Borough of Victoria
lga
Statensw
Est20 January 1871
Abolished29 July 1890
SeatCouncil Chambers
ParishWilloughby
Area0.7
Near-nSt Leonards
Near-eEast St Leonards
Near-wSt Leonards
Near-swBerrys Bay
Near-sPort Jackson
Near-seLavender Bay

The Borough of Victoria was a local government area in the Lower North Shore region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. First proclaimed as the Victoria Ward of the Borough of St Leonards in 1867, in 1871 a petition to secede was accepted and the Borough was proclaimed with an area of 0.7km2, making it the second-smallest council in Sydney after the Borough of Darlington. It included the modern suburbs of McMahons Point and parts of North Sydney and Lavender Bay. The borough lasted until 29 July 1890 when it merged with the neighbouring boroughs of St Leonards and East St Leonards to form the Borough of North Sydney.

Council history

With the passing of The Municipalities Act, 1858, on 20 January 1866 139 residents of the St Leonards district petitioned the Colonial Government for the incorporation of the area as a Municipality of Saint Leonards.[1] This petition was subsequently accepted and the Governor of New South Wales, Sir John Young, proclaimed the establishment of the Municipality of St Leonards on 31 May 1867.[2] On 24 December 1868 the Borough was divided into wards and the Victoria Ward named after Queen Victoria encompassing Lavender Bay, McMahons Point and North Sydney was created.[3]

However, by mid-1870 a petition of 172 names was presented to the Colonial Secretary asking for the secession of the Victoria Ward and the creation of a separate borough council.[4][5] The petition was accepted and on 20 January 1871 the Borough of Victoria was proclaimed by the Governor.[6]

Donald Munro, of Blues Point Road, was appointed as Returning Officer for the first election to be held on 10 February 1871.[7] The first council, comprising nine Aldermen and two auditors, was first elected on 10 February 1871, and the first Mayor, Matthew Charlton Jr, was elected on 20 February. Walter George Willington was made the first Council Clerk, a position that was confirmed on 25 February.[8][9][10]

AldermanNotes
Henry MohrmanGrocer, Blues Point Road.[8]
William CarrCarpenter, Blues Point Road.[8]
James HiltonEngineer, Blues Point Road.[8]
Charles Henry WoolcottDeclined office. Town Clerk of Sydney, Blue's Bay.[8]
William SchroderArtist, Susannah Street. Elected 20 March 1871 to fill Woolcott's seat.[11][12]
James MackanessButcher, Blues Point Road.[8]
Matthew Charlton Jr.Freeholder, Princes Street, Sydney.[8]
David MooresFreeholder, Blues Point Road.[8]
Archibald Patrick StevensPublican, Blues Point Road.[8]
Samuel CrewsStonemason, Chuter Street.[8]
AuditorsNotes
John William GuiseChemist, Blues Point Road.[8]
John ClarkeClerk, Union-street.[8]

The Council met at its Council Chambers in the Council Clerk Willington's "London Store", at 139-141 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point.[13] An 1889 profile of the Borough commented that "the chambers occupied by the council are of the meanest description possible, and as the total rent amounts to little more than £20 per annum, the ratepayers cannot complain of extravagance on the part of their representatives."[14]

The small area of the Borough limited the council's ability to develop public infrastructure, with large areas described in 1889 as being "in a primitive state" and possessing no sewer connections.[14] Alderman Frederick Smith in particular, in a September 1889 debate on amalgamation, noted that "the borough was poverty-stricken and impotent, and the time was ripe for a change", while the Illustrated Sydney News commented that "there are absolutely no lungs to the Borough of Victoria, and the people are forced to wander about the streets if they would enjoy the open air."[15][16] Representatives from the Borough had met with the neighbouring boroughs of St Leonards and East St Leonards at an amalgamation conference in July 1889.[17]

The Borough lasted until 29 July 1890 when it merged with the Borough of East St Leonards (1860) and the Borough of St Leonards to form the Borough of North Sydney.[18]

