Council was appointed to operate until the first election, which was held on 7 December 1940 by postal ballot. The Shire headquarters was moved from The Oaks to Picton. (11)

On 31 July 1953, the ridings of the Shire of Wollondilly were reduced to three, named A, B, and C, and the number of councillors increased from eight to nine. Further changes were made to the ridings on 29 July 1983. (12)

Wollondilly Shire Council retained the word Shire in its name after 1993. Under s221(1) of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act No.30, 1993) the corporate name of all councils was changed on 1 July 1993 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. (13) Wollondilly Shire Council appears to have resolved to keep the word Shire in its name. (14)

Endnotes
1. NSW Government Gazette, No.121, 7 March 1906, pp.1593,1640.
2. Department of Public Works Annual Report, 1905-06, pp.101-102.
3. Joy N. Hughes (ed.), Local government...local history: a guide to N.S.W. local government minute books and rate records. Sydney: Royal Australian Historical Society, 1990, p.xiii; Wollondilly Shire Council web site http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/about/04/1059703577_28883.html (accessed 21 July 2004)
4. NSW Government Gazette No.161, 16 May 1906, pp.2899,2968.
5. ibid., pp. 2979, 2983; No.174, 6 June 1906, p.3290; Local Government (Shires) Act, 1905 (Act No.33, 1905), s.7(a).
6. NSW Government Gazette No.121, 5 September 1906, p.5013; No.235, 3 October 1906, p.5590.
7. Local Government (Shires) Act, 1905 (Act No.33, 1905), ss.18(3), 21(2); Camden News 6 December 1906, p.1.
8. NSW Government Gazette No.161, 10 December 1926, p.5521; No.15, 3 February 1928, p.606.
9. NSW Government Gazette, No.74, 31 May 1911, p.3027; No.47, 21 March 1940, pp.1443-45; No.177, 13 December 1911, p.6582.
10. NSW Department of Local Government, Annual Report, 1997/98, p.69; NSW Government Gazette, No.87, 29 May 1998, pp.4006-4008.
11. NSW Government Gazette, No.57, 12 April 1940, pp.1688-92; Picton Post, 17 January 1940, p.1; 24 April 1940, p.2, 11 December 1940, p.2; Camden News, 2 May 1940, p.1; Wollondilly Shire Council web site http://wollondilly.local-e.nsw.gov.au/council/05/index (accessed 23 July 2004).
12. NSW Government Gazette, No.137, 31 July 1953, pp.2466-67; No.82, 10 June 1983, pp.2639-40; No.105, 29 July 1983, pp.3519-20.
13. Local Government Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1994 No.44, inserted s.6 of Schedule 8 into the Local Government Act 1993 No.30.
14. Department of Local Government, Annual Report, 1995/95, p.94; 1995/96, p.105.