Mayors

MayorTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
1Matthew Charlton20 February 187115 February 1872[9][19][20]
2Thomas John Cook15 February 187213 February 1874[21][22][23]
3Isaac Ellis Ives13 February 187413 February 1879[24][25][26][27][28][29]
4Frederick Smith13 February 187912 February 1880[30]
5Robert Moodie12 February 188020 August 1880[31][32]
–Frederick Smith20 August 188015 February 1883[33][34][35]
6William Waterhouse15 February 188313 February 1885[36][37]
7Michael McMahon13 February 18859 February 1887[38][39]
8Donald Munro9 February 188715 February 1888[40]
–Frederick Smith15 February 188815 February 1889[41]
–William Waterhouse15 February 188914 February 1890[42][43][44]
–Michael McMahon14 February 189029 July 1890[45]

Council Clerks

YearsClerksNotes
20 February 1871 – 12 November 1889Walter George Willington[46]
12 November 1889 – 29 July 1890Andrew Bennet[47]

References

  1. ^ "Petition under the Municipalities Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 23. 23 January 1866. p. 243. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ "Municipality of St Leonards". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 86. 31 May 1867. p. 1336. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "Proclamation". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 313. 28 December 1868. p. 4616. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Separation from St Leonards Municipality". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 177. 29 July 1870. p. 1593. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Separation from Borough of St Leonards, Victoria Ward". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 195. 13 August 1870. p. 1751. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 19. 20 January 1871. p. 191. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 21. 23 January 1871. p. 203. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 43. 24 February 1871. p. 445. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Private Advertisements. Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 39. 21 February 1871. p. 409. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 45. 28 February 1871. p. 467. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 71. 31 March 1871. p. 747. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald. Vol. LXIII, no. 10,240. 16 March 1871. p. 1. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "George Willington and son outside London Store, 139-141 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point". Face of North Sydney. North Sydney Council.
  14. ^ "XXXIV.—Victoria". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 15,572. 21 February 1888. p. 11. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "VICTORIA.". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 16,052. 5 September 1889. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "At McMahon's Point". Illustrated Sydney News. Vol. XXVI, no. 12. 5 September 1889. p. 23. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Amalgamation conference at North Shore". The Daily Telegraph. No. 2815. 28 July 1888. p. 6. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Government Gazette Proclamations and Legislation". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 411. 31 July 1890. p. 6059. Retrieved 7 April 2017. – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "An Old Native.". Albury Banner & Wodonga Express. 22 March 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Personal". Sydney Morning Herald. No. 21,576. 14 March 1907. p. 6. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 51. 20 February 1872. p. 468. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 37. 18 February 1873. p. 507. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "Advertising". The Daily Telegraph. No. 3677. 11 April 1891. p. 8. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 36. 17 February 1874. p. 498. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 34. 12 February 1875. p. 448. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 48. 11 February 1876. p. 628. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  27. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 66. 16 February 1877. p. 737. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  28. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 53. 15 February 1878. p. 717. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  29. ^ "Isaac Ellis Ives". Sydney's Aldermen. City of Sydney. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  30. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 50. 14 February 1879. p. 701. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 60. 13 February 1880. p. 740. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  32. ^ "DEATH OF MR. ROBERT MOODIE.". Evening News. No. 12,935. 23 November 1908. p. 5. Retrieved 15 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  33. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 343. 24 August 1880. p. 4376. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  34. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 62. 15 February 1881. p. 946. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  35. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 79. 24 February 1882. p. 1073. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  36. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 62. 20 February 1883. p. 965. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  37. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 84. 22 February 1884. p. 1319. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  38. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 67. 17 February 1885. p. 1213. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  39. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 92. 16 February 1886. p. 1131. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  40. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 91. 15 February 1887. p. 1118. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  41. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 117. 17 February 1888. p. 1325. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  42. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. 19 February 1889. p. 1387. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  43. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 17,183. 17 April 1893. p. 8. Retrieved 15 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  44. ^ "Family Notices". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 17,175. 7 April 1893. p. 8. Retrieved 15 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  45. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 97. 21 February 1890. p. 1581. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  46. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 129. 24 February 1888. p. 1470. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.
  47. ^ "Borough of Victoria". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 41. 17 January 1890. p. 511. Retrieved 13 April 2019. – via National Library of Australia.